Enough with the chicken coops, Gregor, get back to business.
That's the message from political scientists, who say Vancouver's green mayor has earned the right to stay the course - but caution he should pay more attention to real-world economic issues.
"Vision can now deal from a position of strength," said veteran University of Victoria political scientist Norman Ruff.
"He's got a more-than-comfortable majority, but I think voters want to see him get to work on some real bread-andbutter economic issues."
Robertson will have seven Vision councillors playing his tune, with two NPA councillors on his right and a Green councillor on his left.
"I believe that's 14 campaigns she's run, and the first time she's been elected," University of B.C. political science professor Michael Byers said of Green Party veteran Adriane Carr, who squeaked into the final council spot at the final polling station.
"She's got great name recognition. "If anyone was going to get elected as an independent, it was her."
Ruff said Occupy Vancouver made lots of headlines, but he credits Robertson with adapting his message during the daily Occupy attacks from NPA challenger Suzanne Anton.
"We were preoccupied with Occupy, and the NPA became obsessed with it, but I don't think the electorate was as interested," said Ruff.
Robertson made a strategic Occupy move - getting an enforcement order - before the election. But the potential bombshell - a violent showdown with protesters - won't happen until this week.
Byers credits Robertson's changing perspective on Occupy with defusing the NPA attacks.
"I think from a political perspective Gregor played the Occupy timing quite cleverly," said Byers.
"Ideologically, I think he supported Occupy.
"But he was getting beaten up on a daily basis, so he moved to the middle.
"That's good politics."
While the NPA painted Robertson as fixated on bike lanes and chicken coops, Byers believes the public was more concerned with making sure someone collects the garbage.
"The bike lanes and the chicken coops are the things that attract attention, but people are voting for good government," he said.
"They might not like the bike lanes, but it's only when you get something like [former mayor Sam Sullivan's] garbage strike that people want to vote you out."
Robertson won't have things as easy as last term - the NPA's Elizabeth Ball and George Affleck will be watching if he moves too far left, and, contrarily, Carr will be watching if he moves too far right.
"Adriane Carr will act as a conscience for Gregor if he starts to stray away from his green initiatives," said Ruff.
2011年11月20日星期日
2011年11月9日星期三
Weird world of consular requests
Asking for rock superstar Phil Collins' telephone number and checking on the Prince of Wales' shoe size are among the odd requests made to British consular staff abroad, it has been revealed.
Records also showed that staff in Spain were asked by a man to contact a dominatrix who had left him stranded at the airport.
A man rang the consulate in Sydney to ask what clothes he should pack for his holiday while a Briton in Sofia, Bulgaria, wanted the consulate to sell his house for him.
A woman in Moscow wanted embassy staff to visit her flat to get something done about a loud buzzing noise there, while a consulate in Greece were asked how to put a chicken coop up in a man's garden.
In Florida, a man called the consulate to report there were ants in his holiday villa and asked what he should do, while another hopeful caller asked consular staff in Dubai to meet his dog at the airport and help the pet through customs as he would be away when the animal arrived.
A caller asked staff in Malaga in southern Spain in mid-September where she could get a Christmas lunch as everywhere she had phoned was already booked up.
Staff in Greece were asked for tips on the best fishing spots and where to purchase good bait.
The caller - to foreign office staff in Spain - who wanted Prince Charles' shoe size wanted the information so he could send him shoes as a present.
Consular Affairs Minister Jeremy Browne said: "We will always try to help where we can but there are limits to the support that we can provide. It is important that people understand the level of help we can offer.
"Our priority is to help people in real difficulty abroad and we cannot do this if our time is diverted by people trying to use us as a concierge service. We need to be able to focus primarily on helping victims of serious crimes, supporting people who have been detained or assisting people who have lost a loved one abroad."
Records also showed that staff in Spain were asked by a man to contact a dominatrix who had left him stranded at the airport.
A man rang the consulate in Sydney to ask what clothes he should pack for his holiday while a Briton in Sofia, Bulgaria, wanted the consulate to sell his house for him.
A woman in Moscow wanted embassy staff to visit her flat to get something done about a loud buzzing noise there, while a consulate in Greece were asked how to put a chicken coop up in a man's garden.
In Florida, a man called the consulate to report there were ants in his holiday villa and asked what he should do, while another hopeful caller asked consular staff in Dubai to meet his dog at the airport and help the pet through customs as he would be away when the animal arrived.
A caller asked staff in Malaga in southern Spain in mid-September where she could get a Christmas lunch as everywhere she had phoned was already booked up.
Staff in Greece were asked for tips on the best fishing spots and where to purchase good bait.
The caller - to foreign office staff in Spain - who wanted Prince Charles' shoe size wanted the information so he could send him shoes as a present.
Consular Affairs Minister Jeremy Browne said: "We will always try to help where we can but there are limits to the support that we can provide. It is important that people understand the level of help we can offer.
"Our priority is to help people in real difficulty abroad and we cannot do this if our time is diverted by people trying to use us as a concierge service. We need to be able to focus primarily on helping victims of serious crimes, supporting people who have been detained or assisting people who have lost a loved one abroad."
2011年5月4日星期三
Mindless vandals trash Bretton school playhouse
A PRE-SCHOOL has been left counting the cost of a “mindless” act of vandalism after yobs trashed a playhouse bought in memory of a late chairman.
Callous vandals smashed the doors and windows of the two-storey wooden building at Bretton Community Pre-School, in Watergall, Peterborough, which was built as a memorial to Margaret Crampton who worked there for 30 years.
The vandals also damaged a chicken coop, which was donated to the pre-school following an appeal in the Evening Telegraph, and even cruelly smashed eggs waiting to hatch.
Deputy manager Deb Ritchie described the attack as “mindless vandalism”.
She said: “It’s senseless, they have not stolen anything.”
It is damage the not-for-profit organisation can ill afford and it has issued an appeal to the community for help to repair the damage.
The vandalism carries an additional emotional impact in that it has targeted the memory of a beloved former colleague.
Mrs Crampton, known affectionately as Meg, joined the pre-school in 1975 and stayed with the charity until 2002, when she was forced to retire due to ill health.
She continued however as its chairman, passing away in 2007 at the age of 65, and soon afterwards her family donated £500 to the pre-school to pay for the playhouse.
Her widower, Doug Crampton (68), of Werrington, said the pre-school was “almost a second home” to his wife.
He said: “She put so much effort into that place, she just enjoyed it, she just loved being around the kids.”
Mr Crampton added he thought it was unlikely the vandals knew of the sentimental attachment to the building.
He said: “If I thought for one moment they knew what they were doing I would be stuck for words you would be able to print. The fact is it’s mindless, wanton and unthinking.
“It’s typical of a small group of unparented, unthinking idiots.”
The damage was reported to police in the early hours of Sunday morning.
A Cambridgeshire police spokeswoman said: “This is a mindless act of vandalism which has left the children without a playhouse and we would urge anyone with information about those responsible to contact police.”
Callous vandals smashed the doors and windows of the two-storey wooden building at Bretton Community Pre-School, in Watergall, Peterborough, which was built as a memorial to Margaret Crampton who worked there for 30 years.
The vandals also damaged a chicken coop, which was donated to the pre-school following an appeal in the Evening Telegraph, and even cruelly smashed eggs waiting to hatch.
Deputy manager Deb Ritchie described the attack as “mindless vandalism”.
She said: “It’s senseless, they have not stolen anything.”
It is damage the not-for-profit organisation can ill afford and it has issued an appeal to the community for help to repair the damage.
The vandalism carries an additional emotional impact in that it has targeted the memory of a beloved former colleague.
Mrs Crampton, known affectionately as Meg, joined the pre-school in 1975 and stayed with the charity until 2002, when she was forced to retire due to ill health.
She continued however as its chairman, passing away in 2007 at the age of 65, and soon afterwards her family donated £500 to the pre-school to pay for the playhouse.
Her widower, Doug Crampton (68), of Werrington, said the pre-school was “almost a second home” to his wife.
He said: “She put so much effort into that place, she just enjoyed it, she just loved being around the kids.”
Mr Crampton added he thought it was unlikely the vandals knew of the sentimental attachment to the building.
He said: “If I thought for one moment they knew what they were doing I would be stuck for words you would be able to print. The fact is it’s mindless, wanton and unthinking.
“It’s typical of a small group of unparented, unthinking idiots.”
The damage was reported to police in the early hours of Sunday morning.
A Cambridgeshire police spokeswoman said: “This is a mindless act of vandalism which has left the children without a playhouse and we would urge anyone with information about those responsible to contact police.”
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