Please change your handle to ‘Embrace the Bong’!

1) Any exclusive I received on The Mayor, through the Vision mayoral campaign and into the election, I did so from ‘other’ sources. I have NEVER been leaked anything from Gregor’s camp. I have only received confirmation of stories I already had. In fact, while true that I jumped onto the resignation announcement first, it put the Robertson camp (and Carole James) in some immediately uncomfortable territory…how is that favouritism?? How is that working hand in glove with anyone?

2) Get your facts straight, please: I did not endorse Gregor for Mayor. I did not endorse anyone for Mayor. I could not endorse Peter for his unproductive and backward stance on the Olympic Village (which he continues to push) and I could not endorse Gregor because his people would not give me a straight answer on what they plan(ned) to do to get treatment, first and foremost, into the addiction equation–and have unfortunately backpedalled further since.

3) 24hrs. is a FIRST CLASS operation and I’m sure I speak for my highly respected colleague, Bill, when I say that it’s a pleasure to work there. On behalf of our editor and publisher, thanks for the employment suggestions, but neither of us is going to be fired and the reason we have two of the most popular and most read columns in the city is precisely because we are impartial and fair. 24hrs has almost a quarter of a million readers per day and ranks in B.C. only behind the Sun and Province in daily readership…and our trendline has always been on the up…

Did anyone notice Bill Tieleman on the distribution list of the email by Marcella Munroe who is a director of Vision? Why did you not identify him as a columnist for 24hours Frances? Are you covering for Tieleman?

Think back to Alex Tsakumis exclusives with the Robertson camp and that he outed Gregors’ resignation. No one in the media got more favors and stories from Robertson and Vision. And he endorsed him for mayor instead of his buddy Ladner.

So how does 24hours say they are a paper with a good reputation? Both of their two top columnists are in bed with Vision! Fire these goofs and get some impartial writers.

There’s no doubt to me that the NDP has their hands all over our local government, and they plan on using the Olympics for political gain just as Vision/COPE have been doing.

What I recommended was a vote for Raymond for councillor. Based on his previous record, that was a fair endorsement.

However…and you’ll be pleased I’m thinking of clearing my throat (I’m quite a singer you know…weddings, bar mitzvahs, etc)

In all seriousness, Raymond should be ashamed of himself for playing politics with such an important decision like how much coverage the guarantee should entail. That’s idiotic. And, frankly, I’m surprised at him.

And I agree the churning by suzanne and Raymond is about even money…with Geoff in a class all by himself…

However, that does not take away from the fact the the Mayor has been issue specific; has gone out of his way not to box the prov in; told Carole James that he is not disposed to the political football that some of his former colleagues might see fit to commit to; and has been upfront about our exposure.

It is refreshing to have a Mayor who tells it like it is. It’s been too long.

Now, if Gregor decides to fall into the same trap as some of his colleagues, then I’ll ask you to send me a song sheet…an step back a few feet…

Sophocles, I think you misunderstood what I was saying to AGT. I’ve referred to “the dark side” as those who see through the “Gregor is such a good guy” hoopla, as we seem to be in the minority. Minority = dark side, because they think they’re the ones who see the light.

I’ve never been a Sam fan, even when AGT supported him in the early days, I was aghast. I viewed Sam though as the lesser of two evils, the other being good’ole boy Jim Green. I had to vote for SS, not because I liked him, but who his competition was.

Anton as well can do no good for the NPA at this stage, so others and the average joe out there need to be active in their opposition of VV and the mayor.

As for Louie, just a few months ago he wanted to be mayor, and probably still does. I believe AGT in a column even recommended that people vote for him. I’m not sure based on his comment above if he has now changed his opinion on him yet – it sounds like he has.

Maybe I’m wrong, however it is quite obvious at this stage Louie as a mayor would have been worse than Anton as mayor, if not a dead heat.

The tide though is turning on VV and their handling of this plain and simple. Previous council et al, definitely need to take a beating here. VV could have just let the cards play themselves and they chose not to.

That said, if Gregor was the stand-up guy everyone says he is, all of this could and should have been handled better than it has been. He doesn’t get a pass from me and now a whole lot of others.

I’ll be waiting to see how long it takes for AGT to get fed up and join the chorus that some of us have already started.

The reality here is that the message that the OV deal is a complete fiasco is the point. Yes, there are many who will share the blame…

But listening to Anton and Louie beak off about this project, in the most (faux) pious, partisan slides, is a kin to having Jack the Ripper address a safe community forum.

It’s a simple question: why was Meggs chosen as the “pit bull” on this issue when other councilors should be commenting just as much? Louie, Stevenson, and all need to take their lumps like everyone else.