A SPEEDY RECOVERY

Underbelly News
Downtown Eastside

Hi All!

Political differences aside it is nice to know that Mayor Larry Campbell is receiving quick medical attention to his heart disease.

I along with many other Vancouverites, wish him a speedy recovery and hopefully he can resume shortly, his political muckraking!

Best wishes Mayor Campbell.

Jamie Lee Hamilton
tricia_foxx@yahoo.com

POST 2 from a FRIEND

Underbelly News
Downtown Eastside

Hi All,

Here is Post 2 from a friend regarding COPE.

Enjoy! - JLH

Hi :

Much mention has been made of Mayor Larry Campbell's decision to stick the COPE Classic faction on city council with the estimated $200-300,000 debt outstanding from their last campaign. Both flavours of COPE are fond of claiming that they speak for the poor and disadvantaged. Where did they get the $1 million it cost them to sweep council, school board and parks board last time?
Among the most generous donors:

Canadian Union of Public Employees BC $152,500.00

Vancouver Elementary School Teachers' Ass'n $ 42,869.81

Vancouver & District Labour Council $ 43,600.00

Hospital Employees Union $ 41,000.00

Communications, Energy & Paperworkers Union $ 22,166.00

That's a bit over $300K. Thirty other unions gave what they could, and several hundred individuals gave amounts under $100 and did not have to identify themselves, although I'm sure they have nothing to hide. The poor and under-privileged gave virtually nothing, and can point to COPE's track record to prove it.

POST 1 from a FRIEND

Underbelly News
Downtown Eastside

POST 1 from a FRIEND

Hi All!

I've been receiving some excellent posts from friends regarding the Friends of Larry Campbell Saga. Here is post #1. Enjoy!

Hi :

I just listened to Carmela Allevato explain how the Friends of LC want to keep moving forward in a progressive direction blah blah blah blah. She was being interviewed by Rick Cluff on the CBC morning show. He threw her a hardball : "Don't you think the people of Vancouver deserve a Council that's working on their concerns, instead of wrapped up in palace intrigues?" Carmela : "Well, yeah, and that's us."

Gives new meaning to the _expression "one-armed bandits". They amputated their left arm.

The Classics took a gamble on Larry and lost. They must watch too much TV. No wonder they're opposed to the expansion of gaming. They just figured out that the House always wins.

Best of all, the FLC just handed control of council to Peter and Sam. If the Classics vote en bloc against anything the FLC does, NPA casts all decicing votes from now on. And the campaign material : "If someone like Councillor Louis, a man who has dedicated his entire life to public service, a man of integrity and principle, a man who has always spoken for the neediest, for the little guy, if a man like this can't trust Larry Campbell and Jim Green, how can the rest of us?" and so on. It's priceless.

Either way it goes for Stevenson, it's bad for FLC. If he wins, he's off to Victoria. If he loses, he's a loser.

NPA will never have a better chance to send this bunch packing. All that COPE/FLC can do is embarrass themselves and Vancouver's reputation and inflict further damage on what's left of the dignity and respect of their offices and civic government in general. Yet again their core values are exposed as hypocrisy and nothing else. Empty promises. Just like the Liberals. No, wait...

Jamie Lee Hamilton
tricia_foxx@yahoo.com