Transit Referendum Shuffle...What's COPE Got To Do With It?

DinnerTableConversationsCanBeHard
WorkVille


So.

My kids were grilling me on how I was going to 'vote' on Transit Referendum the other day.

And, as you might expect I responded by taking them through all the pros-and cons as I see them.

It took quite awhile because they kept doing what kids do, which is to ask basic, 'heart-of-the-matter' - type questions that often started with the word 'Why'.

And then we got into the process.

After which I thought I could slink away from the dining room table.

But E. and e. would have none of it...

Because they wanted to know how I was going to vote.

So I told them.

And I'll tell you all soon.

But first, I've gotta say that on this one it's hard to argue with the latest manifesto from the Classics:

BE IT RESOLVED by the Members of COPE that a public statement be made by COPE executive summing up the debate on the 2015 Transportation and Transit Plebiscite on March 29th that includes:

1. A strong criticism of the process that gave rise to the Regional Transportation Investments, a Vision for Metro Vancouver – aka the Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation]and the plebiscite because it excluded working people from setting the agenda and that it divides the polity on a complex question;

2. Further we call for ongoing discussions on how to develop the Lower Mainland on a rational and sustainable basis; and

3. We urge citizens and COPE members to vote according to their conscience.


OK?


__________
This dividing of the polity business is for real...In the throes of my decision making process I left a comment with Stephen Rees, a transit blogger whose work I have a huge amount of respect for, asking for a point of clarification...This thing has been so perverted by the flack-hackery and their associated underhanded concern trolling that Stephen honestly thought I was also up to no good...I was really taken aback...But after quite a bit of back-and-forth offline I came to completely understand where he was coming from...
As I've said numerous times before the only real winners of this sham of flim-flam shim-sham-shimmy are the flack-hackery on both sides...
I'll be back with my answer to the two E's soon...


.