Van City Mayoral Race - November, 2014

[trofirhen]

Could, or will, there be a televised debate between Robertson and LaPointe, with each candidated responding to pertinent and hot-issue questions?
This is often a revealing way of determining a candidate's attitudes and party platform.
Prime-time, right after the evening local news might be good, perhaps in late October.

[spm2013]

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[WarrenC12]

Originally Posted by spm2013

I love how when talking about the Broadway Subway line the supporters profess how advocating with words is such a profound act of a politician. But when there is no action to build such project with a budget they feign ignorance.

The Translink Mayors' council did all they possibly could with a detailed 10 year plan for the region. The Liberals have done absolutely zero in response.

[queetz@home]

Originally Posted by WarrenC12

The Translink Mayors' council did all they possibly could with a detailed 10 year plan for the region. The Liberals have done absolutely zero in response.

To further add to that, Gregor Robertson and Vision did *something*, not just speak. Base on his capabilities as the elected mayor of Vancouver, he worked with stakeholders (his own council, staff, the mayors council and the Province) and gone through the process of securing the funds for the subway. So what he has done is more than just words, but action.

The mere fact that he has the Mayor's Council united with his subway desire is alone an accomplishment, since they have the ability to put far more pressure to the Province than being in a divided council that the Province can easily find an excuse to dismiss. At the end of the day, it is up to the Province, but Gregor, because he is promising that the subway would be built, will do whatever he can, within the capabilities of a mayor, to secure that funding, to make it happen.

Let me remind people that Gregor Robertson is instrumental with making the Evergreen Line happen as well. Even though its not a CoV project, he went beyond municipal borders, openly supported it along with his council and worked with the other mayors and Province to make it happen. His leadership (along with the great mayors such as Watts, Stewart and Fassbender) gave the project a large number of population weighted votes to support it and helped convince the Province to pass legislation to increase the gas tax.

LaPointe has no such experience under his belt, nor has his party. He is all talk and no action, and the NPA has a track record of prioritizing cookie projects like that useless streetcar, or making stupid decisions like the Owelympic Village financing mess, which Vision had to fix!

[WarrenC12]

I will add that the city continues to identify future stations and shapes development accordingly.

[GMasterAres]

Originally Posted by queetz@home

To further add to that, Gregor Robertson and Vision did *something*, not just speak. Base on his capabilities as the elected mayor of Vancouver, he worked with stakeholders (his own council, staff, the mayors council and the Province) and gone through the process of securing the funds for the subway. So what he has done is more than just words, but action.

Sorry I must have missed something. He secured funds for the subway? When and what funding? May have missed something but my understanding is all that has been done is talk and a plan. The plan includes hypothesized funding sources but nothing is secured at all and according to Translink and the Province there is $0.00 funding.

[queetz@home]

Originally Posted by jhausner

Sorry I must have missed something. He secured funds for the subway? When and what funding? May have missed something but my understanding is all that has been done is talk and a plan. The plan includes hypothesized funding sources but nothing is secured at all and according to Translink and the Province there is $0.00 funding.

Yes, you missed something. I didn't say anything about securing the funding now. I specifically said "gone through the process...", which he has done along with the Mayor's Council at the limits of their legal capability. Its a process, "talk and a plan" is part of the process, and it will take time to implement, but the seeds are there.

The Province has not said "no", but rather as a compromise, open to it (i.e. new regional carbon tax). This is far contrast to what it was years ago when the Province won't even entertain a *new* regional carbon tax and there wasn't even a plan to begin with. Back then, it was Surrey vs Vancouver, but today, they both see a plan where both rapid transit proposals would be built with some compromise for a reasonable timing.

Unless you are saying the Broadway subway is now dead since Gregor has not secured the funds *today*. Or worse, are you saying if LaPointe / NPA wins this November, the funds would magically appear?

[spm2013]

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[whatnext]

Originally Posted by queetz@home

To further add to that, Gregor Robertson and Vision did *something*, not just speak. Base on his capabilities as the elected mayor of Vancouver, he worked with stakeholders (his own council, staff, the mayors council and the Province) and gone through the process of securing the funds for the subway. So what he has done is more than just words, but action.

The mere fact that he has the Mayor's Council united with his subway desire is alone an accomplishment, since they have the ability to put far more pressure to the Province than being in a divided council that the Province can easily find an excuse to dismiss. At the end of the day, it is up to the Province, but Gregor, because he is promising that the subway would be built, will do whatever he can, within the capabilities of a mayor, to secure that funding, to make it happen.

Let me remind people that Gregor Robertson is instrumental with making the Evergreen Line happen as well. Even though its not a CoV project, he went beyond municipal borders, openly supported it along with his council and worked with the other mayors and Province to make it happen. His leadership (along with the great mayors such as Watts, Stewart and Fassbender) gave the project a large number of population weighted votes to support it and helped convince the Province to pass legislation to increase the gas tax.

LaPointe has no such experience under his belt, nor has his party. He is all talk and no action, and the NPA has a track record of prioritizing cookie projects like that useless streetcar, or making stupid decisions like the Owelympic Village financing mess, which Vision had to fix!

My, my, Mayor Moonbeam, based on his capabilities (sic) went through the process of making noise about the Broadway line? How impressive. And he was "instrumental" in making the Evergreen Line happen? Do tell.

Did he part the Red Sea as well?

[WarrenC12]

I can see why you guys support the NPA, since they are the "do nothing" party.

[jlousa]

The NPA has been in power for most of Vancouver's recent history. I think we can all agree that Vancouver is one of the best places on the planet to live and punches well above it's weight on the urban front. To deny that NPA policies had any effect on making Vancouver what it is today would be naïve.
Personally I look forward to any municipal government that ensures it's civic responsibilities are met and leaves stuff outside it's jurisdictions to the other governments. I don't want my civic tax dollars going to provincial matters and I don't trust any civic politician to make decisions for the entire region.

Kudos to Geoff Meggs who's letter to the NHL was instrumental in ending the strike.

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[logan5]

What does the NPA bring to the table that Vision doesn't? It seems like the NPA members on council go along with everything Vision does. The only council member that doesn't is Carr. The thing that bugs me most about the city is the low standards of architecture that gets a pass by the UDP. If that issue were to be addressed by the NPA I would certainly be compelled to vote for them.

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