Have you people been lobotomized recently? I cannot believe that you endorsed Sam Sullivan as mayor of Vancouver, in addition to not nominating a single Vision Vancouver candidate for council, even though they all have stellar credentials ["Voters face tricky choice", Nov. 17-24].

Endorsements should not just be about policy; they must realistically take the circumstances and the rest of the political field into account. To be honest, I was expecting you to endorse Jim Green. Instead, however, you endorsed a candidate who, while having made incredible accomplishments in his personal life and great contributions to this city, has the wrong idea of how Vancouver should grow over the coming years.

If you're griping about RAV, let's face the facts. Sullivan won't change the project one bit. If you're complaining about slots at Hastings Park, I challenge you to provide a realistic solution to keeping jobs and revenue in that neighbourhood. If you're complaining about a divided council, let me guarantee you that this council will be even more divided. Many of the things that Larry Campbell and COPE have accomplished over the past three years are now potentially on the chopping block, especially more late-night buses and extended liquor hours, things that this paper has long advocated.

Once, you were the voice of the righteous; it seems that, in fact, you're turning into the voice of the right.

> Mike Kushnir / Vancouver

So, let's get this straight: because St. Paul's Hospital shouldn't move to a new facility two kilometres from its present site, we're stuck with Simple Sammy for mayor ["Voters face tricky choice", November 17-24]. Hope you guys are still proud of yourselves in three years' time.

> Tom Charity / Vancouver

Your correspondent states that the current COPE commissioners "failed to make strong representations to city council for a bigger slice of the municipal budget ["The Straight slate for a more livable region", Nov. 17-24]. This is blatantly untrue. The five COPE commissioners elected in 2002 successfully advocated for the largest capital plan in Vancouver's history for 2006-08: a total of $80 million. Unlike previous NPA boards in 1996, 1999, and 2002, which saw their initial submissions to council sliced almost in half, the COPE park board's capital-plan submission in 2005 was reduced by only $7 million to $80 million.

> Anita Romaniuk / COPE Parks Commissioner 2002-2005 / Vancouver