Posts from — March 2008

UPDATE: Vision Vancouver’s executive decided April 23 to use a preferential ballot to resolve the problems I identified in this release. The polling station at the Croation Cultural Centre will be open for most of the day June 15 and Vision members will be able to select our mayoral nominee by indicating their first, second and third preferences on a single ballot. This is a good solution.

Vision Vancouver should allow its members to vote in polling stations across the city when they select Vision’s mayoralty candidate, says Geoff Meggs, to ensure maximum participation from the hundreds of new members joining the organization in the past few weeks.

“We need to put the democratic rights of the members ahead of media considerations,” Meggs said. “As it stands, the Vision nominating convention will last hours, with speeches, a vote of thousands of members, a vote count and then a run-off process that could last all day. Most people can’t take that kind of time.

“I am urging Vision to give up the idea of a single nominating convention and make it easy for people to participate,” says Meggs. “The current Vision nominating plan turns the democratic process into a marathon that makes it impossible for working families, seniors and many others to participate properly.

“Vision should consider staffing polling stations in five to 10 locations across the city for a period of several hours. If a run-off is required, do it over again the next week. Yes, have a place for the media to go, but make the members’ needs the priority.”

Vision’s membership is reported to have at least doubled from the 1,200 members claimed at the January Annual General Meeting. Meggs said. “Let’s make sure those people have every opportunity to have a say.”

Meggs is seeking a Vision council nomination. In that vote, expected in September, the top vote-getters will be declared nominated, so no run-off is required. Meggs is not personally impacted by the proposal he is making today.

TV broadcast executive and former NDP leader Joy MacPhail hosted the campaign kick-off fundraiser March 27 for Geoff Meggs’ campaign to win a Vision Vancouver nomination to city council in the upcoming election.

“I’ve known Geoff for many years and I’m delighted someone with his commitment and understanding of the city is stepping forward,” MacPhail said. “I’m very happy to support his campaign and I think he’ll make an excellent councillor, because he cares about people and knows how to get things done.”

More than 80 people joined Joy and Geoff to kick off the campaign.

Geoff addresses friends at Joy MacPhail campaign kick-off March 27.

Geoff Meggs, who worked alongside former Mayor Larry Campbell during his three years leading the city, confirmed today he will be seeking a Vision Vancouver nomination to city council in the upcoming civic election.

“We need get the city moving again,” Meggs said. “Homelessness is a civic emergency that must be confronted, but we need action as well to support the people who make the city work: the people in small business, hospitality, the arts, health services, offices, retail jobs, students and immigrants.

“They can’t afford to buy a house, they can’t afford to rent, they can’t even find a place on the bus.”

Meggs said he will urge city action to spark private sector investment in affordable market housing for families, as well as concrete steps to speed up buses and reduce gridlock. [Read more →]