As I said earlier, larry is merely moving towards the formalization of an already existing relationship. In my opinion louis and campbell should both cooperate more, and increase ethnic diversity in COPE. And better monkeys, than rubber-stamp pimps, like the npa, and like our government in victoria...

Charles Campbell (look out all McDonalds) writes that Larry Campbell "... wants COPE to put forward an ethnically diverse slate. COPE has never done that...". That's simply not true, in 1993 COPE ran a very ethnically diverse slate, including people of Filipino, Korean, South Asian and Chinese ancestry (remember Jenny Kwan?) along with prominent members of the Gay & Lesbian Community and strong neighbourhood activists. What goes without saying, however, is that once is not enough.

Carmella Alleveto is the former co-chair of the COPE executive. She did not run for the executive at the last AGM. It is Tim Stevenson (not Stephensen).

Jean Binette, 12/15/2004 4:37:55 AM, writes: - and Jim who wrote "And Lewis I don't even need to respond to your immature back talk. I know 5 year olds who make more mature statements than you". --Point taken.

I'll forgive myself for not noticing that COPE, once, had an ethnically diverse slate. I'm annoyed that I failed to note Ms. Allevato's recent departure from her role as COPE executive co-chair. But spelling Tim Stevenson's name wrong is unforgivable -- the kind of thing that really wrecks my day -- even if my corrector misspelled my misspelling. My apologies to all concerned, including the readers.

Larry Campbell is going about this correctly. Hopefully this effort is enough to keep out those idiotic NPA people. Thank you

It is quite fun watching the socialists implode!

"Pragmatist" has it right. The constant focus on COPE's internal squabbles hardly inspires confidence--they haven't got much hope of another term if they can't learn to cooperate or go their separate ways. Campbell is increasingly coming off as a bully and the other side as inflexible ideologues--and how is the regular voter to decide whether to support COPE if COPE can't tell us what they stand for because they consist of two diametrically opposed camps. The real shame is that they all probably have some good ideas and ideals and that they're bringing down their colleagues on the school board, who have been doing a pretty decent job in a tough situation.

sdgreen. Want some more fun? Turn your peepers toward Victoria where implosion is in full swing. Oh, I forget those Liberals certainly aren't socialists now are they. But, hey I'm laughing.

Is this all we have to criticize about? They haven't sold Stanley Park to a developer yet, They haven't put up a toll on Granville street, They haven't leased the Burrard street bridge to a foriegn country, They haven't got drunk in Hawaii (christmas is just starting, there's still hope)and city hall workers are still Canadian. Good job COPE! Maybe after the next term they will be the scoundrels Vancouverites are used to. Merry Christmas Eddie

allan, sdgreen, the one justification for municipal politics - and for that matter provincial politics -- is, of course, entertainment value. Gone are the days of Harry's rightous indignation, Puil's unfailing ability to rise to any bait at all and, lest we forget, Ed Sweeny.

Sourpusses will, no doubt, suggest that politics should have higher aims than mere entertainment; but, let's face it, would Larry be mayor without Davinci's Inquest. The problem with muni politics is that, after you have declared Vancouver a nuclear weapons free, gay friendly, whale positive, zone you are back to the grind of sewers, back alley improvements and the development game.

Ambitious mayors look to precedent and want to be premiers. And they cannot get there without ditching the hard left. Which Larry is perfectly aware of. You dance with the lady who brung ya until the siren in the corner suggests a trot around the floor.

COPE lite is as much about what Larry is doing in four years and the booming sound from the southern end of Vancouver Island as it is about socialist orthodoxy.

Lads and Lassies! Allevato wouldn't have survived a re-election as an executive member of COPE nor would many of the folks who tried to oust Bass, Louis or Roberts. The large gathering of the clan COPE during its last AGM (the one that was postponed "due to not enough space") would have seen a political blood letting that we MacDonalds would have been proud of. The so-called Lites or Gang of Four and their supporters were outnumbered 5 to 1! The Glencoe 38 have a New Years message for ye all: Defeat the Campbells in 2005! In our tiny public house in Glencoe we still hang a sign outside and it reads, "No Campbells allowed". Now take heed me lads and lassies, we learned the hard way and now you have. Rid yeselves of the Campbells! They're just no good!!!

Put everything aside here and the fact is that COPE needs Campbell. He has the money and the broad support needed to win a second term. As for municipal politics being meaningless????? Are you crazy? Vancouver is on a 30 year growth spurt and has a considerable ways to go before it's going to slow down. The reality is that it's the municipalities that are going to decide what this all looks like. Also what about the lower east side? COPE's efforts to deal with the problems there using the 4 pillar approach have received attention from LA to NYC to Washington DC. If successful they could set precedent for a workable and compassionate alternative to the "war on drugs." The only people that municipal politics should be boring to are people who don't live in Vancouver.