Bill McCreery sits in the background, looking very unhappy at having to sit and be a greeter at the NPA table. His former party TEAM never made a man of his stature do such things I am sure.

Over the weekend, there was a very telling quote delivered by newly acclaimed NPA City Council candidate Bill McCreery, who is leading the charge for what is “new” within the 73 year old political entity (Bill received his Bachelor of Architecture in 1969 and was a Commissioner on the Vancouver Park Board from 1973-74, and thus has witnessed first-hand the NPA evolve into the young, fresh and dynamic organization it is today).

Mike Howell from the Courier asked McCreery if he was concerned the fact that there was only one race at the nomination meeting this past Saturday.  Here was his response:

““There were other people who were interested [in running] but one year is an awful long time to be campaigning, and I don’t think a lot of people want to be doing that,” said McCreery, who predicted a bigger turnout and competition for NPA seats in the party’s spring 2011 nomination meeting. “As a matter of fact, on Saturday, there was two or three people I hadn’t met before who came up to me and said they were seriously thinking about running in the spring.”

So Bill, who is one of the most active individuals in the party, and who also sat on the board up until the summer, has people he has never met approaching him who are interested in running.

Exciting news I suppose for a party that might have a hard time finding enough people to fill out a full slate of candidates.

But terrible news for a party who desperately needs name recognition amongst its candidates to have any chance at pulling a few across the finish line as newly elected officials.

Let’s look at the election results from 2008 and more specifically the names that didn’t quite make it through for the NPA:

Candidate	Elector Organization	Votes
LOUIE, Raymond P.	VV	66226
DEAL, Heather	VV	63116
CHOW, George	VV	62262
JANG, Kerry	VV	60598
REIMER, Andrea	VV	59148
STEVENSON, Tim	VV	58380
CADMAN, David	CPE	56665
ANTON, Suzanne	NPA	52941
MEGGS, Geoff	VV	49538
WOODSWORTH, Ellen	CPE	45877
DHALIWAL, Kashmir	VV	44854
GELLER, Michael	NPA	44353
CAPRI, Kim	NPA	44270
BALL, Elizabeth	NPA	42727
LEE, David	NPA	42195
WONG, Kanman	NPA	36795
HOUGHTON, Korina	NPA	34588
COPELAND, Leanore	NPA	34566
BICKERTON, Sean	NPA	33510
SIDHU, Daljit S.	NPA	28894

Now, Michael Geller has kept himself immersed on the municipal scene, and his weekly CKNW appearances as well as his occasional slip-ups amidst his commentaries on development and the Olympic Village, make Geller a valuable potential candidate for the party.  I can tell you that he most definitely would get my vote over a Ellen Woodsworth, for example.

The next two – Capri and Ball – were incumbents that were punished for the Sam Sullivan reign of error and both are unlikely to return to run for the moribund incarnation of what their party has become.

David Lee was a man who was apparently recruited to run by the former Mayoral candidate Peter Ladner, but also a candidate who was short on details and definition throughout the campaign.

Kanman Wong was a former Conservative candidate from the riding of Vancouver Kingsway (much like my friend Jesse Johl is right now), who spoke out of both sides of his mouth when he targeted messages to voters of different ethnic backgrounds.  I am sorry to say to Jesse – the City of Vancouver doesn’t seem to like Conservative candidates (current or former) that much.

Korina Houghton was a Park Board Commissioner from 2005-2008, but apparently her previous experience didn’t help her much in terms of name recognition.  She is actually one of the names that I am hearing is planning on making another attempt for City Council.

Leanore Copeland is a fantastic lady and a friend, but who also last I checked spends much of her time these days in London, UK.

Sean Bickerton is an NPA stalwart who has been the lifeblood of the organization for some time now.  He is smart, sharp well informed and very diverse, and also a fellow musician which I always have respect for.  Yet, in spite of all his civic involvement, I feel he still lacks the name recognition that is necessary to get elected.  He is also a name I expect to return as a candidate.

Finally, we have Daljit Sidhu, who is the President of the Punjabi Market Association, faced the same kind of situation I described following the 2008 election that other South Asian candidates faced.  So, it is no surprise that he came in last amongst all of his party’s Council candidates.  I do not expect him to run again.

So if these were the results for candidates – many of which were incumbents – in a time when the party was a lot healthier (membership, financially, politically, etc.), then what will be the fate of candidates that even Bill McCreery has never met or heard of before?

And consider this – if Suzanne Anton does indeed end up running, giving up her spot as a Council candidate, then the NPA could very well have no electeds on City Council by the time the 2011 election is over.

An NPA board member asked me recently “Why do you have to say so many negative things about the NPA – ALL THE TIME?”

Well, the answer to that question is simple.  I don’t need to.  I do so because it is such an easy target, and really now sits as a non-option for voters…which is really quite a shame, since competition brings out the best in government.

And, I will continue to point out the fatal flaws of an organization that in rhetoric considers itself a viable alternative, but in reality, has little to nothing to offer the public.

• I have already posted my reaction to Michael Geller’s comments in the Globe last week – comments that have now inspired an opinion piece in Saturday’s Vancouver Sun by former Vision City Councillor and Mayoral candidate Jim Green, a rebuttal from Geller, and a number of follow-up reactions.  From my point of view, here is the key message that I want to get across to Mr. Geller:  While your history and personality do not seem of the character of someone who has a prejudice against the poor people, your choice of words to describe your position are offensive – plain and simple:  “If you think of the population as divided into five groups on a social and economic basis –As, Bs, Cs, Ds, Es, – when you start putting together the As and the Es, there is the potential for people to not get along.  If you’re going to mix people, it should be As, Bs and Cs together or Cs, Ds and Es.”  With all due respect Michael, no matter how you might have referred to people at CMHC at one time, the connotations of such classifications are very clear.  How does an “A” on a report card compare to an “E”?  It isn’t your theory that making all of the units market housing might have a positive impact on sales so much as it is how you referred to people – that is what has rubbed so many, including myself, the wrong way.  Furthermore, any of your assertions that the the Ds and Es will include the mentally ill and drug addicted clientele is false and misleading fear mongering, because you are very aware that this has never been a part of the plan for social housing, which has always been directed toward low income families and seniors.  I will be listening to CKNW at 9am this morning to hear Geller and Green have a debate…it should be very interesting.

• Over the weekend I received a call from a friend who said that he had been approached by several within the NPA fold to run for a spot on Council.  This young, South Asian gent has ample previous political experience (including putting his name on a ballot), and had been fed the line that it was important for the party to have some ethnic representation amongst the candidates that come forward.  I asked him if he knew who he was speaking to, and he said no because he hadn’t been following municipal politics that closely.  After explaining how the folks that approached him would likely enjoy stringing me up and lynching me, I also gave him context about the offer.  The NPA is desperate to attract a dynamic, diverse and fresh slate of candidates that hopefully will have a little star power thrown into the mix.  My friend fits the bill in a few respects, but ultimately I told him that as a South Asian male running for Council under the NPA banner, he was going to have a very steep political hill to climb to get elected (spoken from personal experience with my involvement in the last election).  It is funny that certain NPA sources tell me how people are approaching them everyday with regards to candidacy, while others outside of the party’s sphere of spin pass along stories of how they are beating the bushes trying to find those brave souls that are willing to compromise their livelihoods, reputations and sense of hope within politics to be associated with the moribund NPA.

• I found his insight on Suzanne Anton’s flip-flop useful, considering his links to the NPA are obviously far more pronounced than mine, and my sources withing that fold are few and far between.  But the man also detailed how he tried attacking a cyclist with a baseball bat, and how he and his children laughed about running that same cyclist off the road with his car a few days later.  Alex, I get your desire to protect your kids at all costs.  I also understand about being enraged that someone would scare your children and speak that way in front of them.  But I really think that you need help…professional help.  I strongly encourage you to look into it as soon as possible.

• Ian, I’m with you on Montreal being way ahead of us when it comes to biking infrastructure.  And, I also would LOVE to see a similar system to BIXI in this city.  In fact, it looks as though Toronto might be headed in the same direction (although with this wacko about to take the reins at the Mayor’s office, who knows what will happen).  But as someone who was in Montreal just last month, let me also point out that the cost of the program is also a source of controversy for Montreal City Hall (yes, I know that they have more than enough these days).  I am desperately looking for statistics to back this up, but I distinctly remember listening to a radio program which detailed how the BIXI program was millions of dollars in the red on an annual basis.  So, as much as I would love 5000 bikes to line our streets for people to use, I also want it to be cost effective and something that will not be a huge drain on the taxpayer.

• A nice theory about how taking a loss on the Olympic Village is just “business.”  But this isn’t about the city protecting its ass to cover up for politicians, as the Province is describing.  The City stepped in as the lender because it had to – the Olympics were on the way, and there was no room for some New York financier in trouble of its own to be the one who provided the necessary funds for completion.  Thus, if the city is going to give incentives like tax breaks and avoidance of maintenance fees, so be it.  This is about recovering our dollars, and that is the motivation.

• It’s the little label that could, which truly became a global phenomenon at many points over the past 25 years.  I raise a glass to Terry McBride, because Nettwerk is a Vancouver success story with some amazing musical triumphs (Lilith Fair being one).

• I have gone hard at these guys in the past, but I think that their response to the Mayor’s West End Advisory Committee is classy and encouraging.  Like WEN correctly points out, “Much misinformation has been circulating about rezonings in the West End. We hope this Committee will seek out all the key facts, and share everything openly with the public in a timely way.”  I couldn’t agree more.

OK, off to listen to Geller and Green go at it.  I might check back in after if there is anything of significance to comment on.

Michael Geller doesn't believe that different socio-economic groups can live in harmony together, which sounds a lot like the way the NPA has always operatecd.

Let me preface this post by saying that I am a fan of Michael Geller.  From the day that I met him at SFU when he served as the President and CEO of the SFU Community Trust, to the time that he invited me to be a part of his “The Year that Was” forum last fall (albeit only after I pointed out how his original slate of panelists all seemed to have past ties to the NPA), I have been impressed.

He is brilliant, he is very affable, and most importantly, extremely level-headed when it comes to issues, which in the current politicized climate within this city, is very refreshing.

It is for these reasons that Geller’s comments in the Globe and Mail this morning are so shocking.

“If you think of the population as divided into five groups on a social and economic basis –As, Bs, Cs, Ds, Es, – when you start putting together the As and the Es, there is the potential for people to not get along.  If you’re going to mix people, it should be As, Bs and Cs together or Cs, Ds and Es.“

These comments leave me speechless.  I cannot for the life of me understand what Michael was thinking when he offered these thoughts to Frances.

I have clearly detailed my opinion about the mixed development character of the Olympic Village:

“I am of the belief that a taxpayer backed project, particularly as the jewel of what was branded as the first “socially responsible” Games, must have social housing.“

But this is bigger than what our obligations are; what Geller is describing is in essence class warfare.  He suggests that different mixes of people from various social and economic backgrounds will inevitably have conflict.

What a sad and I might even suggest elitist point of view.  Geller lives in Southlands, where those without a stable and a few horses are considered less fortunate and the concept of social housing is foreign and even off-putting to certain residents.

This country and this city are all about mixing people – mixing people of different cultures, races, religions and socio-economic backgrounds.  And in terms of living arrangements, Vancouver has tons of examples where a couple of blocks can mean hundreds of dollars difference in rent, and tens of thousands of dollars in difference when it comes to property values.

Like George Wong states in the article, “I think Vancouverites are quite open-minded and people are very respectful of the diversity here…social housing in urban situations has never deterred potential condo buyers.”

I am sorry, but the suggestion that people from the upper echelons of this city’s wealth innately cannot and will not get along with those from a far lower tax bracket is offensive.  Period.  And it is equally offensive to all the groups Michael delineates, because I guarantee you that there are many Shaughnessy residents, for example, that would shudder at the thought of closing themselves off to people based on how much they earn or where in the city they live.

The NPA has traditionally relied on low municipal election turnouts, which tend to give an advantage to the party’s large bloc of supporters on the affluent west and south sides of the city.

Ironically, it was on election night in 2008 where Margot Paris, NPA candidate Michael Geller’s campaign manager, stated that:

“The NPA I think will go through a really important and necessary reconfiguration.“

She also added:

“We have to throw open the tent,”…referring to a need to attract candidates and support from a broader range of Vancouver constituencies. “There are some old school factors at work.“

Well, from Geller’s comments, it seem as though Paris’ sound advice has not been heeded.

If the NPA wants to continue to run with an “Us vs. Them” mentality, then it isn’t going to matter what Vision Vancouver has or hasn’t done over their three year term come November, 2011.

Vancouver as a city has moved on from supporting division, class warfare and playing favourites with neighbourhoods.

I have been without the convenience of the Internet in my home for the past few days, explaining my absence.

Here’s today’s quick hits:

• For those of you that didn’t see it, the Vancouver Sun did a big two-page spread on the state of political blogging in this city over the weekend.  When I spoke to Lori Culbert, I tried to emphasize how I thought that bloggers who drank their own bathwater – who believed in their own sense of self-importance – was not the kind of model I follow.  I am just another voice within the local political landscape, and for those 600-700 people that come to this site daily (I don’t inflate my numbers like some – that is a consistent and pretty decent crowd that continues to grow), they have obviously seen something that was worthwhile.  Calling yourself the “King of Bloggers” is just a little much for me…but hey, if that’s the kind of title that floats your boat, all the power to you.

• Michael Geller does put forward an interesting analysis about the Olympic Village, and as per usual, it is level-headed, well thought out and reasonably fair.  I do not agree with his prescription to sell the social and market-rental components, however.  In spite of the interference that Rich Coleman are trying to play right now (and make no mistake about it folks – this announcement last week was politically motivated rather than pragmatic), the City is committed to sticking with the commitment that it made NOT ONLY to the IOC, but also to the people of Vancouver.  This was to be a development that incorporated these elements into the mix – and this kind of resolve to follow-through with the commitments in the face of such adversity takes guts and principles.  Furthermore, I found Geller’s “factors” that he thinks are “responsible for where we are now” interesting, considering how many of what he lists can directly be attributable to the decisions and management of the Olympic Village bidding and construction process under the NPA – details that I have written about here and here.  The current administration was handed a dog’s breakfast with regards to the Olympic Village, and everyone that is able to give an honest assessment, and who has followed this issue with any kind of depth over the past few years, is well aware of this.

• UFC is in town toady meeting with City officials about a potential return to Vancouver in 2011. UFC will be coming in looking for a better deal with regards to insurance, although they may very well be barking up the wrong tree on this issue.  Vancouver remains the only city on the UFC calendar without a state or provincial sanctioning body, meaning that everything in terms of liability falls on the shoulders of the Vancouver taxpayer.  Until there is movement on this front with an Attorney General who seems supportive, but won’t budge an inch because of a controlling Premier that will not let the file go forward, it seems as though the City of Vancouver’s terms of compliance will be unlikely to change.

• Nice to see the Raptors out here for some training and an exhibition game, but I still don’t think that Vancouver is ready to consider bringing basketball back.  Fans didn’t have a product to show up to because of poor management for seven seasons.  But the thing that really killed the team’s future in Vancouver was a lack of corporate backing. I still believe that an NBA team would have a difficult time attracting enough money in sponsorship support to make an owner bullish about the Vancouver market.  I guess that might all change if an NBA team with a shot at the playoffs and some established stars was plopped into town.  Anyways, while I was always a huge Grizzlies follower (fan? well, not sure if I can say that), I am also a realist about how sports fandom and corporate dollar distribution work in this city.  By the way, anyone have a line on some courtside seats?  I’m very interested.

• In the world of Paul Sullivan, because ” it’s going to take more than separated bike lanes” to get people to use bikes to get around the city, bike lanes shouldn’t be built.  In Sullivan’s prescription, you don’t start somewhere and work forward incrementally – you have everything as a go to start, or you go home.  Now if attitudes like this were in charge of city planning around the time that Larry Beasley started to transform this city, as an example, then I shudder to think how Vancouver, and particularly the downtown core, would be a merely a meak version of its current incarnation.

• Thanks for the laugh Charlie – I am glad someone reposted the tripe that comes out of this man’s mouth. Funniest line of the speech:  “So the federal government has provided $417m towards the Evergreen Line. We’ve provided $400m.  TransLink is going to provide their share.  I can tell you this, and I can tell you with a degree of confidence that you can take to the bank.  The TransLink Evergreen Line is going to start in the spring of 2011, and it’s going to be there for people of the northeast sector of Metro Vancouver by 2014 when we open it up.  And we’re going to do more.” I love it. Gordo, how you pull these kinds of statements off without wincing is truly a talent.

• Word is that the NPA’s emerging candidates for their upcoming nomination meeting have got the executive and the party in a real panic, considering that none – and I mean none – have thus far captured the interest or imaginations of the power players within the party.  If anyone doubts this fact, they should go talk to Peter Ladner about the idea to pick candidates before the party has a mayoral anchor, and he will tell you the exact same thing that I have.

Nice to be back.  Thanks as always for reading.