Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Mayor Gregor Robertson swears after meeting - city in shock!


Fffff....ing shocker! Mayor Gregor Robertson swears after meeting!

Time for everyone to break into a rousing chorus of "It's a small town after all" - Vancouver's mayor uses the F-word - and it was caught on tape!

Here's another stunner - I've personally heard him use it - more than once! Really!

Presumably it's a slow news day in the city where a former mayor - Sam Sullivan - said: "I like the fact that people underestimate me. You know, they pat me on the head and then I rip their throat out."

That would be the same Non-Partisan Association mayor who as a city councilor helped a drug addict buy crack and consume it in his van. Now that`s news!

It's hardly surprising that Robertson and councilors Tim Stevenson and Heather Deal would make negative comments in private about some speakers at a public meeting who oppose their position - every politician of every political party hates to be criticized and blows off steam afterwards.

That the mayor and councilors didn't realize an audio tape was still running after the city council television cameras were off - and that it was discovered and publicized by the West End Neighbours group - is what's new.

And it is regrettable that Robertson, Stevenson and Deal made the comments - they have rightly apologized.

But to make this into a cause celebre and predict the demise of the "potty mouthed mayor" is classic NPA-City Caucus.com over the top spin.

An outraged Mike Klassen even wrote: "Vision Vancouver have the earmarks of a one-term administration" based primarily on this story!

Sorry Mike and fellow travellers but one F-bomb does not an election make.

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15 comments:

DPL said...

Pierre” the ex Prime Minister, who all loved or hated had no problem converting a similar comment (in the House of Commons) to Fuddle Duddle and still managed to run the country. My gosh, every one slips now and again as we are all human and can get bored, tired or a bit cranky. The present mayor gets up some folks nose, but has done some pretty good work for Vancouver. His critics must be desperate

Anonymous said...

If only it were so easy to get rid of Gordo...

Kam Lee said...

The difference is, if Campbell said what the mayor said... he would lie his way out. Hire more PAPsmears to write those tangled mistruths. Then he will say it wasn't him (when questioned about it 3 years later because the MSM has been concealing the matter). The difference is the mayor is still learning. Campbell is very good at lying, and it shows in the numbers. RECALL IN THE FALL. Before he gives it all away to his friends. The people of BC have been lied to, stolen from, and been misled by this criminal.

Gary E said...

who gives a fliying f*** what he said. I sure don't.

Anonymous said...

"who gives a fliying f*** what he said. I sure don't."

Wel I don't give a flying f** what he said, nor what any of the f***ed up Vision people think of our f***g trying to ger re-elected.

In fact Heather Deal can ^&^$3 herself and might has well have Tim *&^%$# (*@!#$) her.

So stuff that *&&%$#$ and *&^%%2 it.

FYBT said...

Hmmm, defending political foul language now. That's a switch from your stance on Paul Gogarty. I suppose it's okay simply because of your connections to Robertson. I agree with the comments here, who really cares about the language he uses. What I don't like to see is the two-faced communication from politicians and their supporters. Paul Gogarty, upfront. Gregor Robertson, back-stabber. Bill Tieleman, hypocrite.

Bill Tieleman said...

To FYBT - gee - what an original monikor - was STV already taken? Is Green Simp no longer available?

I wonder what it stands for?

But to your point - Paul Gogarty -for those who don't remember, is the Irish Green Party legislator who dropped the F-bomb in the Dail in a vicious and nasty totally public tirade captured on camera.

You can find my short article on him on this blog - http://billtieleman.blogspot.com/2009/12/cooperation-and-harmony-under.html - but the point was that the STV lovers were falsely claiming all was sweetness and light in politics once the Single Transferable Vote was adopted - pure tripe mixed with sour grapes.

To compare that to the comments of Robertson - who was captured unaware on an audio microphone after a meeting had ended - is grasping at straws.

Gogarty knew he was in the Dail and deliberately cursed a blue streak despite it - Robertson, like politicians of all stripes everywhere, used foul language privately but was overheard.

Nice try. And how is your campaign for Pro-Rep going these days?

Anonymous said...

I can just imagine your howls of outrage if this had been Campbell who swore down at voters. Your level of spin and hypocrisy never ceases to amaze me. I realize it is what you do, and I respect that you are good at it, but is really is comical.

David said...

I think you miss the point. It is not the swearing that is the issue but the complete arrogance and disdain he holds for the public who decided we live in a place where one has a chance to speak out against megolomania.

FYBT said...

With all due respect Mr. Tieleman, how can you possibly "get to the point" when you are unable to fathom what the point is!?

My comments here have absolutely nothing to do with any particular electoral system, yet you bring up STV as if changing the topic to one you feel more comfortable about distorting the truth will distract your readers. Who's grasping at straws?

I never myself claimed STV would be "sweetness and light" just as you don't claim FPTP to be the same. As for "STV lovers ... falsely claiming", people in glass houses Mr. Tieleman.

I knew you would attempt to misdirect attention away from the real issue by drawing the comparison between the two incidents, you are sadly predictable. I absolutely agree there is no comparison. As you would see from my first comment, we differ in analysis in that I commend Paul Gogarty but condemn Gregor Robertson. Swearing is not the issue. (You would have also noticed I mentioned that if you had read my comment more carefully) What is at issue is Robertson's disingenuous comments shortly before the cameras turned off. Can you say the same of Gogarty?

I think not, but nice try. Oh, and Pro Rep support grows slowly but surely. I think we can thank Gordon Campbell, the HST and the failed Citizen's Initiative for demonstrating how wrong the current system is.

I understand that Britain will be holding a referendum on electoral reform next May. Just another in an endless series of attempts to answer the question "Can't we do better than FPTP"? I look forward to your article on the result of the referendum there in 10 months. It won't be ideal and obviously can't undo the damage done here but every little bit helps.

David from Vancouver said...

I'm sorry my fellow David, but I really couldn't give less of a f*^k about what he said and how he said it. People swear at other people all the time. And it wasn't as if Robertson was swearing at them in some sort of a direct talking down sense. He was swearing about them. So honestly who gives a s*@t? I'm sorry but if this is what people think will bring Robertson and Vision down I agree with everyone else who said this, they're really grasping at straws.

Anonymous said...

STV is old news. It's gone. Those supported it messed up. There was no real reason to have multiple member fiefdoms.

If the STV group had something similar along the lines of what Australia does (one single member, multiple choice for candidates), then I would probably have supported it.

Once thing about th STV as it was configured to pass, it would make a real mess out of party nominations and who goes to who for government help. There's no way you'd see NDPers and Liberals sharing the same office address and office materials an resources in the same riding.

Anonymous said...

It's his contempt for the democratic process, namely the right to voice dissent, which is simply pathetic. His grandiose sense of self-importance shines through, and reveals his true inner smugness.

But his words speak for themselves, as no one can seriously care if he curses or not.

Anonymous said...

I do believe, there was the F bomb was used, when Lekstrom resigned, it was repeated more than once. The mayor, I am sure, would have never said such a thing, had he known, he would be heard. It's a forgivable slip, the man apologized. What's the big deal.

Anonymous said...

Where is the choo choo train??
CBC employees are going to operate it.

http://www.vancouvernewsblog.com/2010/06/midnight-bullet-train-to-oregon.html