Joel Solomon backs five candidates for Vision park board nominations

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      The man said to be behind Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson’s spectacular rise to power has a list of who he wants to become the city’s next park board commissioners.

      Joel Solomon has five in mind.

      Although Vision Vancouver has only four remaining slots, Solomon is endorsing Graham Anderson, Naveen Girn, Brent Granby, Trish Kelly, and Coree Tull.

      Curiously, Solomon’s choices don’t exactly match with the so-called “New Voices, One Vision” slate.

      Word in the grapevine is that the Vision backroom has picked this slate composed of Girn, Kelly, Tull, and Sammie Jo Rumbaua as its preferred combination.

      A check of Rumbaua’s website shows that she has not been endorsed by Solomon.

      According to North Vancouver-based researcher Vivian Krause, Robertson was supported by $520,000 from groups linked to Solomon over a period of six years.

      Granby was a former park board candidate with the Coalition of Progressive Electors. He switched over to Vision last year.

      When asked about Solomon’s endorsement of his bid for a Vision nomination, Granby told the Straight by phone that it’s an “important” one.

      “Joel represents a particular point of view in Vancouver around sustainability and financing, and trying to look to new technologies, particularly renewable energies and investing in those,” Granby said.

      According to Granby, his active social media engagement may have gotten the attention of Solomon.

      “Part of the solution around climate change is gonna be a lot of dialogue in terms of building a consensus on what the solutions are going to be,” Granby said.

      He dismissed the suggestion that Girn, Kelly, Rumbaua, and Tull are Vision backroom’s pick.

      “I haven’t got the impression that anybody has their finger on the scale for that slate,” Granby said. “So I think it’s really...down to the membership and how people worked hard during the sign-ups.”

      Rumbaua didn’t grant the Straight an interview.

      Vision’s candidates for park board and school board will be announced on Sunday (June 22).

      Comments

      7 Comments

      Joel Solomon

      Jun 19, 2014 at 12:52pm

      Vision has an extraordinary group of candidates for the Parks Board nominations. I am a strong advocate for people stepping up and running for elected office at all levels, as well as active participation by everyone else. Ignore or write off electoral participation, at our peril. It's crucial that citizens maintain this responsibility and access, and not take it for granted.

      In this nomination race, there are even more candidates I feel proud to have represent Vancouver. The caliber and quality of nomination contenders, is an embarrassment of riches.

      It's good for democracy and good for the City, that so many great, mostly young ambitious, qualified candidates are in the race for Vision. It bodes well for the future.

      Joel

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      S Tan

      Jun 19, 2014 at 1:29pm

      Queue Godfather theme.

      From the nasty file: glad a West-End house husband has so much time to tweet.

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      Bruce

      Jun 19, 2014 at 1:35pm

      Is good ol' Joel live even Canadian?

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      Joe

      Jun 19, 2014 at 2:26pm

      Mr. Solomon, I'm sorry, but I don't feel it bodes well for our family's future. Vision's policies are doing a lot to cleanse the city of lower income people and their kids. They are the party of the $1500 bachelor suite and are completely out of touch with the reality for working class people in this city.

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      Just a Voter

      Jun 19, 2014 at 3:07pm

      It's ironic to see Joel Solomon suggest that something is "good for democracy." Given his support for the current group of "back-room dealers" at 12th and Cambie, I can't imagine what his concept of "democracy" really includes.

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      Nelson100

      Jun 19, 2014 at 3:47pm

      Vision has shown nothing but utter contempt for democracy and Vancouver is a lesser place for it (I say this as I sadly watch a heritage home and the trees around get bulldozed to build a glass luxury condo). History has proven that any time a small cadre of "enlightened ones" who see no need to listen to lesser mortals manage to seize power it is a bad thing for all involved. Democracy has proven again and again the people make better decisions through the messy business of discussion and debate that the "Visionaries" who feel no need. Let's teach our exhalted rulers a badly needed lesson in how democracy works in November.

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      Nicholas Ellan

      Jun 20, 2014 at 12:04pm

      Yes, millionaire philanthropists hand-picking their puppets is good for democracy. That makes perfect sense.

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