Re: Back to politics...
Karen Fung
I've decided to put this conversation on list. I really should have to
begin with, and it was my freaking out that made me keep it private.
For those of you joining this conversation, hi! Short story: I freaked
out because someone called this event irrelevant (again), and I've
since decided they're wrong, and have an entry at my blog about why:
http://www.countablyinfinite.ca/blog. I've left his name out to
respect the privacy of the conversation. Those of you I consulted
earlier on: Sleeping on this, and hearing from you guys, helped a lot,
and I appreciate those of you who told me what you thought, even if I
wasn't as nice as I could have been back.
I still want to invite Kevin Falcon to this, and be able to ask him
questions - respectfully. But I'm also inviting the person I spoke
with yesterday, because if he wants to make this political, I'm not
going to ask him not to, but he has to choose to participate, and if
he decides this kind of event is futile, then so be it. He has every
right to be at TransitCamp too, as long as he obeys the rules...once
we post those up.
We did have a brief discussion about the rules at the last meeting.
I'll draft something up and send it to the list by end of tomorrow.
Karen
On 11/20/07, Paul Hillsdon <phil...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Well that's [Thai Spice, a pseudonym] for you. He knows the politics of it, and just like
> when I attended the Transport 2040 planning session, he, along with the
> usual suspects, were always butting in trying to condemn the Gateway
> Program. Don't get too caught up in what he has to say. The whole point of
> this TransitCamp is to create a positive environment, a solutions
> playground, right? I think mixing the old politic groups (SPEC, LRC, BEST,
> etc.) with TransitCamp may not be the best of choices. I'm not saying they
> shouldn't be allowed in, but there's no point in inviting the troublemakers
> if they are just going to be a downer the whole time, like Mr. Spice.
>
> I'm all for a blog meme with Kevin. Despite the fact I called him an asshole
> in a recent posting, he still is *my* MLA. Besides, I spoke to a director of
> the VACC last night, and they've apparently been having meetings with the
> guy about expanding the scope of provincial funding for cycling. I guess in
> Europe he also got to see the vast networks of separated bike paths and
> wants them in Vancouver. He may be autocratic, but I guess if he's making
> goo decisions, it's not so bad. Besides, he's going to be the new TransLink,
> so we might as well try our best to work with him, rather than discount him
> like Mr. Spice is doing.
>
> Is anyone going to Third Tuesday tonight?
>
> - Paul
>
>
> On Nov 20, 2007 3:28 PM, Karen Fung <ka...@countablyinfinite.ca> wrote:
> > I got a vote for no over IM, that he's free to not attend just as
> > others not to attend.
> >
> > I'm still torn. I understand the desire not to get involved - yes,
> > it's boring and tedious and a bit of a downer because everyone can't
> > stop talking about how *important* it all is - but maybe the question
> > is, how do we make it enjoyable and yet *still* have an impact?
> >
> > Yeah, [Thai Spice] basically gave me the paint scheme comment again,
> > only from higher up and to my face. I'm definitely going to have to
> > work through this more...
> >
> > Karen
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > On 11/20/07, Roland Tanglao <rol...@rolandtanglao.com> wrote:
> > > i want to :-)
> > > i will blog about it
> > > won't have time to do that until tomorrow!
> > >
> > > On Nov 20, 2007 2:38 PM, Karen Fung <ka...@countablyinfinite.ca > wrote:
> > > > I just got off the phone with [Thai Spice] and need to blow some
> > > > steam. off-list it is.
> > > >
> > > > So I describe TransitCamp to Mr. Spice - get into why we think it's
> > > > important and that we're inviting TransLink and that it's open to the
> > > > public and using the Open Space methodology, emergent,
> > > > self-organizing, inviting people from all walks of life to collaborate
> > > > creatively on improving transit....
> > > >
> > > > *SPLAT*
> > > >
> > > > I'm literally roadkill on this guy's windshield when he starts in. He
> > > > says it's too late for this, he says he's attended lots of these and
> > > > that the time for this is long past because decision-making is going
> > > > to be in the Ministry's hands and having people talk about what they
> > > > want is useless and that it's time for Real Politics, because nobody
> > > > supported TransLink and now our transportation is going to determine
> > > > by some faceless people that we didn't know, all because nobody came
> > > > to TransLink's defense when it was threatened and because it was
> > > > passive.
> > > >
> > > > *eye roll*
> > > >
> > > > So I change tactics, and say that we're putting this event on for
> > > > youth, who have no experience of what kind of open, accountable
> > > > consultation process TransLink had before, and to make sure they know
> > > > that this is what's going away. He says he'll be interested in
> > > > TransitCamp if it is somehow involved in getting action happening
> > > > around this issue, because he's gone through these sorts of things for
> > > > two years and thinks it is utterly the wrong time for it.
> > > >
> > > > *sigh*
> > > >
> > > > So, I'm a little torn. I've always wanted to stay out of the politics
> > > > of this, and really, I still kind of want to. That said, I think it
> > > > gets a little easier if we have people behind us.
> > > >
> > > > I'm proposing to start a Blog meme, and to start it FAST. Calling for
> > > > Kevin Falcon to come to TransitCamp, because if Thai Spice is to be
> > > > believed, TransLink is not the one with the power and us getting them
> > > > to come won't change anything. And I think this was the missing piece
> > > > to the event in Toronto - that it's a new conversation with the
> > > > transit authority, but they don't hold the purse strings.
> > > >
> > > > I still really detest the manner in which this conversation went down.
> > > > It is fucking manipulative, though I can recognize a skilled
> > > > rhetorician when I see one. He got me angry because he knew running a
> > > > lawn mower over my event (which he apologized for every now and again)
> > > > might make a bigger impact.
> > > >
> > > > I have to believe that what we say on our blogs does not just vanish
> > > > into thin air once we step away from our keyboards. Do we really have
> > > > an in with the bloggers in this city, or not? If we wanted Kevin
> > > > Falcon to come to OUR event, when he's turned down the Canadian
> > > > Federation of Students and mostly every other person who's tried to
> > > > talk to him about Transit...
> > > >
> > > > Can we? Do we want to?
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > Karen Fung
> > > > ka...@countablyinfinite.ca
> > > >
> > >
> >
> >
> > --
> >
> >
> >
> > Karen Fung
> > ka...@countablyinfinite.ca
> >
>
>
--
Karen Fung
ka...@countablyinfinite.ca