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Vision campaign kicks into gear, NPA tackles bike lanes (sort of), COPE opens office

October 2nd, 2011 · 66 Comments

The civic election campaign is now officially underway, with Vision rolling out its radio ads, paid staffers like Mike Magee and Kevin Quinlan now out of the mayor’s office and into the campaign office, COPE opening up its office, fundraising dinners set and more.

My story here looks at part of the pitch going out to Vision supporters (if you don’t vote for us, the evil other side will wipe out everything we did) and the latest move from the Non-Partisan Association in its attempt to bring VV down somehow. Bike lanes — you knew that one was coming, but, as I note in the story, it’s a hard one for them. The NPA’s committed base mostly hates the bike lanes, but the general public isn’t as worked up about them. So the party has to be against them, but not too against them.

I didn’t have room for everything that’s happening as everyone rolls their cannons on to the field. (Sorry, I just read a book about the Battle of Waterloo, so my mind is filled with 19th-century war metaphors.)

COPE opened its offices today on 500-block East Broadway. I await fun, Monty Pythonesque videos from them, as per the 2008 campaign. Vision is not really operating a streetfront office, but is running its campaign out of the office over the dollar store at Broadway and Yukon. (Don’t hold back on the bad jokes, friends.) As mentioned, Magee and Quinlan are now on leave and working on the campaign, leaving the mayor all by himself up at city hall. Aaaieeeee.

The NPA (offices in concourse at Granville SkyTrain) has had to set back its fundraising dinner. Originally scheduled for last week, they’ve now moved it to early November, just a day away from Vision’s fundraising dinner. NPA president John Moonen said the party had sold a couple hundred tickets, but candidates were resisting selling more, saying it was competing with their own fundraisers at the same time. As well, it turned out there was another big charity dinner the same night, so the party moved it.

Unusual to see parties holding their fundraising dinners so close to the election and a bit risky. As one poster noted recently here, the winning party always tends to have the biggest campaign donations because people start giving more money as they get a sense of who’s going to win. So there’s a possibility that, as the momentum starts to accelerate for one party, the other one will be left in the dust. And that sense of who’s winning is likely to be more pronounced as the election date — and the dinners — get closer.

Vision Vancouver has posted its pitch from Gregor for money and support to keep the revolution going on YouTube. Your thoughts?

 

Categories: 2011 Vancouver Civic Election

  • Paul T.

    http://www.naiopvcr.com/events/event-calendar/

    Scheduled for Nov. 9th. Gregor pulled out.

  • spartikus

    So it’s not actually “debates” but “a debate”.

    Last election there were 11.

    Perhaps we could hold off on calling it a trend until it’s, you know, a trend.

  • Bobbie Bees

    @ spartikus #52
    No spartikus, that won’t do.
    In the warped world of the NPA there is no difference between singular and plural. Not showing to A debate is synonymous with not showing up to 3 million debates. It’s all one and the same.
    Especially when you’re not expected to win.
    Maybe the NPA could use the evening instead to explain the nuances of PIPEDA to Rob MacDonald…..

  • Paul T.

    Well the trend I was pointing to was VV not caring about what others have to say and completely insulating themselves from comments/criticisms. That’s not very democratic.

  • Mark Allerton

    Strictly speaking Paul, their openness or lack thereof is nothing to do with democracy, unless it were in some way depriving you of a vote. So how is Vision’s lack of openness depriving you of a vote?

  • Mark Allerton

    *perceived* lack of openness, I should say…

  • brilliant

    @Bobbie Bees 53
    As fascinating as it is to have you bring up Rob Macdonald and the privacy act every post, it only reinforces many peoples suspicion that the bike lobby has something to hide about the “truthiness” of the Dunsmuir bike lane counts.

  • Observer

    Bobbie Bees is wrong on the matter regarding Rob McDonald and PIPEDA. It’s not a privacy issue and it’s not applicable. A person out in public does not have a reasonable expectation of privacy as opposed to the person being on private property. The following section of the Criminal code is applicable.

    Criminal Code of Canada, 162. (1):

    Every one commits an offence who, surreptitiously, observes – including by mechanical or electronic means – or makes a visual recording of a person who is in circumstances that give rise to a reasonable expectation of privacy.

    This is why there is no investigation into his videotaping of the bike lanes. It’s not illegal.

  • ThinkOutsideABox

    …not to mention misinformed, but don’t let that stop you Bobbie Bees from continuing on with the groundless (and potentially libelous?) accusation.

    No doubt then all those accused in the riots will claim that the evidence against them is found inadmissible because of… PIPEDA?

    I think you should also let the police know people like Brent Granby are PIPEDA offenders due to his flickr feed: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brentgranby/

    No doubt none of the victims of his photography signed a release or knew their image would be exploited on the information superhighway!

    911!!

  • Robert in Calgary

    A little story on how a new bike lane in Calgary suddenly popped up a few days ago.

    http://www.calgaryherald.com/travel/bike+lane+10th+Street+causes+traffic+snarls/5502537/story.html

  • Bobbie Bees

    Sorry boys, but when a private business operates video cameras that record the general public outside of their private property PIPEDA comes into full effect. A private business may only record and retain personal information (someone’s image IS their personal information) with the prior consent of the person being recorded. Video recording INSIDE of a premises is acceptable so long as notifications are posted at the door stating that recording is occurring as by proceeding enter the premises you have given your implied consent.
    And under PIPEDA any business recording and retaining personal information MUST make said information available when requested by a person who has been recorded. To facilitate this, any business recording and retaining private information MUST designate an ‘Information Officer’ who must act upon any requests.
    People walking/cycling and or driving by the exterior of a premises cannot be considered as having given their consent, implied or otherwise.

    There are two notable exceptions to PIPEDA.

    One is the media, specifically the news media.

    The other exception is private citizens. Private citizens acting on their own and not for commercial purposes are exempted from PIPEDA.
    Even law enforcement has restrictions on video recording.

    Capiche?

  • Bobbie Bees

    Observer, the only reason that there hasn’t been an investigation is no one forwarded a complaint to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner.
    http://www.oipc.bc.ca/

    And here, knock yourselves out:
    http://www.oipc.bc.ca/news/rlsgen/Video_Surveillance_Guidelines%28March2008%29.pdf

  • ThinkOutsideABox

    Sure, said the lawyer. And what makes you convinced that it was a private business recording the public and not a Rob MacDonald? You keep saying it’s Rob MacDonald, not a company. And you keep saying he’s recording the public, are they identifiable?

    Brent Granby’s photos are part and parcel to his political brand and are fulfilling a communications objective for the events that he attends. They aren’t holiday photos.

    What are you waiting for Bobbie Bees? For all the time you’ve spent on here commenting about PIPEDA, you could have forwarded a bunch of complaints already.

  • Bobbie Bees

    @TOAB #63, think back to 2010 when Global TV ran a news story about the Dunsmuir bike lanes.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E5pd4jctjA

    Forward to 0:54 and 1:23.

  • ThinkOutsideABox

    So having reviewed the youtube clip, I don’t see how these people are personally identifiable, the faces appear blurred like google street view.

    And as such, had a request been placed with St. Regis’ “information officer” by an individual to view their ‘personal information’, what obligation would they have to provide anything to anybody off the street if identities are obscured?

  • Bill Lee

    Interesting that the TEAM-Lite party put their headquarters a stones-throw (literally) from City Hall in the Broadway and Yukon building’s second floor.
    That second floor was for several decades (closed in the 1970s?) the bicycle registry office for bike license decals that were required on every frame, in the vain hope that bikes could be recovered from the rampant theft in the old days. Never happens now, no-no.
    There were also piles of recovered and lost bikes there that had not gone to the fencing shops and a policeman assigned to the bike unit in attendance and the city people.
    That’s when bikes were important.
    Underneath was Polson Typewriters.

    Later the bike office, after they stopped the requirement of decals and lost that revenue, became a part of the City Clerk’s office. Election readiness and registration was done there for several years.

    Bike Enthusiasts in a former bike shed and office. How ironic.