Think We Got Troubles?

For those of us burdened with thoughts of Convention Centre overruns, Port Mann Bridge doubling, Richmond Skating Oval disasters and the like, consider the plight of the modern Venetian.

Below are 2 items from a Venice newsletter I receive each week concerning the immense fiasco known as the Calatrave Bridge.

Read it. All of it. It will make you laugh and cry. Your heart will sing. You'll take yourself out for dinner.

Greetings from Venice! The titbit of the week concerns the initial results of the inspection of the fourth bridge across the Grand Canal. The name that should be given to the bridge at its dedication, an event that has been postponed so many times without setting a specific opening date, is The Incapables’ Bridge. Frankly, this appellation, which is not in accord with the tradition of naming bridges after their designers, is not as evocative as the names of other bridges, but that is the cruel reality – the project has proved to be endless and has cost citizens a fortune. To use a very Italian word that, unfortunately, is lacking in grace, the project is a true “casino” in which technical, civil, penal and, last but not least, moral responsibilities are involved. The verification of the shortcomings is a sort of triumph for the angry citizens, though they are aware that they are the only ones who, through their taxes, will pay the price for all the problems. This ugly and useless bridge, which began as a sketch on a restaurant napkin and rapidly turned into a chronicle of ineptitude, is a great shame that, evidently, also involves the people who have neither stopped it nor responded to all the well-founded criticism. Have a great week, Rosalba

NEWS - The accusations brought by the supervisory authority against the Calatrava Bridge project, its architect, the project administrators, and the company in charge of construction are reasonably serious and deal with bookkeeping and with penal and disciplinary responsibilities related to public contracts. The Municipality was served by the national regulator with a document dated 21 December which was, subsequently, sent to the General Authority of the Court of Audit before being made public.The list of problems is quite long: the building firm was not prepared, the project was not adequately defined, and the Municipality erred in approving a contract that did not provide for intervention to limit damages. Mistakes have also been cited in the architectural master plan approved by Calatrava’s office and in the Municipality’s management of the contract. Moreover, there are some deficiencies associated with Cignoni, the company in charge of construction, and the consequent cost overruns. The Municipality should have proceeded with “the compulsory rescission of the contract” back in 2004 and “work should have been completed on 16 February 2004.” Costs rose from “6.72 million to 10.7 million euros, an increase of 3.981 million that is equal to almost 59%, with the exception of the settlement reached during the course of the project.” At present, Cignoni is asking for seven million euros while the Municipality only recognises one million.Since the metal work totals 43 percent of the budget, general construction 40 percent, and specialised foundation work 17 percent, the report comments in particular on the allocation of funds to the Og3 category (streets) instead of Os18 (steel structures), making it possible for the company which offered the lowest price – Cignoni – to win the contract without being qualified to fabricate the steel components for the bridge. Such a serious mistake by the Municipality meant that a qualified firm could not be selected. Given the situation, Cignoni then assigned the foundry work to a company, Lorenzon, that could handle it competently, but Cignoni should have subcontracted the work as an employment arrangement and not identified it as purchased material, according to the contract, the inspectors say.Other problems were under-estimated and there were additional general errors, including some in Calatrava’s master plan for which he charged 475,000 euros (plus 91,800 for architectural consultancy and 67,000 for technical consultancy). All of this is in spite of what Mayor Cacciari had declared -- that the bridge was a “present” to the city. The project needed to be modified six times during construction, with an attendant increase in cost and time. Neither the expense of testing (243,000 euro) nor of the 24-hour monitoring (1 million euro per year for at least five years) had been factored into the budget. In the end, it was a project handled by a team of beginners, to say the least.

Freedom to Hate Week

Greg Felton believes that Jews are responsible for 911.

Greg Felton was fired about 9 years ago from his job as writer for The Vancouver Courier, a Canwest newspaper, owned by the Asper family, Winnipeg Jews.

Felton is obsessed with his hatred for Jews.

I know this because I worked with him for 8 months as we entered the 21st century.

He is incapable of maintaining a human conversation for longer than 4 minutes without beginning his rant against Jews.

Now, the Vancouver Public Library is giving him a stage to discuss his new book. This is the library's contribution to Freedom to Read Week.

The Library should have its head examined.

There are hate crimes and hate laws in this country. Perhaps you don't think we should have them. But for the moment, we do.

Is freedom of speech limitless?

Read Terry Glavin's editorial in this morning's Sun here.

The More The Merrier

Let's hope that Peter Ladner's bid to keep the NPA from anointing The Nutty One is successful.

Anythind that points to the end of this disgraceful administration is a welcome sign.

Richmond Broom Ball

The Richmond dirt was hidden away in a tiny piece on page B2 in this morning's Sun.

Mario Ferreira, a Richmond city employee, left work 6 years ago, sued the city for harrassment and finally settled out of court.

The city will never say what this was about or who did what to whom or what their libilities or responsibilites might be.

Sweep, sweep, sweep...

Nice work, Richmond.

Happy Anniversary, Wherever You Are

Today is the 25th anniversary of Michael Jackson's "Thriller," the biggest selling album of all time.

I wanted to show it to you, but you cannot upload it from YouTube.

Well, just go back into the garage, find the old VHS and crank it up one more time.

And careful doing those turns on the living room carpet. You might want to move the coffee table back a bit first.

Frank Sinatra sings

75 years old!

Off Keyes.

I couldn't sit through the Grammys.

This is clearly a sign of what an old fogey I am.

The show opened with Alicia Keys doing a duet with a live orchestra and a video of Sinatra. It was pathetic, tragic.

There's Frank, cool and sophisticated and perfectly on pitch, and there's Keys off-key and shrieking.

I'm done. I'm outta here.

Enjoy The Master in the post below.

frank sinatra - summer wind

Every few months, you'll hear a Sinatra tune on the radio and you are at once reminded what a musical genius he was. NObody made him sound better than Nelson Riddle.

It's Not About You, Sir

It was disgusting - entirely predicatable - that with all the beautiful fotos available from yesterday's Chinese New Year's Parade, the Sun would show Stephane Dion. (Between the two of us, we took over 100 pictures and we estimated that over 1,000,000 shots would be taken with such an enormous and enthusiastic crowd.)

In fact we actually said this would happen.

Is the Sun waiting breathlessly to anoint this faker, this Costume Boy, the next Prime Minister?

Clearly, Mr. Dion was extremely uncomfortable in his Chinese disguise. He probably has never met a Chinese, doesn't know a word of Chinese and can't eat with chopsticks.

How many times has this cold fool ever been in vancouver in his lifetime.

You could see the message clearly in his icy stare. "I am here becuase it is politically expedient. My handlers told me I must be here, but I don't like it."

To the Sun: This was not about Politicians. It was about the Chinese celebrating Spring Festival.

To the Parade organizers: Ban all politicians from participating. Tell those self-serving blood suckers to stay home with their families on a Sunday.

Parade Great. Politicians Not.

THIS AFTERNOON I SAW STEPHANE DION, GORDON CAMPBELL, SAM SULLIVAN AND WALLY OPPAL, AMONG OTHER INSINCERE FAWNING POLITICOS, PRETENDING TO MEAN SOMETHING AT THE GUNG HAY FAT CHOY ANNUAL PARADE THROUGH CHINATOWN.

WHAT FALSE NOTES THEY RANG. HOW TRANSPARENT THEY WERE. AND NOBODY CHEERED.

Be the Judge

The news that the North Shore is adding 6 officers who will focus on problems of alcoholism and addictions on reserves is welcome and not to be discounted.

These RCMP and West Van police are necessary and we can only hope that they will help.

But I know of no other way to put this gently.

Until aboriginal families abandon their "traditional" "non-judgmental" ways, these nightmares will continue.

Non-judgmentalism has been all the rage in almost every aspect of the dominant white culture for several decades now. Child rearing, education, psychology, every corner of society has raised the BE NICE flag.

Certainly yelling and screaming and criticising and beating each other and our children is downright bad and counter-productive.

But another meaning for judgment is care. Asking the one you judge to take himself to a higher standard. Having high and hopeful expectations.

Like, being clean and sober. Like, doing well in school.

White, urban, middle-class bores have long cited the admirable qualities of native non-judgmentalism.

Perhaps it's time for some aboriginals to notice with envy the demands that many other cultures put on their children to succeed and to be proud of themselves and their successes.

Yah, I know. This is a racist rant.

Right.

The Arrogant Bureaucrat Used to Be Lady Tattoo

Karen Petersen no longer remembers being a merchant. Unfortunatly she sold out her business just in the nick of time for construction on Granville street. Her CUSHY position at the Canada Line has obviously distracted her from her former life as the proprietor of a tattoo and body piercing shop. Which, apparently is a BETER business than maternity and baby stores, restaurants and framing stores.I guess her more "qualified" business experiences enables her to be considered an expert in the area of survival.Although, She was the president of the downtown business association, at one time lobbying for change and strength among merchants... she now has a different business. Amazing what a solid income and a nice office can do to change a person.Instead of working 12 hours a day on her own business, she might sit around her new office reading small business obituaries with the other girls while they give eachother free tattoos and do eachothers hair.(And as the following article quotes her) and saying "super hot"!!She can call consultation what she wants. She can say she doesn't work for the canada line directly, but she is still responsible for her part in destroying families, immigrants, single parents and other small businesses along the line...signed,Karen come over an watch my kids, I need to go to work now, because you took my business,Erin Broke-ovich

READ:Granville Mall gets overhaul Economic pressures will drive out less attractive businesses Wendy McLellan Province Sunday, April, 03, 2005

Even if city councillors agree on a design by early summer as planned, the street will be ripped apart for RAV construction -- including as many as three stations along Granville -- for at least 18 months."We've wanted a redesign forever," said Karen Peterson Ivanick, president of the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association and a longtime retailer on Granville Mall."A lot of people think having this main street in such disrepair is holding back the city. You can't build something in 1975 and then abandon it."Peterson Ivanick, who owns Anatomic Adornments body-piercing shop in the 800-block of Granville, said updating the street, along with the redevelopment under way, is gradually taking the area away from drug dealers and pawn shops and making it a safe, funky place in the heart of the city."There is real, serious change going on that is quite meaningful," she said. "Leases are up for renewal and retailers that can't get onto Robson are making the first couple of blocks of Granville the next best thing."That will push the smaller stores further south and pretty soon, there will be only good stuff going on. I think it could be a beautiful street. We're just a few years away from being super hot down here."

Transclunk Board Criminal

Clearly Mike Harcourt has lost his last remaining marble.

He has approved a 500% pay hike for the new Transclunk board, all of whom are already well-heeled execs.

They will now get $1,200 per meeting, even if they are not physically present in the room.

A commentor has already beat me to the punch and said on my "Hoax" blog a little further down this page what I will repeat herein.

Not only should this pay raise not be allowed, THEY SHOULD ALL BE VOLUNTEERS. THEY SHOULD BE DOING THIS TO HELP THE COMMUNITY THAT HAS MADE THEM SUCCESSFUL.

U Waste - The Joy of Sax

Below is one of the greatest musical pieces ever heard, John Coltrane's take on the simple Rogers and Hammerstein tune, "My Favorite Things" from "The Sound of Music." How 'Trane took this c-major children's folk melody and turned it into a mystical, eastern hymn is unknown and amazing.

But in keeping with insanity of what passes for science and academics, physicists at the University of new South Wales in Sydney have been studying how saxophone players make noise.

Public money pays for this.

Revel in Coltrane and others. Don't try this at home and don't try to understand the mechanics of how it is done.

Unless you're an academic with time and public money on your hands.

John Coltrane -' My Favourite Things'

THE DRUG BEAT

ITEM: UBC is sponsoring a series of pblic discussion called "Drug Policy - Public Health or Criminal Justice Issue?"

The only problem is that the speakers are THE USUAL SUSPECTS...Larry Campbell, Phillip Owen, Centre for Addicitons Research, Fraser Institute and so on.

Good luck on hearing a thought that isn't part of the accepted wisdom.

ITEM: Doctors Pan Mayors Drug Plan. Yes, as they should. And we needn't dwell on the obvious. But there is one telling little moment in this story. NAOMI - the hateful experiment where addicts are given free heroin is described as providing "heroin to long-term addicts, along with intensive counselling and support.

Now this little gem exemplifies how little any of these geniuses know or care about addictions.

YOU CANNOT COUNSEL SOMEONE WHO IS TAKING HEROIN, AS YOU CANNOT TALK TO A DRINKING DRUNK. YOU ARE NOT TALKING IN THESE INSTANCES TO A PESON. YOU ARE TALKING TO A CHEMICAL.

The entire premise is false and the enterprise is doomed.

Do I Ask You to Abandon Jesus?

“Let us pray for the Jews. May the Lord Our God enlighten their hearts so that they may acknowledge Jesus Christ, the savior of all men.”

So translates a new version of Good Friday prayer that the Pope has sanctioned.

That's really going to help.

To find yourself hurtling backwards through time to the Dark Ages, read this NY Times story here.

Theh take a bath.

THIS IS NOT A HOAX

From a regular contributor...

OUTRAGEOUS.
The TransLink Board has justed voted itself a raise in its meeting honoraria - for $200 a meeting to..........$1,200/meeting!!!!!!!!! - whether or not they are physically present at the table. They get it if it's just a teleconference!

While fares rise - while families face financial ruin along the Canada Line - behind closed doors the TransLink Cabal votes themselves this gluttony
and flips the people of BC the bird.

This is beyond all comprehension.

THE HEIGHT OF ARROGANCE - BUREAUCRACY RUN AMOK

What follows is perhaps the rudest letter imaginable from Little Ms. I'mAlright to yet another Cambie merchant whose business has been ruined by the Canada Line. It's a classic. But WARNING - YOUR BLOOD MAY BOIL.

Linda ( I presume)
I am an independent operator. I have a contract with Canada Line to manage the projects of the Business Liaison Committees. I take my directives from the committee members and my Independent Chair. I will not be passing your rhetorical question on to the CEO of Canada Line for you.

As you know, there is no mandate for Canada Line in their contract to provide compensation to businesses. What Canada Line did in that absence, was to create communications and programming resources available through the Vancouver and Richmond Business Liaison Committees. You have two representatives for this area which are on the Committee, Mr., Leonard Schein of Festival Cinemas, who operates the Park Theatre just up the street from you, and Ms. Heather Grant who works with Shato Holdings, owners of numerous properties including White Spot. These two individuals do a great job of representing the interests of Cambie Village at our table and provide input as to ways to bring customers to Cambie Village. In fact, they have secured a great deal of programming for the area in addition to that funded through the Committee. I know they will both continue to champion for Cambie Village.

Mr. Schein and Ms. Grant also serve on the volunteer Board of Directors for the Cambie Village Business Association. You have the contact name and number for Rania Hatz, your BIA coordinator who you have cc’d in the email. Please speak with Rania about ideas you may have for events, marketing and programs in the Cambie Village area or to find out what programs are currently being planned so that you can participate.

I believe I have done all I can for your business in my capacity. Canada Line has provided one-on-one consultation from the Retail Consultant, who also gave you a personalized sign program template on cd and new logo to work with. I know that there were many ideas and suggestions presented to you and it is up to you how you move forward. With the closure of all the Regis Framing stores, you now have less competition in this area. The City Square location has closed and you could go into the mall and hand out your cards to the other merchants to let them know that people looking for framing can now call you. Perhaps offer a referral program.. It might be a good time to make some photocopies of flyers, or rearrange the store. Urban Source on Main street just north of 16th sells recycled materials for pennies and will provide an environmentally friendly supply of neat things to make displays with. There are many constructive things you could be doing.

I am wondering, too, why after running the business for about 20 months you speak about the last 17, 20 and now 24 years of business. Having met the previous owners, who themselves bought the business from someone else, it seems the business has changed hands a number of times in the last few years alone. Along with your inconsistent operating hours, it is my own personal onion that you may have some consumer confidence issues to work on. Traditionally, retail sales are very low this time of year. Add snow storms and traffic congestion and you do really have a very compounded situation. I have never said otherwise. But I honestly believe you need to make more effort in your business for it to grow. Sending emails such as the attached, and some of the others you have copied me on, will not help you unless you feel it is beneficial to vent at someone. If that is the case – why not type the email out and then delete it? That way you see, you don’t offend people who have done a lot to try to help you in the only way that they are able to or have control over.

I wish you well,

Thanks,

Karen Peterson
Independent Project Director
Business Liaison and Communications Committees
Do You Shop the Line?
Canada Line Direct: 604-639-8723
Cellular 778-327-8383
karenpi@canadaline.ca http://www.canadaline.ca/
483 West 16th Avenue
Vancouver BC V5Y 1Z2

TEACH THE CHILDREN