From what I’ve been told, Vision had originally considered China as a possible council candidate. Not the guy who ran for school board. I think he was the executive last term but I’m not sure what happened to him. Kash might have been an after thought since he didn’t run.

In the end who knows. It’s politics.

While all of us at Vision worked incredibly hard to get elected, I don’t know that anyone worked harder than Kash.

That $75 steak you mention – would that be the same kind that Sam used to buy for you when you used to be a supporter? :

http://www.publiceyeonline.com/archives/001682.html

Once again, I am proud of the campaign that we ran despte trying parameters and circumstances. Yes we lost, and as campaign manager, I am not trying to shy away from anything. I will take resonsibility without hesitation. But for the things that were completely out of my control? That once again is a discussion for myself and the party, not for a comments section on a well-read blog such as this.

For anyone who knows of my political involvement, I am not prone to drinking koolaid blindly. Believe it or not Alex, I have been just as outspoken as you against my own party (and I am not referring to Vision) in the past, and I have abundant proof in print that maybe I’ll show you one day over the beers that you have promised to purchase.

Manipulation of the Sikh community by political operatives? Absolutely…150%. But that is not the cause of the divisions that you refer to, demonstrating that it is you, not I, who has “a fundamental misunderstanding of how that community works. ” Marrying into it doesn’t permit me that kind of ignorance.

Despite what you attest, the mythical promised tax hikes that you and the NPA keep mentioning did not deter the South Asian community. In fact, one of the key strengths of Vision is in its reach into various ethnic communities, unlike your former party.

Ujjal and Herb were never pitted against each other, nor do they represent opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to the Sikh community. Herb’s riding association takeover (for which I was around for because I happened to be one of his staff) was achieved long before Ujjal ever came into the Liberal fold.

Raj Hundal, like I said before, is a rising star, and as campaign manger for him as well, I am very happy that he is going to be around on Park Board for the next 3 years to show his considerable talents. That being said, knowledge depth of voters for Park and School tickets are never as pronounced, and thus voting along party lines is most definitely a reality for the typical voter that isn’t a political hack like you and I.

Enough of this pissing match. Any other points I will make will be done through email.

You’re right…there are some serious problems that Vancouver needs to fix, and it is certainly going to take a lot more than political rhetoric to get it done.

Grow up Jonathan, your problem isn’t with me. Go talk to some of your other Vision organizers who don’t think any differently from me. You lost, stop yelling racism and associated horse shit. When you’re the Captain, when you win, all glory to everyone else, when you crash, it’s your fault.

I guess they didn’t teach you that in the Vision air cadets. Oh well, there will be a new flight manual soon enough…

At least you admitted to not getting Kash the exposure a good candidate like he should have had. You’re the man, buddy boy, it’s was your ship that crashed, I repeat again.

Secondly, I went off into a new career without lying about anyone, unlike some of your own. I call it the way I see it. “Keeping it in the family”? WTF are you talking about. I’m supposed to shelter the NPA because I used to sit on their Board??? I don’t work for them, in case it hasn’t occurred to you. Besides, Sam was a disaster. I have the right to my opinions as you do to yours.

Tim and the gay community?? Kash and the Indo-Canadian community? You’re kidding, right? There is no comparison.

The gay community are united, organized and mobilized (think Spencer’s run didn’t help?) They have friends ALL OVER TOWN.

The Indo-Canadian community in Vancouver, on the other hand, have allowed themselves to be manipulated by federal Liberal operatives so much that they have been divided for years. It has left a very bad taste in their collective mouth. Many, even the moderates (who I support) will not come out. Pitting neighbor against neighbor and family against family sometimes??

Plus, the political ethos in ethnic communities is to be insular.

You have a fundamental misunderstanding of how that community works. They are people who are very honourable and do not want to engage in pettiness and BS anymore–they’ve been burned. Besides, they are mostly free-enterprisers and your candidate was running for a party that in the last two months has admitted that they will raise taxes, without having frst seen the books (although shifting the bruden from business to residential I actually support)

Your candidate connected (pandered) to only one side of the community…and thus the results. tough job, I’ll grant you, but bad strategy on your part. Think of the pain they went through between Ujjal and Herb years ago. you think people don’t remember? You think they want that again? What were they supposed to do with Daljit?

Raj Hundal is a totally different story. your bloviating about how people vote slates for school an parks is also wrong. Raj was an exceptional candidate, who I watched perform very well. His performance was heads and shoulders above your candidate, who is a nice man, perhaps too nice for politics. Ever think of that??

C’mon now Jonathan…you captained this effort, stop the bitching, puuuleeze. the deck was stacked against you anyway.

agtsakumis@shaw.ca Email me and we’ll get together for a couple beers and I promise I’ll buy.

This is all meaningless anyway. What matters is getting people help and supporting every stakeholder at the table who have a real plan for bettering people’s lives.

Vancouver is in deep trouble. Let’s pray fro real change.

I agree with the assessment that my candidate did not get wide enough exposure throughout the city. And for reasons that are certainly not necessary for public consumption, I will, unlike yourself, keep my thoughts on internal party machinations within the family.

In terms of your chip on your shoulder regarding rugby, I find it humourous, considering that I stated that: “Alex and his Rugby buddies are great guys…I have enjoyed their parties more than once.” How in the world can that be interpreted as taking a shot or having a mental block?

For the record, I remain a cricket player since childhood, and so the rugby community is one that I naturally feel akin to (if for no other reason, our shared clubhouse and history at Brockton Oval).

Getting back to the issue at hand, your assertion that people who concentrate on one constituency cannot get elected is complete and utter hogwash. As I mentioned previously, there are those that have focussed on their strengths (the GLBT community, the Chinese community, the Arbutus/Kerrisdale/Dunbar corridor) and at the end, stood at the finish line a victor.

If you are trying to suggest that a name like Tim Stevenson, or even Ken Clement (whose name might not necessarily indicate his mixed heritage, just as my anglosized name certainly doesn’t fully represent mine) isn’t more acceptable than a Kashmir Dhaliwal to certain sections of the city, then you are fooling yourself.

To Brent’s credit, he acknowledges his ignorance about South Asians and more specifically the Sikh community, and I commend him for being so open and honest.

His observations though:

“The table throwing incidents at the Ross Street Temple, financial irregularities with the Khalsa Credit Union, the shenanigans of the Grewals in Surrey, and even the Air India trial made it hard to know what to make of a candidate who’s power base is non-secular.”

are in my opinion, a far more widespread phenomenon than most on this thread would like to acknowledge.

How Air India, or the stupidities of Gurmant Grewal in Surrey, has any bearing on the fate of Kashmir Dhaliwal, is baffling to me. Should Tim Stevenson, for example, be forever branded because of the actions of Svend Robinson? Of course not.

The Chinese community does have not only the numbers, but also the benefit of greater knowledge and integration into this city’s identity. It hasn’t always been that way…Chinese people have had to face to the injustices of intolerance, and have slowly got to a place where it isn’t a prominent feature of people’s attitudes (go back east to Montreal, however, and the offensive classifications of “Hongcouver” still permeate).

The South Asian community has not reached that place as of yet. And yes, maybe there needs to be more opportunities for cultural exchange to create that level of comfort. But that is exactly what Kashmir Dhaliwal has done for many years now…from his involvement in growing the annual Vaisakhi parade, to his work in bringing community policing to South Vancouver, to his inter-cultural work with other ethnic communities.

The media in this city, however, stunts this kind of potential for growth and integration by their constant portrayal of Indo Canadians as gang members, or terrorists, or infighting savages who can’t get along with each other, or wife beaters. Rarely, if ever, do you hear about the amazing individuals of South Asian origin that have arisen to great accomplishment and status within this city.

Anyways, I will stop now and let other respond, because I truly am interested in other comments. I am proud of the work that I did for Kashmir, and have no desire to make excuses or offer up justifications as Alex seems to suggest.

I am just offering my opinion on the state of affairs in this city, which for a supposedly cosmopolitan metropolis, still has far more divisions residing below the surface than places like Montreal or Toronto.

To Jonathan Ross, the only thing I can offer is, it’s unfortunate that you still don’t get it (I’m not sure whether you’re actually capable or defiant, neither is acceptable–but perhaps explains Kash’s loss since you were runing him). Notwithstanding your candidate’s federal Grit organizer status (and I don’t see that as a huge problem) you DID NOT get your candidate wide enough exposure throughout the city–period. So stop bitching.

I don’t have experience??? I’ll forgive your lack of knowledge of what I have and haven’t done…it’s in the past anyway and irrelevant. And I have no idea why you would take a shot at me for representing my province around the world in a sport I loved but can no longer play. You have some mental block about rugby? Poor dear.

Kash would have made a super rep for the community, but more importantly for all the city, but just like others who ran from other ethnic communities, if you concentrate on only one constituency within that community and forget the rest, you lose. Get over it darlings.

Dawn: I have a lot of time for Alvin too (and you!)

As for ETA: I laugh at the fools who must manipulate the truth to serve their own ends.

So we are clear, and you are somewhat less confused than you are now…Gregor, for the last one and a half months was steadily giving up ground to Peter. Gregor started 22pts ahead of him. I saw two polls (one before the comment I made that you refer to, and one after) one done by “Independent” “business” interests and one done by “NDP” “political” interests: The former had Peter at three points ahead (two weeks before the loan scandal broke) and the latter had Gregor eight points ahead. As I mentioned earlier, I was allowed to see the question(s), but not the rest of the poll(s). Therefore, I only referred to either in passing and did not put any heavy emphasis on either. At 24hrs. we are required to produce source work. we do not operate like others. The ‘Peter was ahead’ quote from my column of a few weeks back was completely sourced and entirely true.

Reality is, Peter closed the gap based on Gregor’s very uneven performance of the last two months of the campaign…that the $100M loan to Millennium made evaporate in a fortnight. It is impossible to say by how much, but Peter would have done better without that controversy. It brought out the protagonist of failure in Vancouver, Sam, and reminded everyone of how not to be mayor and why they might have hated the NPA. Besides, Peter’s embrace of Gordon (totally insane messaging) as his politican of choice and the “Id rather lose an election, than reveal in-camera confidences” almost taunted the electorate to turn on him. You can’t do that even if you’re way ahead. Similarly, McCain said “I’d rather lose an election than a war” Okay! The electorate obliged. And thus, the NPA core vote had yet another reason, inculding Sam, and stayed home.

Besides, Vision won because they clearly outworked the NPA. On election day the NPA were still using bloody antiquated bingo sheets and relying on runners, while Vision was operating a super-slick daily tracking poll and texting the results in on lightning bolts back to HQ. Efficient, coherent and the chain of command was ordered and tight. Exceptional campaign work.

But back to the issue, Kash is a nice man who can run again.

Vision will not be able to repeat this next election and they know it.

That’s why all the excuse mongers (and yes, for the NPA, too) are out in full force.

When you lose, lose with dignity, shut up, and try again. Or…go away.

Politics is bloodsport, folks, if you don’t like it, go off a grow Chrysanthemums somewhere.

You either win and eventually lose monumentally, or lose until you win, and in rare cases, you win consistently but then have to spend a million or so defending yourself on conflict charges…

To quote the dunce, Ms. Ciccone, “I’m not your bitch, don’t hang your shit on me”…

Let’s be honest – politics is dominated by white men who are keen to hold onto their power and reluctant to hand it over to anyone else. The only way that is going to change is for women, persons of colour, First Nations , young people and others from marginalized groups to continue to stand up for nomination and election, and refuse to be ignored.

But before we slay the enemy, let us figure out who it is. Do the research, understand the reasons for the results, work with experts to analyze the data, surround yourselves with members of underrepresented groups to understand and engage those communities, and be brave enough to act on the what you learn.

My real disappointment was that Eby didn’t make it on the ballot, I think he should have run for COPE where he would have been a shoe-in, but I understand why he didn’t.

If anyone from the Vision slate should have lost, it should have been Geoff Meggs. That guy is a bad bad man, I replaced him on my ballot with Wendythirteen just because I can’t stand him. He did everything in his power to stop the COPE/Vision slate and stomp out COPE.

There’s been a leap of logic here though. Jonathan Ross has invoked racism as the *primary* reason for Dhaliwal’s loss, without offering a shred of evidence. Doing so is very much in character with a man I’ve known well in the past. One comment at a door doesn’t make it true though.

On the flipside, I share an office with a guy from Langley who invokes race as the reason he wants his kids going to a “white school.” I would (and do) have legitimate concerns about sending children to a school where English isn’t the first language of most children: education tends to address the lowest common denominator, and such an environment effectively becomes an ESL school. That has nothing to do with race, and everything to do with communication skills (I have many friends of all races who speak English as well, or better, than I.)

Race plays both ways as well. Look at the election results for 2002. Kelly Wong ran for the then nascent VCA Team party and received 18925. No name recognition, she hardly campaigned (she was a part time student at the time) and barely had a lawn sign up. She received 7,000 more votes than her nearest VCA Team compatriot: pretending her last name had nothing to do with it is disingenuous at best. There is a block vote there.

Results are here:
http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/newsreleases2002/CoVunofficialresults.pdf

Race may well have played a role in Dhaliwal’s loss, but it was one of only many factors, and probably only a small one.

I am personally gratified to see the Indo-Canadian community becoming involved in a level of politics which they have not been in the past. It can only be good in the long term.

I note that Senator Larry Campbell received 80772 votes while Gregor Robertson’s million dollar smile received only 67598. I hope Gregor is only 83% as disappointing as Larry’s tenure.

This city does need wards, incidentally, but we didn’t need 14.