Casinos Gone Wild...Who, Exactly, Elected The CEO Of The BC Lottery Corp?

AllTheAntiDemocraticBlatherThatFits
PotemkinIsNotVegasVille


Yesterday, we noted that the (not)Premier's Minister of Everything, Mr. Rich Coleman, had been calling up Surrey councillor's and peddling his influence in an effort to get them to vote yes on the proposed Casino-Industrial-Complex for their Southlands.

You think that 'influence peddling' is too strong a term?

Well, let's return, once again to Alex Browne's excellent Peach Arch News story:

...(Surrey councillor Tim) Gill, who voted for the licence, and (fellow councillor Bruce) Hayne, who voted against, said Coleman told them it was either the Gateway project – which would include a hotel, convention centre and theatre – or nothing.

Coleman’s message was “take it or leave it,” they agreed.

Hayne said he is “not philosophically against gambling” but voted to reject the application because he felt the location was wrong.

He said he returned a call from Coleman before the second public hearing to be told it “would be very unlikely” there would be another Surrey proposal.

“I don’t know that I would characterize it as lobbying,” he said.

“He was making his position quite clear, what the consequences would be.”...

But.

Here's the thing....

It's not just BC Liberal Party Ministers who are leaning on elected civic officials and telling them what the 'consequences' will be for listening to their constituents.

Because BC Liberal Party appointed quis...errrrr...'officials' who are doing it too.

Frances Bula, in The Globe, has that story:

The CEO of the B.C. Lottery Corporation is “dumbfounded” that Surrey’s mayor and councillors turned down a casino after having given the corporation and the developer, he says, clear signals for three years that they wanted one.

“Something transpired in the last few days and I don’t know what,” said Michael Graydon in the wake of a surprise 5-4 vote at 2 a.m. Saturday to reject the casino licence for a luxury hotel and convention centre development planned near the Surrey highway that leads to the U.S. border...

{snippety doo-dah}

...Mr. Graydon said he and everyone involved in the process say the decision seemed strange, especially given that the opposition to the Surrey casino was a fraction of what it had been in Vancouver two years ago.

In contrast to Surrey, he said Vancouver councillors send clear signals weeks ahead of a vote that they had doubts about a casino expansion...

{snippety doodle-dandy}

...Mr. Graydon said the corporation isn’t going to invest any more energy in Surrey. Instead, it will wait to see whether any of the communities bordering Surrey – either of the first nations communities, plus Delta or Langley – are interested in building a casino.

Not as big a deal as in Vancouver?....Councillors didn't send you the right 'signals' BEFORE public hearings...We will now screw you over because you listened to your citizenry...

So, Mr. Graydon....

Which constituency, exactly, do you have to answer to on election day?

****

Now.

Stepping back a bit...

I can't help asking myself the following...

How is any of this different than, say, what certain fine fellows that travel in 'families' do?



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And if Mr. Graydon has any actual, you know, 'evidence' that 'something happened' just before the vote that was untoward he should produce such evidence...Otherwise, I would humbly suggest that the smear he has thrown down at the feet of Surrey councillors and the mayor could be legally objectionable...


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