vancouver civic election 2005: arent you pumped?!?

sullivan vs green!  council! school board!  parks board!  free heroin!  no larry!

it seems those last two come up when most people i know talk civic politics (along with obsessive nimby rants from my westside friends).  youve begun to bore me.  theres more to this citys governance, really.   you wanted a christyless race and the npa hardliners delivered by connecting her egotistical ass to the cold, hard, curb.  lovely, yes?  now it's time to move on and read up and vote and all that.  it is also time for me to spew my electoral preferences all over the fair internets.

the green platform

no, not jim. these folks.  you know that free heroin thing the entire city obsesses over?  the greens proposed it years before it became law.  just sayin.  im sure you can guess that the green party is going to bring us another platform based on economic/social/environmental sustainability and innovation in participatory democracy.  here are some more keen ideas:

-lobbyist registration:  sure, it might scare the suits a little, but transparency is valuable.  no, im not simply supporting this because posting changes to the list would make for good blog fodder.  vancouver voters have a right to know who is at the table.  the government keeping a list makes this information accessible, which is what we like to call tangible evidence of a commitment to transparency and voter education.  this would be conducted on a voluntary basis until the bc government passed binding legislation.  stop smirking, campbell wont be there forever. 

-more council meetings at night:  another tangible commitment to participatory democracy, enabling the 9-5 set to sit in on the proceedings.

-better economic thinking:  the greens advocate exploration of alternative revenue sources in order to reduce vancouvers reliance on property tax and provincial transfers.  in terms of operational costs, local sourcing will be preferred if its economically competitive.  moreover, they suggest using open source and freeware as an alternative to more expensive software.   

-least cost planning for transportation projects:  uh, how many millions did air conditioning on the skytrain cost (and since when does vancouver weather call for a/c, anyway?).  this frugal approach inevitably favours pedestrians and the non-motorized set, which isnt so bad.  the suggestion of removing parking lanes on streets such as commercial and davie will elicit some knee-jerk whining, but trekking an extra block or two is worth it in the end as the wider sidewalks will make the high-traffic neighbourhoods more accessible and comfortable to explore.

-bring back full library hours:  this speaks for itself.

-promoting comprehensive schools:  the magnet schools were created to give students and parents 'choices,'  which is stupid, considering that taking programs out of neighbourhood schools eliminates choices.  some kids dont have parents who have enough free time to act as personal chauffeurs (a role so many parents in the burbs have decided is 'normal' ... ?!), so keeping programs as local as possible is highly important.

-converting the vancouver aquarium to a wildlife rescue and education centre:  this also fits in with the green party's desire to expand on vancouver's tourism successes (especially in the area of ecotourism).

-encouraging more native plants in park landscaping:  why are we wasting time and money making sure that the trees and bushes we planted to make this place look more like "home" (read: toronto/jolly old england) dont die?  why not plant the stuff that was there before we took over? 

there are more statements on more issues at the vancouver greens site.  as the campaign chugs along, ill likely post green positions on some of the major issues. 

im sure that readers who vote in civic elections are aware of the fact that this election they likely will not vote for slates.  there are ideological splits and popularity contests wreaking havoc in the major parties.  the greens are smart as hell for fielding six candidates - just another bit of evidence of green thinking, which prioritizes efficiency and impact.  i hope you people will consider green candidates when you are rounding out their ballots. 

Comments

[aija]

ang, you're so brill (short for brilliant, not brill cream). anyways, the only beef I have is the van aquarium thing. Why have a wildlife rescue facility in the middle of vancouver? Most wildlife gets in trouble in remote areas, or outside the city. Transporting fragile animals into the city would mean massive transportation costs, possible injuries, and wildlife biologists moving to the city (and they're just not city folk). Their goals in education are great, and the westcoast marine exhibits are fab, but using stanley park as a wildlife refuge would be costly and ill-thought out (what about the inevitable escapees and wackjobs who want to poison the animals?). Not to mention vancouver aquarium's budget is tiny - most of their staff are underpaid or volunteers, and their budget hasn't increased substantially in ages - and the city populace (except for a very small minority) seems to be happy with that. They can only get so much corporate sponsorship. I dunno, that point seems a little farfetched to me. I wish I could vote in this one...maybe next time I'll actually be a vancouver resident...

[BZA]

GO COPE GO! I'm wearing my Che shirt as I type this, how appropriate. Tim Louis must be creepily smiling right...now.

[Philly C]

The Green Platform seems fairly reasonable to me. Moderate, yet definately progressive.

[ainge]

hmm, good point on the aquarium thing... although escapees would make downtown even more exciting. tigers vs drunk surrey guys in front of stone temple at 4 am!! wooo!!

maybe just an education centre of sorts? i dunno. but i think the aquarium should be converted to something more unique to make it more of a tourism player since vancouverites are too stoned to go out, etc.

[lotuslav]

" i think the aquarium should be converted to something more unique to make it more of a tourism player since vancouverites are too stoned to go out"

That's definetily been my experience with vancouverites.

[fidel]

the aquarium..doesnt really need to be improved for stoners.trust me.
where did you guys get the information that the aquarium is doing poorly anyways...its like the most popular tourist attraction in the lower mainland...or at least that is what ive been told?however, most of what ive been told is propaganda related bullshit.

thanx to your green party link ainge..i will be up until the morning learning about the boer war....
the only positive anecdote so far, "This only goes to prove that not even God trusts the British in the dark".
I take this as further proof that Italy is going to win the world cup this year. Antonio, how do you feel about that?

[fidel]

if you..miss lotusland..would like to experience the *possible* splendor of the aquarium. Let me know. Ill provide the setting...as per usual.

[RossK]

"reasonable but progressive", you bet....

and here's somebody whose proven its possible even after they got elected.

.

[ainge]

yeah whatever i bet youre not even the real "sasha" ...

fidel, its always you bringing the fun setting and me bringing the fun. actually, tonight it was the other way around. or maybe our roles contain an antagonism. ramble, ramble ramble. p.s., HEGEL.

[fidel]

p.s. you suck
kierkergaard for lyfe.

[Antonio]

We qualified today...YAY

Craig Oliver WHAT?

WATCH QUESTION PERIOD

Antonio

[ainge]

uh, vancouver international film festival or boorish, predictable, parliamentary qp antics?

the former.

fuck politics, it can wait.