So I have a question for you Francis.

Back during the campaign or around the time Gregor won the mayoral election, I recall a post of yours where you stated (out of context), that Gregor seemed like such a sweet good boy, or something like that. I can’t remember the post or exact quote, or I would have searched your site for it.

So, if do you remember writing that, I’m wondering after the consistently bad messaging coming out of his mouth, and the continued arrogance he seems to show when answering many questions from the media, if your opinion from before has changed, and how?

Do you still think he’s still that innocent young man who can’t seem to do any wrong?

I am a city employee who (regretfully) voted for Gregor and am disgusted by his public comments. James Ridge is a highly competent, dedicated and driven public servant who did his best to protect and improve on the interests of the City. Gregor’s comments are slanderous – inaccurate and disrespectful.

Gregor is going to have a hell of a time attracting quality replacement deputy city manager(s). Who in their right mind would choose to risk their reputation by working for this administration?

There is no severance payable to Mr. Ridge, and no need to force anyone out in order to “change course.” Having worked with James in the past, I can confirm that he is most certainly not afraid of work. His departure is a serious loss to the city at a time when it needs leadership. To suggest that more has been achieved in the last several months than in the last several years is an insult to the staff who have been working to make our city a better place and I’m very disappointed in these comments and in our mayor.

I think that Gregor has the political instincts of a newt. He acts like a political simpleton, which is unnerving for someone who so clearly isn’t stupid in any conventional sense.

Apparently out of a desire to look like a populist (a role he really isn’t cut out for), Gregor repeatedly takes the “first thought best thought” off-the-cuff approach, talks before he thinks, inevitably puts his foot in it, and then we are treated to the spectacle of Geoff Meggs coming along and playing Ron Ziegler to Gregor’s Nixon: “The Mayor’s previous statement is inoperative. What the Mayor *meant* to say was…”– which in turn makes said Mayor look like a dolt and a puppet, and plays right into the hands of Anton and her little band of acolytes at CityCaucus and the local MSM, who sorely miss the doltish puppet who held the mayor’s chair for the past three years (and whose Geppetto was frequently Anton herself, along with Kim Capri).

Robertson is making himself an easy target for the dyspeptic right in this city. I voted for him, but I’ve wished a number of times (even while he was running) that there had been someone else I could have voted for who was a viable progessive candidate but wasn’t the NPA candidate. The worst sin a successful progressivist politician can commit is to screw up so badly as to ensure that progressivists will not be elected again in that bailiwick for many years (call it the Glen Clark syndrome). Is it too late to draft Cadman?
gmgw

Without getting overtly partisan (because I am), I really think even the most rabid Gregor supporter has got to be shaking their head at his comments yesterday.
“(more accomplished in the last few months than the last few years)” – C’mon. It’s such an arrogant thing to say, especially with really nothing to back it up.
And then says his employees were lazy and unproductive before he got there.
God I wish someone wittier and sharper than Susan Anton was elected by the NPA…

It makes me wonder if the only friends Gregor will have 950 odd days from now are similar eco-flakes, like Ed Begley Jr.

Of the critics, I am reminded of the unintentional irony created by this editorial…for some reason.

Try as you might, Gregor is no Obama.

True, and Suzanne Anton is no Karl Rove, no matter how hard she tries.

The point was, though, that I find the charges of “politicization” a tad disingenuous, considering the sources.

And, with all due respect, there are many comments on this blog by both you and rf in which you charge city workers with laziness and complacency. Which in my view undermines any objections to the Mayor’s comment.

it’s normal thing that folks like this leave.

more than anything else, it signals that the mayor and council are running the show.

This is what happens folks when viral arrogance sets in.

Vision board meetings are all still self-congratulatory humpfests; Vision caucus is all about letting Meggs fart and having (insert name of almost any Vision councilor here) apply the smelling salts to the public, knocked out from yet another gaffe.

What a “great” week for the Mayor. He eliminates all the incredibly inane shit in his green paper, but then kills any good news with the stupidity of attacking city staff.

Regardless of the “politicization” lies peddled by the children at citycaucus, Gregor has really destroyed his potential best week in months.

Gregor leaves the unmistakable impression that without Kevin, Mike and Maria, and a whole load of pre-determined, endlessly rehearsed messaging, if he’s left to a camera and even a moderately intelligent reporter, proverbially, he could completely f#@k up a wetdream.

we have now lost 2 of the hardest working, politically neutral/balanced/even handed senior bureaucrats to work at The Hall in a long time. Completely due to arrogance and disrespect. We thought things were bad under Judy Rogers. It proves htat one really should be careful what one wishes for. It would seem that the double whammy of Penny Ballem’s style of shoot from the hip and Gregor Robertson’s blinkered, ideology is going to be really bad for those who pay taxes or own a business in the city.

For those who don’t really understand what’s going on at City Hall, the new regime is driving out all the good people, because good people won’t do bad things, tell lies, or take endless abuse from an inexperienced, egotistical miscreant and her pupeteers who have no place managing a massive public corporation. If you don’t know the people who are leaving, don’t write about them as if you do. More talent has left City Hall in the past 5 months than walked in after the election. And that is just plain sad for Vancouver taxpayers.

Just Plain Sad:
Since your use of the term “inexperienced” automatically disqualifies the considerably experienced Penny Ballem from inclusion in the potential list of female “egotistical miscreants” to whom you might be referring, would you care to enlighten us as to who it is that you’re speaking of? I have to admit, I’m curious as to who this shadowy power-broker might be. What do you know that the rest of us don’t?
gmgw

LP:
Re your calculated dismissal of Penny Ballem (note correct spelling) as an “unemployed administrator…”: Save your faux-ignorant bullshit for the rubes, OK? Just to counter your clumsy attempts at distortion, here’s the woman’s actual record (and this is from a 3 year-old document):
“On August 27, 2001, Dr. Penny Ballem was appointed Deputy Minister of Health Services. Over the last 22 years, Dr. Ballem has been a health administrator, an advisor to health policy-makers, both provincially and nationally, and a practicing academic physician. She was previously the Vice-President of the Children’s and Women’s Health Centre of British Columbia, having responsibility for the largest maternity hospital in the country, and held a position of Clinical Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Previously, she held the position of Deputy Medical Director of the Canadian Red Cross, Blood Transfusion Service in British Columbia. Dr. Ballem currently holds an appointment on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Institute for Health Information.
Dr. Ballem received her medical degree in 1978, and her specialist fellowship in 1983, both from UBC. She is sought after as a speaker on health systems, health policy, and women’s health. She is known in British Columbia for her work in developing innovative interdisciplinary health services, especially in the area of women’s health and has received awards for her work in education, research and advocacy in women’s health.”
I know it must pain you, LP, but Ballem is one of the most respected figures in the country in the field of public health, and equally, is regarded as one of the most capable administrators in that field. Her departure from her deputy minister position was motivated by personal integrity, when she could no longer countenance the Campbell government’s determination to undercut health care funding in this province.
I may not agree with everything that Ballem or Robertson do, but she has my deepest admiration and repect for her abilities as an adminstrator and as an advocate for public health. (And where does it say, BTW, that the city manager has to be an engineer?)

Health, even public health (sadly in the case of public health) is now the sole responsibility of the senior governments. To run this City one needs at least a generalist’s knowledge of municipal responsibilities. I’m not saying she isn’t smart, but she has the arrogance typical of medical specialists. She feels no need to listen, ask questions first, or respect the experience and perspective of others. Specific examples of ideology and shoot from the hip are covered in Frances’ blog and the dailies – the constructive dismissal of Jody and James are 2 excellent ones. There are other examples of callous disrespect for hard working, dedicated City Hall professionals, but prvacy and job security concerns prohibit ‘outing’ the details.

Specific examples of ideology and shoot from the hip are covered in Frances’ blog and the dailies

I’ve seen the Mayor’s penchant for the occasionally awkward quote covered, but I’m mystified, truly mystified, by what is meant by “ideology”. Once again, could please go into specifics as to what this means?

the constructive dismissal of Jody and James are 2 excellent ones

These two were not dismissed, they resigned by choice. And in the latter’s case, he specifically disputes your characterization:

I’m a bit dismayed by some of the speculation about why I am leaving. I’ve worked for six mayors in the last six years, in three different municipalities, so I am very accustomed to change and transition. The reason I’m moving on is very simple: I have been offered an extremely challenging new job in a great university.

Is Mr. Ridge lying? Why would he go to the effort to write to Francis? If he felt pushed out, he could have just kept his mouth shut. Instead he took a proactive choice to publicly deny the City Caucus spin.

There are other examples of callous disrespect for hard working, dedicated City Hall professionals, but prvacy and job security concerns prohibit ‘outing’ the details.

How convenient.

I don’t believe you.