Goodbye Mayor Campbell
A good and decent man has finally had enough of the pettiness and frustration that is Municipal Government, and has called it quits.
Vancouver is much the poorer for the loss of Mayor Larry Campbell.
He does not suffer fools gladly. He has an edge that I admire, and he has never been shy about sharing his opinions or making his feelings known. His bluntness and honesty have made him many political enemies, some egos and personalities have difficulty with the concepts of frankness and candor.
Mayor Campbell has proven himself to be a renegade. His four-pillars approach to addressing Vancouver's drug abuse crisis is innovative, and his willingness to look at new and inventive strategies for some of Vancouver's historical problems has earned him many supporters.
And many detractors.
Mayor Campbell has faced a ton of criticsm from all sectors of the public he has served. He can be combative and churlish, but he has always followed his conscience and taken responsibility for his words and actions. He is a man of principle, and as such, he has had to deal with the slings and arrows of a diverse and fickle electorate.
Vancouver is an odd little city. It fancies itself this big, modern, oh-so-hip metropolis, when in fact it is really quite a provincial little place. Yes, we have the Republic of East Van, the West End and a few funky neighborhoods, but by and large this is a staid town whose citizens prefer to cling to the status quo and protect old, established traditions. To many Vancouverites change is bad, and it must be fought at all cost.
Not the most comfortable location for a visionary.
It is my hope that Mr Campbell decides to fade from public life for a short time, and then make a serious run at provincial politics. A man with his talent, imagination, drive and community-mindedness could do much good for British Columbia.
I hope people realize the positive impact this dedicated public servant has made on the city of Vancouver. He has left some pretty big shoes to fill.
Vancouver is much the poorer for the loss of Mayor Larry Campbell.
He does not suffer fools gladly. He has an edge that I admire, and he has never been shy about sharing his opinions or making his feelings known. His bluntness and honesty have made him many political enemies, some egos and personalities have difficulty with the concepts of frankness and candor.
Mayor Campbell has proven himself to be a renegade. His four-pillars approach to addressing Vancouver's drug abuse crisis is innovative, and his willingness to look at new and inventive strategies for some of Vancouver's historical problems has earned him many supporters.
And many detractors.
Mayor Campbell has faced a ton of criticsm from all sectors of the public he has served. He can be combative and churlish, but he has always followed his conscience and taken responsibility for his words and actions. He is a man of principle, and as such, he has had to deal with the slings and arrows of a diverse and fickle electorate.
Vancouver is an odd little city. It fancies itself this big, modern, oh-so-hip metropolis, when in fact it is really quite a provincial little place. Yes, we have the Republic of East Van, the West End and a few funky neighborhoods, but by and large this is a staid town whose citizens prefer to cling to the status quo and protect old, established traditions. To many Vancouverites change is bad, and it must be fought at all cost.
Not the most comfortable location for a visionary.
It is my hope that Mr Campbell decides to fade from public life for a short time, and then make a serious run at provincial politics. A man with his talent, imagination, drive and community-mindedness could do much good for British Columbia.
I hope people realize the positive impact this dedicated public servant has made on the city of Vancouver. He has left some pretty big shoes to fill.
posted by Alphamutt at 10:41 PM
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