What a load of crap coming from the stooge who endorsed the NPA in the last election. Your "reasoning" for your predictions...that many Sullivan supporters won't be able to afford " prohibitive downtown parking rates" is beyond laughable.
I'm certainly not an NPA or Sullivan supporter. Our current mayor is just one of many atrocious ones in recent years... Art Philips, Tom Campbell, Gordon Campbell. I'm commenting here simply to go on record that I still believe that Charlie Smith's endorsement of the NPA before the last election was enough to tip the scales in their favour given the ridiculous spectre of a nobody loser like James Green siphoning off 4000 votes with the NPA's help..enough to put Sullivan in the mayor's office.
I still curse Sullivan and Smith every time I encounter a sidewalk with no ramps..there are many. What a do nothing useless piece of rolling crap our mayor is. 

My my my...sleepswithangels must think I have a lot of influence. For the record, here is the so-called "endorsement" of the NPA, which was not in fact an endorsement of the NPA. The Straight recommended many COPE and Green candidates. The paper didn't recommend Jim Green.
http://www.straight.com/article/voters-face-tricky-choice
November 17, 2005
Voters face tricky choice
Pity the voters of Vancouver. In electing their next mayor, citizens must choose between two fairly dismal front-runners: veteran Non-Partisan Association Coun. Sam Sullivan, who has presented few new ideas during the campaign and who has accomplished very little on council over the past 12 years; and Vision Vancouver Coun. Jim Green, a sometimes litigious bully and spendthrift with a predilection for making backroom deals with senior levels of government.

Both politicians are crafty. They left voters with the impression during the 2002 election campaign that they opposed lifting the citywide moratorium on slot machines. Yet both voted in favour of shoving hundreds of the one-armed bandits into Hastings Racecourse against the wishes of many neighbourhood residents.

Sullivan came up with a clever bit of sophistry to justify his position, which benefited Bruno Wall, one of his largest campaign contributors. He said the decision on slots had already been made in an earlier vote at the Plaza of Nations. By the time the Hastings Park vote came around, he said, council was merely choosing where the machines should go. In reality, the two casino proposals were separated to increase the likelihood of the moratorium being lifted.

But this election is not about slot machines. Nor is it about the $2-billion Richmond/Airport/Vancouver Rapid Transit Project, which both Sullivan and Green supported. This time, some of the major issues are transportation in general, leadership, crime and safety, and the future of St. Paul's Hospital.

Sullivan has plenty of shortcomings. He almost always caves to the wishes of senior bureaucrats, leaving them in charge of the city. When senior staff refused to offer fair treatment to hundreds of South False Creek leaseholders, including seniors, there was nary a peep from Sullivan.

By spearheading the defeat of the ward system, Sullivan also maintained senior staff's control over decision-making. Thanks to Sullivan's efforts, there won't be any pesky elected neighbourhood representatives to question decisions directly affecting their constituents.

Because Sullivan has no demonstrated track record in standing up to authority, he cannot be counted on to oppose tyranny. That should worry residents in the run-up to the Olympics, when Sullivan could be chairing the police board and when people's civil liberties will be most at risk.

Two things can be said in Sullivan's favour: he came out very early in favour of harm reduction for drug addicts, and he understands the importance of industrial land to the city's economy. Sullivan also has a good sense of humour, and he is not a political bully.

Then there is the transit issue. During the last election, Sullivan claimed he would rely on research before voting on key issues. But there is no evidence that he looked at any peer-reviewed studies on rapid transit before he supported the $2-billion RAV boondoggle. The legacy of council's vote will be higher transit fares, deteriorating bus service, and rising property taxes.

Jim Green has been equally weak on transportation and even more hypocritical. After casting a vote in favour of the RAV project, Green now portrays himself as the champion of Cambie Street merchants who are dealing with the fallout.

On transit, gambling, and many other topics, Green generally goes along with the wishes of the B.C. Federation of Labour. Big labour lobbies for casinos and transportation megaprojects, which bring in lots of union dues. Green advances this agenda, much like his former associate Glen Clark did in previous NDP governments.

Green can point to some accomplishments over the past term on council. He introduced a single-room-accommodation bylaw, which might prevent poor people from getting evicted from flophouses on the Downtown Eastside. He and the rest of council legalized secondary suites. Green also breathed life into the entertainment industry with his relentless promotion of later closing hours for bars and nightclubs.

But Green hasn't been completely reliable on arts and cultural issues.

As council's point man on the Vancouver Convention & Exhibition Centre, he capitulated to the provincial government's decision not to include a major arts complex in the $615-million facility. Green also voted against a staff recommendation earlier this year to ensure that the primary use of the Plaza of Nations continued to be special events, festivals, and entertainment. Fortunately for the city's cultural life, the rest of council voted against Green and his Vision Vancouver pals.

In addition, Green hasn't come to the defence of the Vogue Theatre yet. It's one of the city's most important live cultural venues, and it's supposedly about to be turned into a supper club.

Most disturbing of all, Green walked away from his former party, COPE, rather than seek a contested mayoral nomination. This move has threatened the political careers of some of the city's most progressive politicians. If Green was able to inflict this much damage on the city's left as a councillor, imagine what havoc would follow if he became mayor.

Make no mistake. Green is not a left-winger. He is just as pro-development as any NPA candidate. Green's closest allies, Mayor Larry Campbell and Coun. Raymond Louie, voted for the public-private RAV deal and voted for higher transit fares.

The Vision Vancouver platform panders shamelessly to the Vancouver police department. There is no mention of police-budget overruns, police assaults in Stanley Park, or police bungling of the missing-women investigation. Instead, Green makes the ridiculous claim that the former NPA council didn't do enough for the boys in blue.

Given the choice between Sullivan and Green, it's tempting to recommend Ben West of the Work Less Party. West is bright and articulate. But he has no chance of winning, and in this election, the stakes are too high to waste a vote.

At the start of this election campaign, the Georgia Straight published a cover story about the future of St. Paul's Hospital. The Gordon Campbell government is setting the stage for a new public-private hospital on False Creek Flats.

Research published in peer-reviewed journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine and the British Medical Journal has demonstrated that once the profit motive is introduced into the hospital sector, costs rise and more people die. B.C. is home to some of the top health economists in the world, who would probably share their views with city staff if only they were asked to do so.

The next council has a choice. It can rezone the land behind the train and bus station on False Creek Flats to accommodate a new hospital built through a public-private partnership. Or the new council could refuse a rezoning application, ensuring that St. Paul's Hospital will stay on Burrard Street, where it serves downtown residents.

The real-estate industry is already setting its sights on Burrard as one of the next great areas to make a buck. Getting rid of the hospital will help accomplish this objective.

But for West End residents and Davie Street businesses, St. Paul's Hospital is the heart of the neighbourhood. If there ever was a disaster downtown, more people might die if there wasn't an acute-care facility nearby.

The NPA's Sam Sullivan lives in nearby Yaletown and has never voted to rezone industrial land. He claims that the best option is maintaining the hospital at its current site.

Green has made noises about retaining first-rate health-care services in the West End. However, as a member of city council, Green did not apply the brakes when the director of current planning, Larry Beasley, first floated the idea of moving St. Paul's to False Creek Flats. Instead, Green let the process continue. Green has also not demonstrated Sullivan's awareness of the importance of industrial land to the economic life of the city.

In addition, Green has a history of working cooperatively with the Gordon Campbell government. Green supported slot machines, which were promoted by the provincially owned BC Lottery Corporation. The B.C. government later increased the number of subsidized housing units in the Woodward's project. Green supported the Olympic bid. The provincially-funded health authority later created a supervised injection site.

St. Paul's Hospital is too important to become another Jim Green bargaining chip for more social housing, another safe injection site, or whatever else might be on his wish list.

Moreover, Green has demonstrated a troublesome tendency to trumpet the interests of developers. All this adds up to a significant risk to St. Paul's if Green becomes mayor.

For all of Sullivan's political limitations-and there are many-he is far more likely than Green to vote to save downtown Vancouver's major hospital from the wrecking ball. Because the NPA mayoral candidate has been vocal on this issue over a long period of time, we're recommending a vote for Sam Sullivan as Vancouver's next mayor on Saturday. The fate of the hospital should not be left in the hands of Jim Green.


AND ONE MORE ARTICLE OF INTEREST FROM THAT ERA:
November 3, 2005
COPE backs St. Paul's
By Charlie Smith
Five incumbent COPE councillors---Fred Bass, David Cadman, Tim Louis, Anne Roberts, and Ellen Woodsworth-have promised in their party's election platform to work to keep St. Paul's Hospital at its current Burrard Street site. The COPE council slate has also pledged to try to keep Mount Saint Joseph Hospital at Prince Edward Street and 15th Avenue.

Both hospitals are owned by Providence Health Care, which is preparing a "business case" for a possible new acute-care facility behind the Pacific Central Station on Main Street. Providence Health Care is considering all options, including a public-private partnership. The next city council would have to rezone part of Vancouver's industrial heartland on False Creek Flats to permit this to occur.

COPE Coun. Anne Roberts, chair of the city's planning and environment committee, told the Straight that her COPE colleagues also oppose any plans that could involve the privatization of health services. "We're very much in support of keeping St. Paul's and Mount Saint Joseph in their present locations, and to have health services in the community there," Roberts said. "I'm generally predisposed to preserving industrial land."

NPA mayoral candidate Sam Sullivan told the Straight last week that he doesn't think he has ever voted for rezoning industrial land during his 12 years on city council. Vision Vancouver mayoral candidate Jim Green said he will never support removing health services that are "absolutely necessary" for the West End. Both mayoral candidates have not promised to vote against rezoning land on False Creek Flats to keep St. Paul's Hospital at the Burrard Street site.
 

What a treat!...we are once again exposed to the most back handed endorsement of a mayoral candidate in the history of journalism. The bottom line, however, remains the same... a supposedly "progressive" rag endorses a right wing party.
I got my first Georgia Straight in 1968 as a visitor to Vancouver. An article I read in that issue was the impetus for an op-ed piece that the Hamilton Spectator published in the fall of 1968. The subject was mass media's and government's roles in demonizing and outlawing LSD as they feared consumption of this drug was behind massive domestic resistance to the genocidal Vietnam war.
I used to respect this rag...now it is a middle of the road POC (with some useful features....keep giving us 'sick' stuff Max Cannon and kudos to the great astrologer). 

Please tell the truth, sleepswithangels! The Straight did not endorse a "right-wing party". We made a very tepid recommendation for one right-wing candidate for mayor over another fairly conservative candidate for mayor -- and the second candidate was far more conservative on issues of law and order.

We recommended seven candidates for council: four COPE, one NPA, and one Green. None of the Vision candidates were recommended in part because of the party's support for sharp increases to the police budget. Here's what was published:

The "Straight" slate for a more livable region [Vancouver]
Feeling confused about the municipal elections on Saturday (November 19)? You're probably not alone. There will be 96 candidates listed on the Vancouver election ballot alone, and there are scores more running in the other 20 municipalities in the Greater Vancouver Regional District.

This year, we're trying to make it easier for you by recommending certain candidates and pointing to others that we think are worth considering. We considered candidates on several issues, including the following: willingness to promote smart planning to curb traffic congestion; support for intelligent investments in public transit; advocacy for the arts; commitment to legalizing secondary suites to offer more housing choices; fiscal prudence; and a commitment to defend farmland from developers. Another key consideration was a candidate's willingness to stand up to political bullies on council, at the Greater Vancouver Regional District, at TransLink, and at higher levels of government.

Choices for Vancouver city council:

Fred Bass (COPE)

Media commentators who don't pay attention to issues often dismiss this two-term councillor as an inarticulate dunderhead. We say look at his voting record. After doing a massive amount of research, he supported enhancing the bus system at a fraction of the cost of the $2-billion RAV line. His caucus colleagues, including Vision Vancouver mayoral candidate Jim Green, responded by kicking him off the TransLink board, which facilitated the approval of the RAV line. Bass also demonstrated political courage by publicly criticizing Mayor Larry Campbell and championing the Burrard Bridge experiment. A fiscal conservative, Bass argued that it was much smarter to spend less than $1 million on a trial allocating two bridge lanes for bicycles rather than immediately widening the sidewalks at a cost of more than $13 million. As a member of the GVRD board, Bass stood up to the labour movement by refusing to endorse a financially unsustainable 10-year transportation strategy. He has also taken the lead in caucus in trying to keep St. Paul's Hospital at its Burrard Street site. Bass does his homework, particularly on issues relating to the environment and addiction. And unlike some members of council, he always treats delegations with respect.

Tim Louis (COPE)

What can you say about the two-term councillor who once described Wal-Mart as a corporate criminal? He has consistently supported neighbourhoods and citizens' groups against the bureaucrats at TransLink and City Hall. Louis, a lawyer, worked closely with Vision Vancouver Coun. Raymond Louie on the creation of the city's ethical-purchasing policy and supplier code of conduct. Louis was also instrumental in the development of a city food policy, which is the cornerstone of sustainability. In addition, he refused to buckle under pressure from organized labour to vote for slot machines. Louis also spurned big labour's demand to support a $4-billion transportation plan that would only lift transit ridership from 11 percent to 13 percent of all trips by 2013. Louis, more than any other councillor, has a willingness to challenge the conventional wisdom of the bureaucracy. In that respect, he is the perfect counterpoint to the NPA's mayoral candidate, Sam Sullivan. Louis's opposition to the RAV project demonstrated his fiscally conservative side as well as his ongoing support for bus riders. He also won't vote in favour of moving St. Paul's Hospital to False Creek Flats in a public-private partnership. Don't let the mainstream media fool you: Louis is a very effective city councillor. He also has the best record in responding to citizens' e-mails.

Colleen Hardwick Nystedt (NPA)

Nystedt is one of the smartest of the NPA newcomers. A movie producer with an impressive knowledge of tax law, she has a strong grasp of regional planning and transportation issues. She says there should be rapid transit in the Arbutus corridor, which is heresy for most NPA politicians. Nystedt is also a firm opponent of twinning the Port Mann Bridge and expanding Highway 1 to eight lanes between Langley and Vancouver. Nystedt's father, recently deceased UBC geographer Walter Hardwick, was one of Vancouver's greatest city councillors. Hardwick modernized the planning process, opposed the development of a freeway through Chinatown and Gastown, and was the intellectual force behind the creation of a mixed neighbourhood on the south side of False Creek. Nystedt inherited her father's interest in city planning and now opposes moving St. Paul's Hospital to False Creek Flats. She is tough and knows how to get things done. And if she gets elected to council, she'll add a bit of much-needed backbone to the NPA caucus.

Anne Roberts (COPE)

Roberts, an opponent of slot machines, is sometimes caricatured unfairly by daily-newspaper columnists who rarely venture into City Hall. In fact, she has one of the sharpest minds on council, which is probably why outgoing mayor Larry Campbell was often so critical of her. Unlike Campbell, Roberts has a deep interest in city planning, which is one of a councillor's main responsibilities. She understands the importance of retaining the rail yards and keeping St. Paul's and Mount St. Joseph hospitals in their current locations. Roberts, a journalism instructor, also knows transit issues better than the bureaucrats and isn't afraid to let them know this. She isn't shy about grilling engineering staff on the wisdom of left-turn bays or challenging the city manager on why she hired a consulting firm without council's authorization. Her opposition to Wal-Mart attracts headlines, but it's her day-in, day-out attention to detail that sets her apart from every other member of council. She is also a strong advocate of responsible regional planning. As a GVRD board member, she voted against the foolish regional transportation strategy that did little to increase transit ridership. She has been council's best daycare advocate and worked harder than any other politician to bring about a ward system. Roberts understands the importance of campaign finance reform, even if she didn't push very hard for her own party to reveal its list of contributors after the last election.

David Cadman (COPE)

There are lots of reasons not to elect Cadman. He didn't back members of the peace and justice committee, which he cochairs with COPE Coun. Ellen Woodsworth, when they were trying to promote more police accountability. Cadman, a vocal critic of the RAV project, could have thrown a serious monkey wrench into the RAV megaproject had he voted against the regional transportation strategy at the GVRD board. But he didn't, which enabled RAV to proceed to the next step. Cadman also voted to lift the citywide moratorium on slot machines by approving a rezoning application at the Plaza of Nations. He later voted against slot machines at Hastings Park. On the plus side, however, Cadman has fought against transit-fare increases and promoted more-energy-efficient buildings. He has deep insights into the global oil situation, which puts him miles ahead of most other politicians in the region. He also played a key role in preventing the privatization of a drinking-water filtration plant, which probably saved citizens countless headaches. If he returns to council, he could use his formidable intellect to galvanize public opinion against moving St. Paul's Hospital to False Creek Flats in a public-private partnership.

Ann Livingston (Green)

Livingston, project coordinator for the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users, transformed the city in the 1990s by championing a new way to address drug addiction. She forced bureaucrats and politicians to pay attention to what was happening in Frankfurt and Amsterdam, which led directly to the creation of the four-pillar approach to addressing drug addiction. Livingston's lobbying tenacity also led to the creation of Canada's first safe injection site for intravenous drug users. She is a bit of a one- issue candidate and probably doesn't have much hope of getting elected because the Greens don't have a big advertising budget. But if you're looking for a candidate who will press for more safe injection sites, Livingston is your best bet. Unlike members of the current council, she'll make it a priority to create more public washrooms for homeless people, which would improve public health on the Downtown Eastside. Livingston will also do a better job than the current crop of councillors at holding the police department accountable.

The following Vancouver city council candidates are worth considering, but we're not giving them recommendations:

Peter Ladner (NPA)

Ladner pays attention to budgets and has been a good advocate on environmental issues. On the negative side, he naively believed the RAV promoters' claims on costs and flip-flopped on the Burrard Street Bridge cycling trial. He's an honest councillor, a respectful debater, and he asked hard questions of the police chief during one council meeting. But he tends to blow the same way as the Vancouver Board of Trade, except when it comes to twinning the Port Mann Bridge.

Jamie Lee Hamilton (Independent)

The transsexual political activist, former brothel owner, and blogger often takes up community issues. She spent many years fighting for a public inquiry into the police department's botched investigation of the missing women on the Downtown Eastside. She continues to advocate for the safety of sex-trade workers, and she worked with Hastings-Sunrise residents in an unsuccessful fight against the introduction of slot machines at the Hastings Park Racecourse. Hamilton, who is part aboriginal, has a sharp grasp of municipal issues. Vision Vancouver mayoral candidate Jim Green and Vision Vancouver council candidate Heather Deal sued Hamilton after Hamilton wrote some inflammatory statements on her blog.

B.C. Lee (NPA)

B.C. Lee speaks Cantonese and Mandarin fluently. He has a passion for the arts. He has experience working for an environmental startup company and would bring a cosmopolitan perspective to city council. He also cares about financial issues. Mayor Larry Campbell didn't hire any Cantonese-speaking executive assistants, and no member of the current council speaks Cantonese and Mandarin fluently. (Sam Sullivan does a decent job in Cantonese, though.) Electing B.C. Lee would give more residents access to city council. Lee has been somewhat vague on key issues, such as the future of St. Paul's Hospital and the single-room-accommodation bylaw.

Kevin Potvin (Independent)

Potvin, owner of Magpie Magazine Gallery and publisher of the Republic newspaper, has been all over the map on the RAV issue, which is why the Straight is not recommending him. He also has a grand pipe dream of persuading the United Nations to move here. His fetish for turning Vancouver into a world-class city generates a lot of media attention. But what the citizens really need are councillors who do their homework, have a good understanding of how the pieces of the region fit together, and are aware of the looming problem of oil depletion. Potvin has paid attention to the global oil-supply issue, unlike most other candidates. As an entrepreneur, he also has some insights into the challenges faced by small-business people. He is promoting a separate bridge over False Creek for pedestrians and cyclists.

Suzanne Anton (NPA)

Anton, a former prosecutor, has served one term on the Vancouver park board. Like most NPA candidates, she is an enthusiastic proponent of the Olympics. If elected, she will side with the establishment on most issues, including keeping animals in captivity at the Vancouver aquarium. If you need further proof of her right-wing disposition, keep in mind that she voted against a park-board motion condemning the B.C. Liberal government for imposing time limits for welfare recipients. That said, she also fought for a waterfront park in Marpole against the wishes of TransLink. She has been a champion of sports fields and continues to question the COPE-controlled board's decision to place an aquatic centre in the middle of Hillcrest Park. She won't be afraid to criticize Jim Green if he becomes mayor, particularly on housing issues. Anton has a much better grasp of the planning process than some of her NPA colleagues.

Recommendations for Vancouver park board:

The Straight is not endorsing any incumbent COPE commissioners because they didn't fight the introduction of slot machines into Hastings Park and they failed to make strong representations to city council for a bigger slice of the municipal budget. Despite the board's accomplishments in other areas-such as promoting green buildings-these two issues demonstrated that the COPE park board wasn't willing to stand up to city council, unlike previous NPA-controlled boards. The COPE commissioners' silence on budget issues cleared the way for the police to gobble up a much bigger piece of the pie, which wasn't necessarily the best use of taxpayers' funds.

Omar Kassis (COPE)

Kassis, an idealistic teacher of First Nations students and a former youth worker in Whalley, cycles everywhere, even in a suit. He has a quick mind and a strong social conscience. His experience dealing with underprivileged young people will be useful on the park board, which can play an important role in creating a sense of community for alienated youths. He is on the board of the Creative Peace Network, which brings Israeli and Palestinian teens together. Kassis is also a strong supporter of the arts.

Mel Lehan (COPE)

Lehan has spent the past 30 years working to bring more democracy to the city. He has been a tireless advocate of a ward system to enhance neighbourhood input into decisions. In the provincial election in Vancouver-Point Grey, he ran a strong second to Premier Gordon Campbell. He is chair and cofounder of St. James Community Square in Kitsilano and has volunteered on scores of community projects. Lehan has also won awards from the David Suzuki Foundation, the Kitsilano Chamber of Commerce, and Kitsilano Neighbourhood House.

Jenn McGinn (COPE)

McGinn witnessed poverty firsthand when she operated a community-kitchen program at the Surrey Women's Centre for victims of domestic violence. She is now the executive director of the South Granville Seniors Centre and has been active with the Britannia Community Services Society and the Little Mountain Neighbourhood House. McGinn is a community activist for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered people. If elected, she will likely show more backbone in office than previous COPE commissioners.

Stuart Mackinnon (Green)

Mackinnon, a Vancouver teacher, has been the president of the Society Promoting Environmental Conservation and is a strong advocate for wildlife in parks. He has been very involved in park issues for many years. He was one of the most progressive Green candidates in the past provincial election, losing to the NDP's Adrian Dix in Vancouver-Kingsway.

Tracey Jastinder Mann (Green)

Mann, a 24-year-old SFU student in economics and environmental geography, is running to set an example for other young people to get involved in the political process. She had a perfect score on the "Think City" survey (see page 11), which was supported by local groups promoting democratic reform. Her Green Party counterpart Mackinnon and COPE's Anita Romaniuk matched this. (Council candidates Fred Bass, Jamie Lee Hamilton, Ann Livingston, and Tim Louis also had perfect scores on questions dealing with election-spending limits, direct election of GVRD directors, and other topics.) Mann is an articulate young politician who promises to increase opportunities for public input into decisions. She came across very well during her first run for public office in the past federal election, losing to Liberal David Emerson.

Spencer Herbert (COPE)

If you're looking for a strong advocate for the environment and arts and culture, save a vote for 24-year-old Spencer Herbert. He is the associate producer of the World Urban Forum Arts and Culture Festival. Herbert has also been a political activist for many years (the Straight tracked down a letter to the editor that he wrote about driftnet fishing at the age of 10), advocating for lower transit fares, respectful treatment of First Nations, fair trade, and equality for gays and lesbians. Unlike many other young activists who remain outside of the political process, Herbert has decided to join a mainstream party and work within the system to improve the community. Yet he has still remained true to his ideals. Herbert criticized Mayor Larry Campbell and Coun. Raymond Louie for voting in favour of higher transit fares after running on a platform opposing fare hikes.

Al De Genova (NPA)

For many years, De Genova has been the park board's strongest advocate for skateboarders. He worked very hard with residents of the Hastings Park area to win acceptance for the skate park facility there, which has been a tremendous asset for the city. He also played a leading role in the upgrading of Victory Square. De Genova distanced himself from the NPA after mayoral candidate Sam Sullivan refused to criticize one of his own council candidates, Ronald Leung, for opposing the redefinition of marriage to include same-sex couples. Further demonstrating his progressive side, De Genova also voted in favour of a park-board motion calling upon the province to rescind time limits for welfare recipients, unlike his NPA colleague Suzanne Anton. No wonder he got along so well with the COPE commissioners.

 

Telling the truth would be very cathartic for you Charlie. How about admitting to your readers that personal animosity between yourself and Jim Green caused you to endorse Sullivan for mayor...the same Sam Sullivan who has so many connections to far right, neo conservative back room operators. How about admitting that your rise to the top of the Georgia Straight food chain gave you a rush that could only be maintained by playing god with local elections. How about admitting that your hate for Vancouver Vision has given us the worst mayor in this city's history. Fortunately for us the "James Green" scenario won't be repeated and your endorsements will not 'carry the day' in November but in 2005 your "tepid" recommendation resulted in victory parties being held in Langley where ultra right wing xian whack jobs celebrated a win for their rolling POC stooge...Sam Sullivan.
Don't bother to pretend you have journalistic integrity. You'll feel a lot better if you admit you made a mistake....or do you still really feel your endorsement of Sullivan was justified? 

I have no personal animosity for Jim Green. I admired certain things that Jim Green did, like standing up for the pool-hall owner on Main Street. He was the only member of council to do this. He also supported the arts. But I was troubled by his handling of transit, the slot-machine issue, and the trade-and-convention centre -- which were probably the three biggest things he had to deal with during his term on council. But let's get real. Jim Green, Larry Campbell, Tim Stevenson, and Raymond Louie were really just doing what the labour movement wanted done in these areas of public policy. I have no animosity toward Jim Green as a human being. I still remember the time Jane Jacobs chastised Jim Green at a public meeting about the Canada Line. Jane Jacobs told Jim and everyone else what a bad idea it was. That had zero impact on Jim's approach to this issue. Why? Could it be because the labour movement wanted this project? And why was it necessary to try to throw Louis, Roberts, and Bass out of COPE for merely standing up for what they believed in and for what they promised before the election? I'm wondering -- do you, mr. sleepwithangels, support the creation of the Canada Line? Do you think it's appropriate for the City of Vancouver to give a permanent tax holiday to a trade-and-convention centre boondoggle? Do you think it's good public policy to shove slot machines into the most important park in East Vancouver? Let's forget about the personalities, the insults, and the invective, and talk about policies that have an impact on human beings who live here. 

omg...I feel a mea culpa coming on
Of course, Charlie, you are quite right about the bloody special interests that politicians, whom we expected better of, catered to during Larry Campbell's tenure. You're also quite right about my POV being tainted by lingering resentments which tend to manifest in personal attacks which do little to stimulate the readers understanding of our political scene here. Low voter turnouts are a scourge on democracy and we need to focus on the facts...not grind axes.
In the US millions of peace loving, progressive voters end up supporting the Democrat Party because they fear the Republicans. Many of them don't have a clue their party of choice is just as guilty of the genocide and exploitation in the third world and the middle east as the Republicans. In Vancouver we now have three parties (the egocentric Greens don't count..except as spoilers..and never will until they take their collective heads out of their...&%**&^) and I like to think that the Straight would never endorse a politician (Sullivan) who happens to have a Republican, Ronald Raygun loving manager as well as a far right, xian whack job in his corner.
Charlie..I do appreciate the time you've taken to counter my POV. I hope Straight readers will take the trouble to vote en masse this fall... nothing worse in politics than not taking the time to exercise your democratic rights.