[whatnext]

I guess vacuous good looks aren't enough to win over your peers:

...Mr. Baker’s article prompted an invitation to a city council meeting organized by Mayor Gregor Robertson solely to discuss the dangers of oil tankers in Burrard Inlet. Various representatives – from Port Metro Vancouver, the city’s emergency-management team, the B.C. Environment Ministry – would also talk about the tankers and the harbour, which, strictly speaking, are regulated by the federal government.

What are the mayor’s motivations? ..

...As Mr. Robertson’s annoyed regional colleagues are saying publicly, he could have worked through an existing port committee at Metro Vancouver, headed by North Vancouver City Mayor Darrell Mussatto.

“If we want to have a voice, it would be a more significant voice if we stuck together,” said Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan, whose municipality is home to Kinder Morgan storage tanks and an underground pipeline. “I think if George Chow [the Vancouver councillor who is the rep for the port committee] had come in and said, ‘This is an important issue,’ we would have done something. But then it would have been Darrell Mussatto at the head of it. And that wouldn’t have served Gregor Robertson’s purpose. I guess it’s all about an effort to get recognition... (bold mine)

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/why-the-vancouver-mayor-makes-waves-over-oil-tankers/article1627227/

[Porfiry]

At Ecojustice, formerly the Sierra Legal Defence Fund, lawyer Margot Venton said that “we applaud local-government efforts.”

I also applaud the mayor.

[whatnext]

:previous: Wow, what a surprise.

Its just another instance of Mayor Moonbeam embracing causes when the cameras are rolling. Personally, I hope the article is right and he is eyeing federal politics, it will prevent him from doing any more damage at the civic level. However, the federal Liberals would be crazy to embrace him, he's too far left and a dud of a speaker to boot.

[Porfiry]

Politicians like attention.

[racc]

I suggest you watch CNN for a bit and see how pathetic the politicians down in Louisiana are. They have been in the pocket of the oil companies for years. They let them drill off shore without any supervision and now their environment and economy have been destroyed. Even more pathetic, they have so mismanaged their economies they are total dependent on the oil industry. In one breath they will complain that BP has destroyed their way of life and in the next they are begging Obama to reverse the 6 month moratorium on drilling.

Everyone should glad that politicians like Gregor are standing up to the industry here before it is too late.

[whatnext]

Looks like there may be something more than showboating involved. Stuff to do with the rich Americans who financed Mayor Moonbeam:

Why did Gregor and his Chief of Staff spend $6000 to visit New York last April?

Crack 24 Hours reporter Bob Mackin filed a freedom of information request on the itinerary of Gregor Robertson for his whirlwind 3-day visit to New York City in mid-April which he reported on Friday. The story titled Mayor Gregor's Big New York Bash was oddly neutered from its online version – published last Thursday evening – and the edition published in the paper Friday. In the paper it was titled with the more benign "Gregor in Big Apple". Mackin, knowing that the subject of foreign political meddling was a hot topic for the week, made the obvious linkage to that story...

...So to sum up. Gregor goes to New York with Magee and it costs us $6000. They meet a bunch of folks that we can all trace back to Vision and Tides. Gregor meets with the NRDC and seems to get religion on oil shipping, and decides to create a big, pointless photo op around it...
http://www.citycaucus.com/2010/06/what-the-heck-were-gregor-robertson-and-mike-magee-doing-in-new-york

[Hourglass]

:previous:

Definitely sounds to me like he has higher political aspirations. After all, why work within an existing framework when you can draw publicity and position yourself as a leader on an issue that is front and center with the oil spill in Louisiana? :rolleyes:

Premier Moonbeam, perhaps, to start?

[Yume-sama]

I really don't see how he could appeal to people outside of Vancouver, without lying to everyone on his stances. Especially the people in the valley / Okanagan.

He seems to take a lot of stances on things he has no power over. So, it's good he's getting that vibe out there, I guess :P

[mr.x]

I had a day dream today while busing home...Mayor Moonbeam quit his mayor post and flew down to Louisiana to help scrub some rocks - er, I mean animals.

[WarrenC12]

I had a day dream today while busing home...Mayor Moonbeam quit his mayor post and flew down to Louisiana to help scrub some rocks - er, I mean animals.

Then Suzanne Anton took over and it quickly became a nightmare... :D

[whatnext]

Then Suzanne Anton took over and it quickly became a nightmare... :D

Anton hasn't been doing a bad job, considering she's a party of one. I didn't vote for her last time, but probably will next election. I'm not sure she should be the NPA's mayoral candidiate though.

[jhausner]

The only reason Mayor Robertson got elected is because of one of the lowest voter turn outs ever in Vancouver. If people actually would have gotten off their behinds and went in and voted, he wouldn't have become mayor.

Next year you can put money on him not being re-elected thus why he is taking the initiative right now to do whatever he can to make a name for himself in higher or alternative politics. Not to mention he's probably tired of other mayors shining above him in the region.

[whatnext]

The only reason Mayor Robertson got elected is because of one of the lowest voter turn outs ever in Vancouver. If people actually would have gotten off their behinds and went in and voted, he wouldn't have become mayor.

Next year you can put money on him not being re-elected thus why he is taking the initiative right now to do whatever he can to make a name for himself in higher or alternative politics. Not to mention he's probably tired of other mayors shining above him in the region.

A believe a lot of the NPA vote stayed home, after the infighting that led to Sullivan being dumped. Plus Ladner didn't do as much as he could have to differentiate himself from Robertson. That said, I'd like to see Ladner back on council next time. The City needs more balance.

[Stingray2004]

The only reason Mayor Robertson got elected is because of one of the lowest voter turn outs ever in Vancouver. If people actually would have gotten off their behinds and went in and voted, he wouldn't have become mayor.

Next year you can put money on him not being re-elected

I have to disagree with that assessment. Remember that Vision Vancouver had thousands show up at the mayoral nomination, which was unprecedented in Vancouver civic politics. Gregor Robertson had that "Obama" effect and his candidacy was akin to a speeding freight train - everyone was jumping on board. The NPA was left in the dust with all of their public in-fighting.

His promise to end homelessness also captured the imagination of the electorate and his coattails resulted in huge VV majorities on all three civic boards.

Voter turnout was 32% in 2005 and 31% in 2008 and those are traditional voter turnouts at the civic level. I suspect that many traditional but disillusioned NPA voters stayed home in 2008, while the independent swing voter moved over to Gregor.

Even a recent StratCom poll showed that Gregor had a 70% approval rating in the CoV. Caveat - StratCom is a major financial contributor to VV.

That said, the shine seems to have come of VV of late yet I expect that Gregor will again win the mayoral crown in 2011 albeit the NPA will likely move from 1 councillor to 4 and also elect more members on both the school boards and parks boards.

2005 mayoral election result:

NPA - 61,543 (46.6%)
VV - 57,796 (43.8%)

http://vancouver.ca/ctyclerk/images/MayorRace.png

2008 mayoral election result:

NPA - 48,794 (39.3%)
VV - 67,598 (54.4%)

http://vancouver.ca/electionresults2008/connect/mayorrace2008f.png

Source: City of Vancouver

[twoNeurons]

There's quite the North-South Divide there.

Any analysis of that chart and why it seems Vancouver voted in regions?

Is VV more downtown-centric?

[WarrenC12]

There's quite the North-South Divide there.

Any analysis of that chart and why it seems Vancouver voted in regions?

Is VV more downtown-centric?

Well Robertson was NDP, just like East and South Van, to my knowledge.

Rich people vote right wing. No news there. :D

[whatnext]

Interesting maps Stingray 2004. It would be interesting to see if Sullivan's appeal to the Chinese community helped with wooing Asian voters in the East Side precincts. If so, a prominent Vancouverite of Chinese descent could help propel the NPA back to the mayor's chair, but I can' think of anyone interested off the top of my head. Suggestions, anyone?

[Stingray2004]

It would be interesting to see if Sullivan's appeal to the Chinese community helped with wooing Asian voters in the East Side precincts. If so, a prominent Vancouverite of Chinese descent could help propel the NPA back to the mayor's chair, but I can' think of anyone interested off the top of my head. Suggestions, anyone?

Hmmmm... former Vancouver NPA councillor and SUCCESS CEO Tung Chan? That's the renewed scuttlebutt:

I had the opportunity to bump into someone close to Tung Chan a short while ago. They confirmed for me that Chan is not only seriously considering a mayoral bid, but he has quietly established what is being dubbed an "exploratory committee". I'm also told that almost everywhere Tung goes these days he's being accosted by people asking (some even begging) him to run for mayor of Vancouver. One person said that "Tung is kind of feeling like Carole Taylor was a couple of years ago. Everyone wants him to throw his hat in the ring in order to get rid of Robertson and his flakey policies."

The reason Vision is so fearful of having Chan as the NPA's candidate has a lot to do with the powerful immigrant vote in Vancouver. During the last election, a large section of it voted for Vision in protest to the NPA's shenanigans over the Sullivan vs Ladner fiasco. With that now a distant memory, a candidate like Chan, who was former city councillor, would be most attractive.

In the coming months, I'm told the exploratory committee will likely get out into the field and do some polling to see if a Chan candidacy would have any appeal amongst the electorate. The election is still Gregor's to lose, but lose it he could.

Source: http://www.citycaucus.com/2010/07/npa-mayoral-candidate-tung-chan-would-give-robertson-a-run-for-his-money#more

[flight_from_kamakura]

The only reason Mayor Robertson got elected is because of one of the lowest voter turn outs ever in Vancouver. If people actually would have gotten off their behinds and went in and voted, he wouldn't have become mayor.

qualitatively incorrect.

Next year you can put money on him not being re-elected thus why he is taking the initiative right now to do whatever he can to make a name for himself in higher or alternative politics. Not to mention he's probably tired of other mayors shining above him in the region.

haha, yeah, if you want to put money on gregor NOT being re-elected, i'll definitely take that bet. don't let the small anti-vv feedback loop fool you, the npa is still really unpopular.

[Stingray2004]

don't let the small anti-vv feedback loop fool you, the npa is still really unpopular.

I dunno. Former BCTV/Global reporter Harvey Oberfeld, who one can categorize as centre-left and a prime VV demographic, recently posted on his "Keeping It Real" blog as follows:

We elected what we thought was Caring Compromise … but what we got was Castro-style Compulsion.

And “the people” are getting tired of it.

A friend tells me that at his morning coffeeshop discussion recently, three people said they had voted Vision last election, but would not next time around. He made four.

All of them, by the way, live on the city’s East side.

Source: http://harveyoberfeld.ca/blog/real-profanity-is-visions-disrespect-for-dissent/

[WarrenC12]

I find it funny how Vancouver civic politics are mirroring provincial politics to a certain degree. There is a "crazed" leader who is essentially doing what he wants, pissing people off.

In reality, if I look at HST and promoting cycling, they are really good ideas but poorly presented.

And in both cases, the opposition does nothing but set their hair on fire about it, having no real answers or alternatives.

To top it off, they are on opposite sides of the political spectrum.

Welcome to BC! :jester:

[Yume-sama]

He may be using "Castro style" tactics, but wasn't his opponent literally Fidel Castro-ish :P?

Do we want the real thing? :sly:

Seems the only options in Vancouver are only ever; Really Left, or off the deep-end Left

And you're right, you never hear anything substantive from the opposition party. You hear "OMG NO! THE CHILDREN!" but not anything they'd do differently.

[duener]

“One of the greatest benefits of the revolution is that even our prostitutes are college graduates.”

–Castro to director Oliver Stone in 2003 documentary “Comandante.”



All this talk about "Mayor Moonbeam" makes me think someone should write children's books him:

Mayor Moonbeam Goes to the Big Apple
Mayor Moonbeam Runs a Red Light

[trofirhen]

:previous: :previous: :previous: :previous: :previous: :previous: :previous: :previous:

How did he earn the epithet "Mayor Moonbeam," anyway? Someone tell me, please. :shrug:

[Smooth]

How did he earn the epithet "Mayor Moonbeam," anyway? Someone tell me, please. :shrug:

I've only ever heard to him referred to as Mayor Moonbeam on this forum. It's probably due to his pro-bike, pro-backyard chickens, pro-carbon tax, pro-city hall vegetable garden, happy planet juice background. He also comes off as a bit out of touch sometimes with things like supporting changing the name of Stanley Park to Xwayxway, declaring a Canucks Day after a first round win and announcing that he'll end homeless in just a few years.

That's just what I can think of off the top of my head. I'm sure whatnext has a nice long list for you.

[johnjimbc]

I don't really get the Mayor Moonbeam crack. If anything, it undermines any argument put forth against him.

He's the mayor, and a politician. They all seem to have their promotional showboating qualities so he seems no different in that regard. I thought the biggest grandstanding was the way he "saved" the Olympic Village by having the city do what they essentially had to do to take over the financing. He made it sound like he was jumping on kryptonite to save the city or something.

Yet overall he hasn't been any worse or better than most mayors I've watched in action. And he's not flighty, which is what "moonbeam" seems to suggest. He is implementing his agenda, and aside from a few PR flubs he can stand and talk on topics even if you disagree with his positions or actions.

My point is his detractors actually do him a favour by continually using a catty term when they attack him. It sets the bar so low that when he goes on the news or before voters and speaks intelligently, it undermines the arguments against him. My advice would be to confront the substance of his decisions . . . not his Ken-doll looks or some kooky term that doesn't really seem to fit.

As for me, the verdict is still out. I think he's done some good things yet showed a tin ear on responding to legitimate voter concerns. For example, I wasn't offended he cursed after a community meeting . . . I was offended he acted as if community groups shouldn't have the right to question his moves.

[dreambrother808]

:previous:
:worship:

This Moonbeam crap is childish and makes the commenters look like they are simply against anything the mayor does.
If someone can do no right in your eyes, then all of your criticisms come to seem rather imbalanced and invalid.

[Stingray2004]

I dunno... as I once posted, Charlie Smith, editor of the centre-left Georgia Straight, has also called Gregor "Mayor Moonbeam".

... when the Georgia Straight conducted its Best of Vancouver survey that involved thousands of responses, Mayor Moonbeam won in the category of "best politician".

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:oaIarVGMxDYJ:www.straight.com/article-279448/vancouver/stars-aligned-mayor-robertson-and-vision-vancouver-councillors-2009+georgia+straight+mayor+moonbeam&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=ca

[Delirium]

:previous:
:worship:

This Moonbeam crap is childish and makes the commenters look like they are simply against anything the mayor does.
If someone can do no right in your eyes, then all of your criticisms come to seem rather imbalanced and invalid.

Totally agree. 100%

I'm more surprised that people actually follow municipal politics.

As a side note, I saw an article on CTV that the mayor ran a red light on his bike. Seriously. That made the news here :koko: .

[Yume-sama]

As a side note, I saw an article on CTV that the mayor ran a red light on his bike. Seriously. That made the news here :koko: .

The gang wars have been startlingly quiet lately :P

[whatnext]

:previous:
:worship:

This Moonbeam crap is childish and makes the commenters look like they are simply against anything the mayor does.
If someone can do no right in your eyes, then all of your criticisms come to seem rather imbalanced and invalid.

Nope, sorry. Its convenient shorthand for a granola crunching airhead, beholden to American interests, who is out of his depth running a city the size of Vancouver.

[WarrenC12]

Nope, sorry. Its convenient shorthand for a granola crunching airhead, beholden to American interests, who is out of his depth running a city the size of Vancouver.

What you say Carole James. :rolleyes:

[Yume-sama]

I don't like how the far left has claimed granola, as the Gays have claimed rainbows. What's it mean if I happen to like and appreciate both?!

[red-paladin]

I don't like how the far left has claimed granola, as the Gays have claimed rainbows. What's it mean if I happen to like and appreciate both?!

See! We knew you were Imelda Marcos!

[WarrenC12]

What about double rainbows?

[mezzanine]

This Moonbeam crap is childish and makes the commenters look like they are simply against anything the mayor does.
If someone can do no right in your eyes, then all of your criticisms come to seem rather imbalanced and invalid.

Word.:yes:

[s211]

:previous: :previous: :previous: :previous: :previous: :previous: :previous: :previous:

How did he earn the epithet "Mayor Moonbeam," anyway? Someone tell me, please. :shrug:

Wasn't it one of his own inner-circle that called him that, and not trying to be disrespectful when doing so?

[whatnext]

I dunno. Former BCTV/Global reporter Harvey Oberfeld, who one can categorize as centre-left and a prime VV demographic, recently posted on his "Keeping It Real" blog as follows:

Source: http://harveyoberfeld.ca/blog/real-profanity-is-visions-disrespect-for-dissent/

Thanks for turning me on to his blog. He's got a very valid point. As I've mentioned before, I voted for most of the Vision slate - I'm obviously one of many having buyers' remorse.

As to Tung Chan, he'd be a good choice. But a news segment on racist graffitti in Richmond referred to him as a Richmond resident?

[Stingray2004]

While Gregor can be a bit flaky at times, he's not that bad and at least he's not loony left COPE. In any event, an interesting perspective on Gregor's latest foibles:

Two Summer Mistakes Expose Mayor's Attitude And Intellect

Robertson Shuns Democratic Requirements

By Mark Hasiuk, Vancouver Courier August 4, 2010

The bloom's off the rose. The phantom's unmasked. The real Gregor Robertson has stood up.

........

Last month after a city hall microphone captured Robertson, mayor and party leader of Vision Vancouver, mocking a group of citizen speakers, a strange thing happened in the local media. He was criticized. Newspapers, television and talk radio expounded on Robertson's dastardly derision.

.....

Due to scant coverage of city hall (outside the Courier, of course) and Robertson's carefully crafted image as an environmental altruist with a missionary love for homeless people, his handsome face has remained unscarred.

Until the microphone gaffe. And then last week, more trouble. According to several media reports, Robertson, the fanatic cyclist and chief architect of Vancouver's ever-growing bicycle infrastructure, blew through a red light on Dunsmuir Street, cutting off a bus and epitomizing the selfish behaviour of Vancouver's worst cyclists.

Of course, these two incidents--the citizen slandering and the red light run--on their own mean little. But combined they reinforce what some have suspected all along. The mayor is supremely arrogant, and probably a little dim. And when shaping public policy and spending taxpayer cash, those traits matter. Big time.

If you followed Robertson on the '08 campaign trail, you know what I mean. His campaign speeches were empty fluffy things that hung in the air momentarily before disappearing forever. Follow-up questions were countered with meaningless platitudes, and while all politicians deal in talking points, candidate Robertson took the art of nothingness to a whole new level.

Now safely in office, Robertson rarely speaks off-script and grants few interviews.... He's a plastic leader with a sneering disdain for public consultation and media participation--two prerequisites to a healthy democracy.

....

Robertson must wonder at his luck every now and then--when hiding under his desk at city hall or during late night hours inside his renovated heritage home off Oak Street, peering into a glowing laptop, twittering whatever synaptic spasm wafts through his brain. In those private moments he also likely conjures thoughts of grandeur. Victoria. Ottawa. And beyond.

.....

While issues may puzzle, Robertson's sure of a few things. He's better than you. They know better than us. And being mayor is easy if you don't think too hard. "My style is to empower people around me," said Robertson, during a Courier interview last summer. "I'm a team player and I like to see people use their strengths. There's so many big issues the city has to deal with and I can't take all that on."

© Copyright (c) Vancouver Courier

Source: http://www.vancourier.com/news/summer+mistakes+expose+mayor+attitude+intellect/3357929/story.html

[Yume-sama]

But every politician is better than us, and knows better than us. In their own mind. It's not unique to him :P

To run for mayor, premier, etc., you necessarily must think that. Though, people on the political left are more open to coming right out and saying it lol

[whatnext]

There was an interesting article in this week's BIV about this. Did you know oil has been shipped out of Vancouver Harbour since 1915? And they couldn't find a record of spill from an oil tanker in all that time. I also didn't know that Chevron was Burnaby's largest taxpayer (which might explain why Corrigan told Robertson to butt out).

[Metro-One]

:previous: Oil is also shipped out of the Petro Canada (now Suncor) terminal as well. It is as if they want to destroy one of our last industrial bases.

[Conrad Yablonski]

There was an interesting article in this week's BIV about this. Did you know oil has been shipped out of Vancouver Harbour since 1915? And they couldn't find a record of spill from an oil tanker in all that time..
There was once an oil spill in the harbour-cooking oil IIRC.

A line from a tanker onto land ruptured, the response team sprung into action, the spill was cleaned up and life went on pretty much as usual. :tup:

[SpikePhanta]

Has Gregor responded to the minor leak in BI from the chevron refinery?