Besides the insubstantiality of the "threat" -- I mean, what my new friend Kevin (we are friends on Facebook as of yesterday) is talking about here is being told that there will be a concerted effort to mobilize public opinion in favour of adequate provincial support for the arts, which is really just a fundamental mechanism of democracy -- his metaphor is truly unfortunate. As someone who works around skid row, I can tell you that it is one of the safer parts of the city for walking down the street. This movie-plot scenario of a "junkie waving a needle" confronting him has no basis in reality.

Kevin, we know you're upset. It's clear that you're hurting -- it really shows. As a friend, I'm telling you that you need to take some deep breaths and relax. Think of a happy place. Stop, and count to ten, before you say even more things you are going to regret.

Oh, and stop interfering politically in the work of the B.C. Arts Council, and increase their funding to the per-capita levels found in other provinces. We'll help with that.

The Minister would gain a lot more credibility and respect if he would just fess up and say that he and the govt have bungled the culture portfolio - ok, maybe "made some mistakes" - and are now trying to correct them. There is still a long way to go to invest in this sector properly, let alone regain trust.

p.s. Put the Gaming $$ back and restore the capital tax on banks. Were they really hurting?
www.claireart.ca

Krueger has torpedoed his own ability to communicate with the arts community. He has to resign.

The man's an ass.

Minister Kreuger keeps talking about himself, but this is not about him. It is about the future of our culture, our society and our economy.

A strong minister goes to the Cabinet table and advocates for his ministry and services and programs. A strong minister is more interested in his ministry than in his own not very interesting subjective experiences.

Our future hangs in the balance. Strike another one for the weakest cabinet in BC history.

OK... seriously...Kevin... what's your problem?

Kevin Kreuger compares the arts community of British Columbia to "a junkie waving a needle"? The people who make dance, opera, theatre, concerts, literature, festivals -- these are all junkies waving needles to Mr Kreuger?

The man is ridiculous. He has lost ALL credibility. No one in the arts community will talk to a man who compares us to junkies waving needles. No one should. His views are, well, demented.

In a democracy, Kevin, you work for us.

At least until the next election. With your latest tirade you have made yourself a joke, and no politician can endure the ridicule which -- even now -- follows.

Perhaps you confused Bramwell Tovey waving a baton with a junky waving a needle? Hard to tell. You are really, really out of the picture. Pitiful.

Excellent point, Jessica. As Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts, Mr. Krueger is tasked with going to bat for the arts & culture sectors and advocating for them, not re-shaping them so he finds them less threatening. His feeling of having been attacked might better be described as the feelings a self-important bumbler might have when confronted with a room full of extremely serious people whose livelihoods and life-long commitments his blithe decisions have endangered.

However, Mr. Krueger has done a great job of discrediting himself with this one, and for that I'm grateful. It may shift the public's attention away from that shell-game re-announcement of already-announced arts money the other day.

One more thing: visit www.artistsandcitizens.com if you would like to join a grassroots initiative to speak directly to the people of BC about arts funding. (And let's not forget Gaming, folks.)

I was at the meeting. This an absurd misrepresentation of the conversation. The comments are offensive and inappropriate to the position of the Minister.