Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Olympic Village Boondoggle: Where's Reimer?

StayingAboveTheFray
IndependentStreakVille



I was wondering why we've heard so little from Vision Councillor Andrea Reimer since the Boondoggle Imbrogglio really started heating up after the holidays ended.

Well, Mike Howell of the Courier looks to have figured out why just by watching:

Vision Vancouver Coun. Andrea Reimer didn’t want the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

She voted against it in the Olympic plebiscite in February 2003.

But, as she said at Monday’s council meeting on the boondoggle that is the Olympic Village project, she respects that a majority of Vancouverites wanted the Games.

Reimer didn’t make a big speech about her decision. Nor did she go on about how the previous NPA-dominated council effectively agreed to become the project’s developer—and put taxpayers on the hook for $1 billion.

She left that to Vision Coun. Geoff Meggs who suggested “the city may face the largest financial loss in its history” and pointed to the NPA majority’s decision to take on the project.

COPE Coun. David Cadman also weighed in. So did NPA Coun. Suzanne Anton and COPE Coun. Ellen Woodsworth, who also voted against the Olympics.

It was too much for Reimer.

“My hope is that we stop the blaming, get on with financing the project in what ever way that we can find to finance it and get it done,” she said.

In other words, the election campaign is over, and the Olympic Village on 17 acres of city land is supposed to be completed in 10 months and handed over to VANOC for the Games.

As Reimer sat down, a couple of “good for her” comments erupted from the gallery.

It's all coming back to me now....How Ms. Reimer managed to stick to her principals AND get things done when she was, essentially, an independent on School Board awhile back.

Should be really interesting to see what she gets up to, and how she does it, down the road.


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Update......Oh boy....and this is almost scary.....looks like I kinda/sorta almost agree with the Spamaloteers on this one....although I think Mr. Howell's take has a few more shades of grey than does Mr. Fontaine's.

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