The Slippery Slope of Sam

"Character is destiny."

Frances Bula's full page piece in the Sun today - THE ANATOMY OF SAM SULLIVAN'S DOWNFALL - makes excellent newspaper reading.

It is unnecessarily kind and it avoids the central issue.

Sullivan has famously said that he wants to stomp on his opponent's throats. Well he deserves an equal post mortem.

One of my friends who has known Sullivan for over 30 years says this.

"Sam is a case of arrested development. He is a bitterly angry teen-ager who stopped growing emotionally when he had his skiing accident at the age of 19. He is not only totally self-absorbed, he is utterly disrespectful of others with differing opinions."

I can tell you personally that on two occasions, one private and one very public, Sullivan infuriated me with his lunatic and destructive ideas on "helping" drug addicts and I started hollering at him. You know what his reactions were in both instances?

He was smiling broadly.

He loves to get you in any way he can.

And that is the single reason why he was the worst mayor in Vancouver history, and why any Ladner, Louie or Robertson will be an automatic improvement.

Transit Woes and Transit Goes

My post herein of Wednesday, June 11th, called "Fueling the Madness," has got quite a nice debate going, with 12 comments to date.

A great follow-up is today's Sun column by Bob Ransford titled, "Not All Transit makes Sense."

Ransford argues for grade-level trams. He is right.

Read it and be glad that someone in the media is saying what must be said.

Pictured above is Dublin's terric LUAS system.

Look Ahead and Work for Real Goals

Continuin the theme from yesterday's "Indian Affairs" and Thursday's "The Apology,"

Take note of the excellent article in the Sun's business section on Harry Cook, former Indian Band Chief at Lac La Ronge, Sask.

Cook urges young people to leave the reserve, move to the city, work and study and learn how the world works.

Then, if they want to return, they will do so with drive, energy and knowledge. He should know. His band employees hundreds of aboriginals and non-aboriginals in a broad range of highly successful businesses.

This is one of the best, most sensible and encouraging pieces I've read in a very long time on the future of natives.

And it is in stark contrast to the much higher profiled, emotional drivel to be found in Douglas Todd's full page babel about drumming and healing.

Still Safe to Buy your Tincture of Saw Palmetto

Federal Health Minister Tony Clement has wisely backed down on his original plan to over-regulate natural health products.

Swamped by concerned citizens and industry spokesmen, Clement recognized that it was entirely unreasonable to classify Vitamin C or Echinacea as either a "food" or a "drug."

Aside from the onerous Big Brother quality of the original plan, what was so ludicrous was this: There has not been ONE, not ONE recorded incident of death or anything remotely close happening to anyone in this broad country as a result of some hocus pocus they took from their local Finlandia.

Contrast that simple fact to this morning's headline story in the NY Times - Legal Drugs Kill Far More Than Illegal, Florida Says. Read that item here and weep.

Congratulations to the natural health products folk who stood way up and barked very loudly and to Clement who actually listened.

Lyle Lovett - I've Been to Memphis