09) COPE CANDIDATES OFF AND RUNNING

(The following article is from the October 16-31, 2008, issue of People's Voice, Canada's leading communist newspaper. Articles can be reprinted free if the source is credited. Subscription rates in Canada: $25/year, or $12 low income rate; for U.S. readers - $25 US per year; other overseas readers - $25 US or $35 CDN per year. Send to: People's Voice, c/o PV Business Manager, 133 Herkimer St., Unit 502, Hamilton, ON, L8P 2H3.)

PV Vancouver Bureau

Determined to continue playing a vital role in Vancouver civic politics, over 300 members of the Coalition of Progressive Electors took part in COPE's nomination meeting on Sept. 28. After a long afternoon of voting, the COPE nominees for City Council were incumbent David Cadman and former councillor and community activist Ellen Woodsworth.

     Only one ballot was needed to pick COPE's five school board candidates, including veteran incumbents Al Blakey and Alan Wong, along with former trustee Jane Bouey, teacher and former president of the Vancouver Secondary Teachers Association Bill Bargeman, and Alvin Singh, who has organized students and parents concerned about the lack of earthquake upgrading of Vancouver's aging elementary and secondary schools.

     For Park Board, incumbent Park Commissioner Loretta Woodcock and former park board chair Anita Romaniuk were elected by acclamation.

     "With this nomination COPE is going into the election as a united party where all candidates have the support of a majority of the membership," said Cadman. "That is unlike the NPA where the Executive choose the candidates who are then rubber stamped at their meetings."

     COPE's campaign will be co-managed by long-time organizer Ivan Bulic and Rachel Marcuse, the youngest organizer of a major civic campaign in Vancouver history.

     "When I moved back to Vancouver after four years at McGill, I was astounded at the changes," said Marcuse. "Young working people can't afford to live here, and I realized we need to bring progressive government back to Vancouver. COPE has worked hard for issues that are important to young people - affordable housing, transit, environment and preserving strong, diverse neighbourhoods."

     The campaign will include the usual lawn signs, ads and door-knocking. But Marcuse also plans to use Facebook, Youtube, streaming video and mobile texting that speak to youth and are revolutionizing campaigns like those of US Democratic hopeful Barack Obama.

     One of COPE's strengths will be its team of highly-respected School Board candidates, who are taking advantage of divisions and weaknesses within the NPA. Only two NPA incumbent trustees are standing for re-election, and their control of the Board over the past three years has been shaken by recent events. For example, the NPA trustees have refused to explain why schools in Premier Gordon Campbell's Vancouver riding given priority for earthquake upgrading.

     "NPA trustees are running away from this issue as fast as they can," said COPE candidate Bill Bargeman. "We are seeing, once again, the lack of accessibility and openness by NPA trustees on key issues."

     The COPE campaign office is now open at 585 East Broadway. To join the campaign, call COPE volunteer coordinator Kate Van Meer-Mass at 416-315-2365 or email kate@cope.bc.ca.