will be interesting to see how the NPA and their paid negative blog rangers put a spin on this one. after all, she worked for the provincial liberals for over a decade. but they will.

Here's some guidance for the new communications director. In the Vision world, anyone opposing any of Vision's backroom development deals (pretty much everyone in Vancouver at this point) is a NIMBY, f*cking hack or (a bizarre recent addition) a Tea Party member. Neighborhood groups are the enemy as are the citizens themselves. Remember to respond to any critics by dividing people, keep trying to pit renters against owners, east side against the west side, cyclists against drivers, gays against straights. Remember that democracy is a complete waste of time for Visionaries. Overall everything is fair game as long as the development machine keeps the bulldozers working and the money flowing. Good luck.

Nelson100;

Interesting that you should describe it this way.....the very same thing is going on between countries....I guess those people have their vision of things too.

Another lifelong bureaucrat riding the gravy train plus with experience at civic & Provincial levels she can double dip her pensions. The real threat to our society long term is not the criminals in politics representing all parties and ideologies, the real threat is bureaucratism. We can see the results around us in healthcare, education, transit, ferries, car insurance and the growth of the city PR department under the guidance of the city manager.

FraserHealth has seen budget increases year after year for 6 years yet clinicians in a range of fields have had their positions reclassified leading to a defacto wage freeze. Approximately 30 community nutritionists had their jobs eliminated, frontline positions where they saw patients and provided support to local schools were eliminated. Their array of "managers" did not lose their jobs but did get raises and are still classified as "supervisors" even though they have fewer clinicians than "supervisors." The money saved was used to fund new positions in the bureaucracy and bump up the bonus pool.

Every bureaucracy in the Provincial government has added managers and administrators over the last 6 years even as they block wage increases for actual frontline workers. Some fields a clinician at the top of her/his pay grid earns less than the lowest rung bureaucrat, often a malleable recent university graduate with no clinical experience. Every 2 entry level bureaucrats in FraserHealth cost the equivalent of 3 clinicians with 10+ years of experience each.

Educations is just as bad, for proof look at the budget information released by the VSB. They provide a list of salaries and there are far too many people being paid salaries well beyond what the highest earning teachers make. There are more superintendents and managers now than 20 years ago when the student population was significantly higher. Education is being managed to death.

Bureaucracies cut frontline public services because they understand the bulk of the voting herd is made up of sheep who blame the government or blame the unions when services are cut. Even when budgets increase services disappear to pay for administration. The public doesn't hold the bureaucrats accountable out of ignorance but the government doesn't hold them accountable out of fear. Politicians who point out bureaucratic waste often end up victims of leaks soon after.

G is right.
Public sector pensions are killing US cities. Ontario has serious public pension liabilities. The gravy train is not sustainable.