The Hook

you think the 'information centre'

Do you think the 'information centre' is going to negate this kind of thing?

How's that 'managing' project working out for you Gregor?

Maybe you should have done something more than pushing 'information'!

A city of pecksniffs worth of Dickens.

errata

That should be 'A city of pecksniffs WORTHY of Dickens.'

Thanks for the chance to say it again.

Yeah, G West

It astounded me that Gregor-Coleman thought that they could open a propaganda centre next to Gomorrah and fool the world that things are OK. The ignorance, thinking that worldly people from "world class cities" are going to buy that horseshit. Did they think the New York Times were going to stop at the centre and turn around, "Nothing more to see, the rest of this Hastings street is apparently A-OK, according to this information centre. Let's get some pancakes."

nothing beats this...

on bill goods liberal love in this morning the most pathetic excuse for a journalist in a media so packed with spineless sycophants keith (brown-nose) baldrey accused one of the most highly regarded newspapers in the world ,bar none, the british paper the guardian as shoddy journalism. he and the rest of campbells fart catchers just can`t stand any observations that deviate from the corpoate spin machine and to hear that blowhard bill good accuse most olympic protesters of hiding their faces with a bandana. well it`s just enough to make you want to puke.

I guess you know that Lucy

I guess you know that Lucy Hyslop, the writer of the Guardian article you so eagerly praise used to be the chief features editor at the Vancouver Sun.

Is that how the Guardian has become, as you say, "one of the most highly regarded newspapers in the world ,bar none,", by hiring people that come from that highly respected scribbler's den, The Vancouver Sun?

The Vancouver Sun is, of course, one of the sponsors of the aforementioned information kiosk at Woodward's.

realistically , ownership matters

"Trust ownership not only ensures the independence of the editor from commercial and proprietorial interference, but it also sets the conditions for longevity. There have been only three editors of the Guardian in the past 45 years, a record no other national newspaper comes near to."
http://tinyurl.com/InScottWeTrust

A lesson lost on the neo-liberal model of commercial incompetence at the CanWest corp
http://tinyurl.com/BankruptCanWest

A model for fiscal fudging our hapless Harper still follows.

Greg-or Rich?

I'm not so pissed at Gregor - the City hasn't been able to do much more than they have done about the poverty and homeless issues for years - the conditions for those have been created at the provincial and somewhat at the federal levels. If Greg-or gets into trouble in an interview, I'm sure he's got lots of back doors that can place the blame where it belongs.

For instance, if he were asked why the city hasn't done more to provide housing for the poor, he could be spineless and say "It's a federal responsibility", but he's too smart for that.

Instead, he could say instead that "The feds haven't provided for funding for alternative housing models for coops or rentals for many years, so we've been forced to compete in the marketplace to do right by the few poor people we were able to" or "The province has made a cornerstone of its housing policy that homeowners should have their wealth tied up in their houses, and has taxed them provincially based on this increase in wealth. Unfortunately, this has left those without access to credit unable to build wealth in the housing market, and the City has been unable to provide housing due to the same credit limitations."

No, these editorial writers will have their opinions, and they're all equally valid as opinions, no matter how little the Pollyannas like R'man and Wilth like them.

We've reaped the harvest sown by the provincial government and its syncophantic media that chose to perpetuate the divide between rich with access to credit and more money and tax breaks, and poor without any of that, instead of healing the breach.

This is Gordo's clown nose to wear, and boy he wears it well.

Olympic VIPs

How wonderful that the crackheads of downtown Vancouver have become international celebrities in their own right.

Curious how none of the usual suspects

Curious how none of the usual suspects care enough about Canada's reputation that they're willing to comment about the treatment of Amy Goodman at the Canadian border last November.

Can you imagine what a fuss there would have been if the journalist in question had been Diane Sawyer or Brian Williams?

My countrymen need to realize that the shame they feel (and fear) when anyone mentions the disconnect between the Olympics and the DTES is mirrored in a whole lot of other ways in which this place is more worthy of Kafka than Lucy Maud Montgomery in its current state.

As for the fact that real journalists had to leave the Vancouver Sun - that's hardly surprising. IT'S NOT A REAL PAPER.

And, to suggest that it's only the Guardian where columns about homelessness have appeared is simply ignorant.

I met a guy yesterday who's

I met a guy yesterday who's son was sent from another provicne to Vancouver to cover the big circus. I suggested any good reporter might drop into the PR shack, grab anything foodwise and then go one block over to talk to some locals. Seems the son knows lots about the DTES and as most sharp folks, understand that the issues are huge and can't be stuffed under the rug. seems there was a stabbing down at Victory square last night? with the tons of cops, soldiers and private security guys around, how could anyone get into any trouble? Tarnished images of the city

Let's face it

The Vancouver Mayor is just so pleased at all the media coverage he is going to get during this party. It's the old adage about how it does not matter if the news is good or bad as long as they spell the name correctly and he knows it. This is about publicity and getting re-elected. The deal is done, we're screwed in any event; he might as well use the free ride. A lot of them will do it and even some of the opposition members. That's no reason not to make them accountable for their inability to resist the "herd instinct."

Talk about Ignorant!

G West

"And, to suggest that it's only the Guardian where columns about homelessness have appeared is simply ignorant."

Anyone that takes the trouble, yes that means you, to visit the information centre can see a whole load of well presented Vancouver Sun and Province articles, mounted in a carousel, regarding the downtown East-side and their sponsored Operation Phoenix. Some quite critical.

This article - need I remind you

Is about what the NEW YORK TIMES had to say.

I also mentioned the Sunday Times of Australia and the Daily News of Egypt..

You're the one who mentioned the Guardian and its reporter.

As for the local rags, give me a fucking break, if they'd wanted to cover the real situation in the DTES they've had years to do it...instead, they're more interested in self promotion and glitz - why would anyone pay a moment's attention? In my view, the media here is equally culpable for the greed, crime and corruption in this province and they have absolutely NO CREDIBILITY..

In fact, they have even less credibility than Campbell does because they've been nothing more than lap-dog shills for his disastrous programs of wholesale sell-off and giveaway..

I just hope that some more 'real' reporters - whether they are former employees of the Sun like David Beers or folks who now make their living in England or the US will take the tocsin in hand and do what the bottom dwellers at the Sun, The Province and CKNW among others have failed to do.

[UNSUBSTANTIATED COMMENTS REMOVED. -MODERATOR.]

When I hear some real criticism of the actual 'record' of this provincial administration I'll let you know.

correcting vagueness

para 8 - above - could be clearer.

Here's the edited version:

[UNSUBSTANTIATED COMMENTS REMOVED. -MODERATOR.]

Just to be TOTALLY CLEAR

But how does it play in Kansas?

Quite well, actually:

http://www.kansascity.com/238/story/1725824.html

You can always rely on a Philadelphia lawyer:

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/homepage/83741512.html

As our good neighbours to the south say, "The real gold will be collected in the future."

“Whether people are watching the Olympics in New Jersey or New Delhi, they will probably be thinking, ‘I had no idea it was that spectacular,’”

http://www.thenewstribune.com/news/northwest/story/1060348.html

As BBC says, "these Winter Olympic Games should be spectacular. "

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sporteditors/2010/01/notso_wintery_olympics.html

By the way; I always expect preachers to be prudes. Pietism is undoubtedly rampant across the plains.

Such great comfort!

"“Whether people are watching the Olympics in New Jersey or New Delhi, they will probably be thinking, ‘I had no idea it was that spectacular,’”

Do you think that will be the great comfort year after year as we pay and pay for the Campbell Party. Right!

r'man

I like how you posted quotes as if they were talking about Vancouver. They were Washington State people discussing a hoped-for spillover effect on their own state.

By the way, did you see the comment on the Philly story? There was only one and it was about how he didn't care about anything less than the Olympics.

Frank

Perhaps you didn't notice. The link's title includes "northwest story" in it. So, naturally they were talking about the region. As you probably read in the article, Oregon experienced growth after Salt Lake City, Utah hosted the Games and they are optimistic as far south as Tacoma about cross-border benefits from the Vancouver/Whistler Olympics.

If they are that excited imagine what we can expect here in BC. A little boom for sure.

realisticman

"Oregon experienced growth after Salt Lake City, "

So did BC. I have trouble believing that was because of the Salt Lake City Olympics. But if that's the case I wonder why you and Luke and Wilf and leftofcentre and Steppeup and BC Boy never mentioned that tidbit?

"If they are that excited"

According to the article you posted, Washington State was not excited enough to increase their tourism promotion budget. That was one of the things being complained about as in "why didn't we take advantage etc etc..."

Frank

I've learned a few things in my life and one of them is that you will never adopt a positive attitude to the Olympics and any benefits that may be the result of the Games.

I thought that you were a follower of ice hockey. Will you be interested in that?

Huh! I call BS on that statement.

Your life lessons tell you something about an anonymous poster?

Now that really IS rich.

Only someone who adopts a positive attitude - or promotes one for others in the face of clear evidence to the contrary - could make such an absurd statement.

I heard somewhere that the GVRD municipalities are using their 2010 snow removal budget to truck snow for the green grass Olympics events at Cypress.

I'd imagine that there might be a few taxpayers in those municipalities who are a little pissed at that.

What is the percentage increase in taxes year over year now in those municipalities?

Remind me?

Sure makes the green games sound phony to me.....

"I've learned a few things

"I've learned a few things in my life and one of them is that you will never adopt a positive attitude to the Olympics and any benefits that may be the result of the Games."

You've learned well grasshopper. One day I hope you rise to the same level of enlightenment.

And then you too will become a positive force for good things like doing what you can to narrow the differences between rich and poor, to living within your means, to enjoying the little things instead of requiring the government spend billions on your amusements and of course to helping those less fortunate.

"I thought that you were a follower of ice hockey. Will you be interested in that?"

Ice? Its just hockey, we don't call it "ice hockey". And yes, I'll be watching that.

G West

Enlightenment. Yes, I'm a simple person.

You do raise an interesting point about municipal trucks. But, then again, many regional citizens do subscribe to the credo 'Now is time for all good men to come to aid of the party'. Nevertheless, this, unattributed anecdote that would usually be denounced for being thus, could be the catalyst for another Facebook campaign, along with others up and running, such as: 'No Carbon Tax' and 'No HST'. Here we have another, 'No Property Tax Increases for Trucks taking snow up the mountain'. How are the other campaigns going, by the way? Go for it. The more you go on about taxes, the closer you come to tipping into the Laffer dimension.

By the way, Frank. I have no events tickets nor debts and it seems you will be watching more of the Olympics than me.

Another objective view

Rockie Mountain High ...

http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_14350750

Perhaps you missed the Montreal Gazette:

The one that referred to... "the craven, pusillanimous, shameless, pea-hearted crawlers after cash who are running this show"

Or a similar story in the local CanWest organ:
http://tiny.cc/QALRV

You are a bit of a laugher all right!

r'man

"By the way, Frank. I have no events tickets nor debts and it seems you will be watching more of the Olympics than me."

Now there's irony for ya. Yes, I'll be doing a lot of spectating. I always do, I'm a sports nut.

You said "no debts" so I assume you thought my comment above pertained to your personal finances, it didn't. I don't care about that except that I hope you're doing well.

My reference to "living within your means" is as a province, not you personally.

Debts...Oh YEAH!

I think if you're a taxpayer in this province you, and the rest of us, certain DO HAVE OLYMPIC DEBTS....

In fact, you've got lots of them. Keep that in mind when you pay your municipal taxes on the first of July.