JUST RE-ELECTED
I was wrong and Vancouver City Council was right.
Yesterday in this space I predicted that Vancouver would approve the Big New Casino caper.
They did not.
They rejected it unanimously, thus surprising everyone in town and delighting most of us.
This is a great triumph for good common sense, citizen participation and for the current Vancouver City Council.
For anyone who has followed this blog, you may have noticed that I almost never refer to City Council in any way whatsoever.
The reason for that has been that, until last night, I have thought of this current administration as basically silly and irrelevant and not worthy of attention.
Bike lanes, poultry and pigs in the back yard, daffodils on the roof. Please!
But this Vancouver City Council has not only redeemed itself with this decision, it has also guaranteed itself re-election come November.
Barring some major gaffe or scandal revealed, expect all seats to be filled by the same skirts and suits next time round.
The Big Casino in downtown Vancouver was a bad and odious idea. It came from people who have no real sense of what this city is.
It deserved to be rejected and we can only applaud the choice made last night at City Hall.
4 comments:
I like participatory democracy too, but the Vancouver not Vegas people only look like they're participating, and the rest of the nay sayers (yourself included)only look like they're participating. But just saying NO is not real participation.
If not a casino then what should be built that would bring in the people and make money? The money needed to pay for that new roof and complex. Nobody "participates" with a viable alternative. Sure I'd like to see a park, community centre, or miniature pony ride instead, but I can't think of anything else but a casino that could make the money that's needed to pay for all the bills that are racking up in Vancouver.
Maybe a 10% property tax hike will get citizens thinking that a casino isn't all that bad for a livable Vancouver.
Nobody asked for a new $500M roof either.
What an eyesore.
David while I relly dont care one way or the other re the casino I dont think that this decision is enough to forgive or forget the stupidity of Robertson. And depending on the outcome of what happens to that property Robertson may still end up making a decision that rivals bikes ,chickens pigs etc.
Once again I am glad I am not a Vancouver tax payer. My pockets are not deep enough to accomodate Gregors follies
13
The casino was even worse than you write. Larceny was unveiled before us but those charged with protecting public interests were participants. I too was surprised that city council set up a barricade but I fear the province is likely to override the local authority.
Read Ian Reid at http://therealstory.ca/
where he has been posing important questions and pointing out the BC Liberal government's lies.
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