One thing is true – Vision definitely has a more effective PR machine behind them, so I’ll leave the spinning to them.

But we have been both more active and successful than you are aware, so please allow me to point out just a few examples that might help enlighten you:

We have stopped an attempt by this council to replace long-promised Creekside Park with a strip of lawn bordered by a new row of condo towers … the city is better off because of that opposition.

And we continue to call on this council to admit their mistake and reinstate the 2.75 acres of park per 1000 residents required of all new developments, a standard that developers have had to pay dearly to uphold for decades through administrations of all parties, until Vision decided to throw that standard out the window without any community consultation or planning.

We have stopped this council’s wrong-headed plans to close the McMillan Bloedel Conservatory, thanks as much to spontaneous community outcry as to the outstanding, quiet leadership of NPA Park Board Commissioner Ian Robertson.

We were successful in standing up for the residents of False Creek North when members of this council attempted to smear them with unfounded accusations, and forced this council to remove the no-rules no-barrier homeless shelter that completely disrupted that neighbourhood without consultation, without any planning and without any provision of the services that would have been necessary to make it work.

We have opposed censorship of local artists and artworks and have been successful in convincing the city to replace artworks and murals taken down by Vision’s new art police.

Those are just a few examples, but they make the point that contrary to your portrayal of the NPA, we remain active and effective in influencing the affairs of this city for the better. It’s true we may not get much credit for these initiatives – we’re not as good at spinning things I guess – but we will continue to do so in power or out because we care deeply about making this a better city.

Meanwhile, I’ve been told the Mayor’s party isn’t complying with campaign finance laws, failing to report their $250,000 campaign debt properly or who is paying it off for them. But that story is completely ignored by the very same commentators … wouldn’t you like to know who is paying off Vision’s debt?

By comparison, the NPA is completely debt-free, we’ve just launched a great new website, have a renewed Board of Directors with broad-based election experience and we’re embarking on an aggressive calendar of activities in 2010.

So if fundraising is any measure of the relative strengths of the two parties as Frances suggests, I’d suggest she do a balancing piece on Vision’s campaign debt, and how that also speaks volumes. As would any information on who is paying it off for them …

I don’t know about you but some opinion pieces I’ve seen on Frances’s blog and others are way better than all the printed MSM that’s out there trying helplessly to make a buck.
In order to complement JP Rapelle comments above, I’m adding my favorite commentators , from MSM, the blogosphere, personal blog or not.
The most astute writers, the guru’s of critical urban design, political, social and the Big Life in general:

In alphabetical order!

1. Alex G Tsakumis – The Vitriolic (in a constructive way)
2. Glissando Remmy – The Satirist
3. Lewis N Villegas; Michael Geller; Urbanismo – The Urbanists

Of course Frances Bula is the queen Bee that allows all the above to bring in the honey for all of us to enjoy. And what a great queen she is!

As for the others, including myself (City Caucus; Civic Scene; Allen, Bill and Charlie)…good try, thanks for stopping by!

The Higginsmator, ha, ha…

And if they’re Tories, all-candidate meetings.

Hahahahaha! Good one Alex!

Aggressive reporters get to the truth. We need more of them. IMO, it is a bit disappointing when they go for the cheap shot however.

Bloggers (tend) to take a position and defend it. It leads to online shouting matches that are fun to watch, but aren’t particularly useful in terms of substantive improvements to the public welfare. This blog (Frances’) is a bit different in that she (mostly) uses it as an awareness vehicle for her other work.

I assume, though, that we may have gotten an equally caustic post from AGT if she refused the interview; a no win situation for her.