VISION HAS A PARTY

Oldtown News
Vancouver, BC

VISION HAS A PARTY
600 Asses, Derrieres and Buttocks Seated

Vision has a party. Well at least on Friday, April 11, 2008, the municipal conglomerate that masks as a party had a windig and raised a few bucks.

Problem with Vision, where it counts most, is that it doesn't have a solid membership base where it can count on members who share certain values and beliefs to work in the trenches to help get their guys elected. The main reason for this is that Vision isn't a real party and is made up primarily of political opportunists who have bought into a brand which has a catchy name.

At the beano on Friday, I've been informed the evening was about showcasing their Mayoral candidates. In this regard, potential Mayoral nominees, Councillor Raymond Louie, Park Commissioner, Allan De Genova and MLA Gregor Robertson had developers and other special interests sponsor tickets so the rag-tag group passing off as a party could get bums in seats.

Once their asses were seated, the sponsored attendees were informed that as their respective and favoured Mayoral candidate was introduced, like good lapdogs to stand and this way, the candidates would signal to the guests, the strength of their respective Mayoral campaigns.

Frances Bula, the award-winning reporter at the Sun who attended the dinner, estimates that Commissioner De Genova had 200 bums seated, Councillor Louie had 40 derrieres in place and MLA Robertson had 60 pairs of buttocks planted.

Ms Bula was invited to the dinner and payback for Vision was this article written by her. For Ms Bula's sake, I hope the dinner was good as I'm certain hot dogs were not on the menu.

This type of campaigning that Vision is engaging in, I haven't seen before. Usually, municipal party slates host their annual fundraising dinners for their members and supporters. At none of these dinners have I ever witnessed and I have been to many, where candidates or elected officials hosting a table, request their supporters to stand when they are introduced.

This move by Vision in my opinion seems like a desperate one and is part and parcel of their continuing mirage to hoodwink people into thinking they have this far-reaching support.

It seems the only one to fall for it was Frances Bula who gushed on about it on her blog, informing her readers about how many developers were in the room or sponsored tickets for certain non creme-de-le-creme groups of Vancouver. Ms Bula pointed this out directly by announcing the Roller Derby Girls, Skateboard Coalition and Young Liberals were all in attendance.

Just standing at a dinner where most of the funds came from the development industry only shows that special interests are very much alive and well in Vision. Whether this is good for the ordinary citizens who actually vote and reside in Vancouver, well that will be another story for another day.

But hey if the Roller Derby Goddesses, who performed at a benefit I hosted a year ago, the Skate Board Coalition and young Liberals are comfortable sitting at a party with the Developer bums well that is their choice.

Whether kissing the behinds of the elite contributes to the making of a great inclusive City, where no bum is left behind, well I'll let our City's reality inform us on that one.

Jamie Lee Hamilton
tricia_foxx@yahoo.com