He and his Vision caucus met with the Vision hierarchs, when they received marching orders. prior to the vote.

How does this jive with the autonomy he was moaning about when Susan Mundick was unceremoniously bounced?

Hundal is rapidly becoming a walking political train-wreck.

BTW, how’s your cousin Raj? No follow up to your principled decision to step down? How ’bout returning some phones calls to various members of the media still interested. There’s quite a few…

Oh well, just wait for Mike Magee to get back to you about what to do…I’m sure you’ll then get back to us with another brilliant press release, and a blind defense by the wing-nut propaganda in the blogodome, and so on and so forth….

Predictable and pathetic.

Common sense and compassion left Vancouver City Hall many years ago.

Before you took up residence in this City, we had a Mayor who dismissed calls for any investigation into the women who went missing on the Downtown Eastside – the same women who a few years later had their DNA turn up on Willie Pickton’s pig farm. Yet at the same time he was frantically calling on the police to investigate a series of arsons on the west side. I wonder where his campaign dollars came from.

The simple fact is that Vancouver City Hall – City Council and staff alike aren’t there to serve the public or even to listen to them. They believe their role is to dictate to the public what they expect the public to think and to do and we, the public, are there to accept their dictates.

The people who turn up to speak at public hearings are the peasants who are tolerated or, as Peter Ladner once said, considered to be “the usual rent-a-crowd”. They don’t count because they don’t generally donate to municipal election campaigns.

We have not had a City Council who actually listened to the public in many years and, based on the group voting and “caucus” system that’s evolved over the past 6-10 years, it’s unlikely we’ll ever have another one unless the “party” system and influence of big money come to an end.

If that’s true, the partisanship is getting out of hand and ideology is trumping common sense and compassion.

Governments have no money of their own. Our tax dollars and user fees are the source of all government funds.

VPB’s lack of credibility and transparency is obvious in that while awaiting a federal payout of $2 million of our tax dollars, described in council minutes as stimulus funds dedicated to recreation infrastructure, VPB decided to shut down two established popular recreational venues while building brand new artificial turf soccer fields.

The Parks Board’s budget shortfall ($2.8million) is approximately equal to the cost of building one synthetic turf field. At the same time, the cost of replacing the roof of the MacBlo Planetarium is estimated to be less than the cost of constructing a synthetic turf field.

One such proposed artificial turf site on the west side is located a few blocks from another such field that was constructed just four years ago. At least one city councillor promotes the use of federal tax funds for construction of an additional artificial turf playing field.

My point is that no matter which government body makes the funds available the money comes from taxpayers’ pockets. The lack of transparency in this matter may be due to the lack of knowledge and comprehension so apparently lacking in the current gang of VPB commissioners and city councillors.

Perhaps it is time to promote the election of Conservative MP’s to keep a watchful eye on municipal politics.

I agree with Hoarse Whisperer… thanks for a good read, very funny.

Whatever you are ingesting…please send some of it to me.

Very colourful and imaginative piece.

Our modern landlords like Raj here, made sure that the year 2009 felt just like one year out of the Middle Ages. Read and compare aThen meeting with any of Today’s meetings (transcripts free on http://www.vancouver.ca)

Following Excerpt from “The Legend of Robbing the Hood” might clear some queries; so, go chew the fat!
TheYear:1210AD The Setting: City Hall Castle, Throne Chambers. The Deed: Working feast; buffet, eat all you can grab or kill… The Background: Stanleywood Forest in Nothingforsure The Court: Maid Reimer and the other Ladies in Waiting, seated, looking good, feeling good, giggling; in one corner, the friendly Louie the Court Jester is playing with a goat. Rough. Also present, Hollyhock guests, Union vassals, assorted athletic knights with rings, warlords, and of course the “bloody, lazy” local peasants, hat in hands, to be pardoned “for the fun of it” during the feast. Tim the Master painter is quietly penciling as His Worship is nursing a free run turkey drumstick.
After a long regal belch, His Lordship boringly looking at the first group of peasants :“Ay, thus leeches, never haveth enough of me kindness“ waves a hand at the group of menestrels headed by Kerry the Rebec and invites them to play something to go with his appetite. David the Squire pours worryingly another of them grapes elixir into His Worship’s goblet; meanwhile Lytil Brother Meggs bows nobly and starts playing the lute in sotto voce:
“Robbing the Hode een Scherewode stod,
While shadowy skies, pouring like a bitch,
His thoughts, mischievous, weeakh and ohodd,
Grab from the poor, bestow to the rich.
Grahahaab from the phuuuuer,
Beheestow to the Reeech!
La ra la, la la la, la la la la, la ra la …”

Lady Heather, graciously moving in her corseted green velvety dress, coordinated with a turquoise cape, directs the flow of peasants in front of His Worship. “Cmmon’ you buggers, put down them roosters, bow and skedaddle to the right of center, you ne’er-do-well pebbles”
The peasants retire orderly through the Misery wing of the Castle, humming in chorus the Cuckoo song:

“Sumer is icumen in,
Lhude, sing cuccu!
Groweth sed, and bloweth med,
And springth the wude nu!”

As they exit, George the Taxman is collecting the MHT (Medieval Heraldic Tithe) while
another tray of deep fried suckling pig balls is served at room temperature, more Cold “Budgetwurst” Cuts to come. Boar’s heads, venison, peacocks, swans, cranes, plovers, and larks…
More whine and ballads…
What else to expect, 1210AD, eh? Do you see what I mean?

We live in Vancouver and this keeps us busy.

I’ve met his wife, and she likes him. At least, sometimes.

Also, he’s pretty big on himself.

Take the Petting Zoo from the kidlets and the Conservatory from the aging locals then throw in grafitti removal and we have a triple-play. It will make a 5% tax increase all that much more easy to swallow, right?

That’s my call on this strategy. It’s a set-up.

Step away, private sector! Here comes Mayor Ken in a cape and tights, Ray-Lou as Yoda (natch), with Dr. Penny as Wonderwoman in the background.

Dunh-duh-duhhhhhhhhh!!!!

In answer to your question, the answer is “no”.

His public personna sucks, which is why he will fit so well into the federal Liberal party fold, should he decide to take a run at national politics.

I’ve talked to him at events, and when he isn’t in front of a crowd, the guy can be pretty affable. He is a product of his environment I guess. That take no prisoners attitude. Too bad, because I think he could do better by taking a less strident/more populist (at least in public) tone, and not dismiss “the other” out of hand. Loosen up– at least tuck your chin in, fer Gawd’s sakes, Ray!

I am going to go early for my workout because I hear there’s a great MMA match-up at City Hall tonight: Council vs. Citizens re: Bloedel and the petting zoo.

Let’s see who taps out first…