COPE EXECUTIVE WISHY-WASHY

Underbelly News
Downtown Eastside

COPE EXECUTIVE WISHY-WASHY

Hi Folks!

Down below I have posted a copy of the e-mail which went to COPE members from the executive of COPE. I am NOT a member of COPE but obviously still have friends inside COPE. This notice to members was sent to me.

Not only do I find this executive letter kinda wishy-washy, I find really strange that former COPE co-chair and Mayoral candidate Carmela Allevato saying she prefers the centrist approach of Larry Campbell to the majority ruling COPE classics led by Councilors Bass, Cadman, Louis, Roberts and Woodsworth.

Whoa. This can't be the same Carmela Allevato who along with her husband, Jim Quail--another longtime COPE president--were key players in the Communist party.

Well talk about selling out your core values. Now the latest group to be altering their values system appears to be the COPE executive.

You judge.

Jamie Lee Hamilton
tricia_foxx@yahoo.com


MEMBERS E-lert 12/16/2004:

Report to Members from COPE Co-chairs December 16, 2004

Many of you will have heard that on December 14, Larry Campbell, JimGreen, Raymond Louie, and Tim Stevenson announced that they will sit as membersof an independent COPE caucus within City Council. This announcement came following much rumour and speculation, fuelled by media reports,questioning whether Larry Campbell would be leaving COPE. As co-chairs of COPE, we want to give you some context to thisdevelopment. We also want to share with you how your Executive will respond to this announcement. Your Executive has been aware of the challenges facing the COPE CityCouncil caucus for some time now. We have made many efforts, both formal and informal, to assist COPE councillors and mayor to resolve and respect the differences amongst them. The Executive resolved at its monthly meeting on December 8 to enthusiastically support the Mayor and that the best way forward into the next election is as one united slate. The Executive's table officers met with Mayor Campbell and CouncillorsGreen, Louie and Stevenson at 9 a.m. on December 14. We conveyed the motionspassed by the Executive and discussed OUR perspective on how best to moveforward. It was at this meeting that we were informed of the pending announcement to sit as independent COPE caucus within Council. The announcement sets out the following: - Larry Campbell, Jim Green,Raymond Louie and Tim Stevenson will sit as members of an independent COPE caucus within City Council - a grouping called "Friends of Larry Campbell" has been formed to provide support to these elected representatives - the independent COPE caucus will work with other COPE councillors on common issues like homelessness, childcare, and sustainability - COPE elected school board and parks board have the full support of the Mayor and the independent COPE caucus. Your Executive is pleased that this announcement recognizes the commitment of Mayor Campbell and the three councillors to the COPE membership and to the COPE platform on which they ran and were elected. Your executive is committed to working with all elected members in the run up to the 2005 election. We will play an active role in helping the council, school board and parks board to work together on common issues and to complete the implementationof the 2002 COPE platform. We will continue to steer the COPE organization to prepare for a broad-based and robust campaign to ensure a progressive majority on City Council in November 2005. This announcement does not come without questions about the challenges that face COPE. We are working hard to ensure that we approach these challenges with the sensitivity, energy and resources that they need to generate long-term solutions. As always, your input and feedback is important to us. Please plan to attend the members' meeting at the end of January. Notice for the meeting will be mailed in early January. Also, please email us your thoughts to http://us.f528.mail.yahoo.com/ym/Compose?To=cope@cope.bc.ca&YY=83782&order=down&sort=date&pos=0&view=a&head=b or leave a voice-mail at 604-255-0400.

Anita Zaenker and Donna Morgan, COPE co-chairs