From Pro Fun City

Contents

[edit] Pledge results

Here are the answers we got from the candidates who we sent the The Fun Vancouver Pledge. Please reference this document where numbered pledges are referenced in the comments from candidates.


[edit] MAYORAL CANDIDATES

[edit] Peter Ladner - NPA

I tried to answer your survey but found too many difficult assumptions in too many of the questions.

Overall, I strongly agree that we need more flexibility with our regulations to enliven our city, especially for younger people.

Having four kids in their 20s keeps me in touch with these issues. Having one son who plays in three bands at the moment especially keeps me aware of the importance and difficulty of having performance venues.

I also play myself from time to time in coffee houses (see the Youtube video of me at the Creative Cabaret last week)

As Mayor, I see the 2010 Olympics as a great opportunity to test some new boundaries in involving everyone in the city in entertainment and celebrations at all levels and in all neighbourhoods.

Together, let's get it done.

Peter Ladner

[edit] Gregor Robertson – Vision

Vision's Policy Chair sent a consolidated reply that applies to all Vision candidates

On behalf of the Vision Vancouver City Council and Park Board candidates, they will all sign the pledge on all the numbers except 2,3,4 and 13. There are some complex issues associated with these that would need to be addressed before we could agree to change policies.

Vision is willing to meet with you to discuss this after the election.

Am Johal Chair, Vision Vancouver Policy Committee

[edit] Betty Krawczyk – Work Less Party

Dear Pro funners,

Speaking for the Work Less Party, I think our very name suggests we might all need to work less in order to have more time for community but I personally have a bit of trouble with the word "fun". Could we substitute the word "culture" for "fun"? I know many of my colleagues (most, really) in the Work Less Party will disagree with me, but then most of them are fifty years younger than I . And if their noses are out of joint for my reminding young people that pleasure is not necessarily synonymous with fun then that's what they get for running an 80 (eighty) year old woman for mayor. Wouldn't you agree?

Aside from this grandmotherly homely, I think the Work Less Party has more party-parties than any other political party any of us has ever heard of. Did you attend last week's Work Less Party party? I didn't. I'm usually not allow to attend the actual parties because the Work Less Party young'uns are all afraid I will be shocked out of my knickers. Isn't that cute? Considering that I have been around awhile and raised a whole bunch of kids and husbands ( more luck with the kids than the husbands). But the Work Less Party bunch actually is a fun party. I get a real kick out of them. And yes, my reign as mayor would be tempered with fun, a keen appreciation for humour, the arts, conversation, and I am not absolutely adverse to a sip or two of Southern Comfort once in a great while. Well. Once in a while.

My best, Betty K

[edit] Patrick C. Britten – Nude Garden Party

I can only speak for myself, but I trust that all Nude Garden Party intiated events and undertakings would not welcome the inebriated, or any substance, or social abuse, as being inconsistant and counter productive in the natural unfolding of the ultimate in human relationship. So as far as fun city pledges go this would apply to the status quo and those of us who will continue to visit its shores until lured away by more promising prospects, of immediate satisfaction without compulsion, or transubstantiation in situ...

Pat Britten Nude Garden Party A vote for me is a vote for yourself or your body anyway, and your love of nature.

[edit] Golok Z. Buday

I want city council to deregulate and stop telling businesses when to open and close. Stop limiting arcades to R rated gaming.

Be Skateboard friendly, I loved it when I did it. Be a freedom of speech zone. I support the right to life, liberty, property and not to be deprived of it without due process. No more booze checks before events or ever, these searches should be illegal and being

in charge of the police I will not have random searches for anything or anyone and same with survaillance. Freedom is fun, more expendible income allows us to have more freedom over our (unpoorly) gains and use our tastes to have fun and more happiness. Shouldn't have to worry about the state or anyone spying on you (or be naive that it will never happen again) and this doom and gloom that tommorow we will be Bucharest or Mexico City environmentally when not even a Toronto. You can't have fun when you have non-essential service big government and huge taxes like Buchararest, get the connection? Even more fun and cleaner environment with less government in your life. No street cameras, police brutality claims will be looked into; the cops and the state should fear the law abiding people not the other way around and I can pledge to fight in council for more liberty and freedom. As my people, The Magyars, call it, SZabadság!

I am a comedian/humorist, I want more fun. More business competition and more expendible income and more privacy.

Liberty Unity Satire Truth: I am LUSTing for Power.

FYI - I given praise by a CAP musician, a rhino, and many diverse fun lovers. If you find endorsements important.

Best Wishes,

GZLFB(.com)


[edit] Jeff Kuah

I pledge to support all 14 points and work to fulfill them when I am elected the Mayor of Vancouver.

Thanks and best regards,

"Jeff Kuah"

[edit] Scott Yee

1. Staying open late isn't the problem, it's loud ass drunks! If you have groups of people screaming their ass off at 4am, it will wake people up. I have no problem with any place that doesn't serve alcohol being allowed to stay open as late as they want.

2. No.

3. Reduce the unfair advantage gained by grandfathered licensees and level the playing field. I have never heard of this before, so I can't commit on it, until I know more.

4. No. That's a zoning issue. What if next Monday 10,000 people wanted to start up their own club?

5. It would all depend on where these other nightclubs were. If it won't disturb anyone's sleep, then yes.

6. 100% yes!

7. I don't see any problem with that, so yes.

8. I would only allow corkage in restaurants that did not have a liquor license.

9. I have no problem with live music or dance venues in neighbourhoods, depending on the hours/noise.

10. Yes.

11. Yes.

12. No.

13. Yes.

14. Yes.

[edit] Mike Hansen

That's a great idea.

Good times for all


[edit] No Reply

Menard D. Caissy, Marc Emery, Joe Hatoum, Angel L. Jimenez, Leon Kaplan, R. H. Maxwell N Bur, Bill Richie

[edit] COUNCIL CANDIDATES

[edit] Leanore Copeland – NPA

Hello:

This has been a situation over the years, but with many street closures for festivals now coming back – including last night on Commercial Drive for Hallowe’en, plus in Kits for Greek Days and others, we seem to be moving back in that that direction. Do you envision more small events, or concentrating on several larger ones that the entire city/Metro can take part in?

And, I would imagine, fewer onerous or costly regulations would help. So would planning that is truly inclusive – accessible, welcoming for all. Do we need more consultation and have a Fun City Annual Agenda? The community-based Happening Events for the Olympic Games could be part of it.

Best regards, Leanore Copeland


[edit] Dave Cadman & Ellen Woodsworth – COPE

Arts and culture are essential for healthy communities, urban innovation and economic development. Vancouver has a reputation as a "no-fun city." This impacts tourism, local economic development and the morale and well-being of residents.

If elected, I pledge to:

1. Allow licensed restaurants, bars, and clubs to stay open until times consistent with major Canadian cities, and other world-class creative cities.

COPE will continue community consultation around bar-closing times and, if community input is consistent, match the times to other world-class creative cities.

2. Allow the free market to operate by letting licensed establishments set their own hours of operation, as has been done in London.

COPE policy requires the communities where the establishments are located to have a say in the establishments’ hours.

3. Reduce the unfair advantage gained by grandfathered licensees and level the playing field.

The process of grandfathered licenses should be reviewed.

4. Stop restricting the number of licenses across the city.

COPE will create an action plan for more options for evening entertainment for both adults and minors.

5. End the Granville Entertainment District monopoly on nightclubs by allowing longer hours in other parts of the city.

Yes.

6. Increase the transparency of the licensing and inspection process by making standards, bylaws, licensing and inspection documents openly available to the public.

Yes

7. Advocate with the province and Park Board to allow the responsible use of alcohol on some beaches and in some parks when consumed with food, as is done in Montreal where this is classed as a picnic.

Yes

8. Advocate to allow corkage in restaurants, so diners at restaurants with or with out liquor licenses can bring their own alcohol, as is done in Quebec, Alberta, Australia and several US cities.

Yes

9. Take into account the social and cultural value of community gathering places and live music or dance venues when assessing the impact of a new establishment on neighbourhoods.

Yes

10. Simplify and streamline the complex licensing and inspection process, making it easy to understand how to get a license and what is required of licensees.

Yes

11. Encourage cooperation between city inspectors, provincial inspectors, and business by allowing owners to request a "compliance check" by officials, including a grace period to remedy any violations that are not a critical threat to public safety.

Yes

12. Limit licensing fees to a cost-recovery level, paying for inspection or increased policing requirements but not contributing to general revenue.

No. For-profit business should pay a fair amount to the general revenue of the city, which benefits all residents.

13. Review existing licensing procedures to end the private transfer of licenses. A license to operate should be easily obtained only from the government and allow a particular establishment to operate. It should not be a hoarded asset which new entrants into the market are unable to afford.

Yes.

14. Loosen zoning restrictions on the size of commercial space in Vancouver, making it easier for bars and restaurants to obtain licenses in smaller venues, and enable shared rental spaces, so that businesses can partition commercial spaces, making rents more affordable.

Yes. Again, this will be part of an overall strategy to allow more evening entertainment options for adults and minors.

[edit] Bud Oracle

If elected, I pledge to:

1. Allow licensed restaurants, bars, and clubs to stay open until times consistent with major Canadian cities, and other world-class creative cities.

I agree if we can do it safely.

2. Allow the free market to operate by letting licensed establishments set their own hours of operation, as has been done in London.

I agree. Freedom encourages responsibility and ownership.

3. Reduce the unfair advantage gained by grandfathered licensees and level the playing field.

I agree. Grandfathered anything encourages unfavorable market distortion and leads corruption.

4. Stop restricting the number of licenses across the city.

I agree. I also advocate Cannabis coffee houses to give alternative choices to alcohol.

5. End the Granville Entertainment District monopoly on nightclubs by allowing longer hours in other parts of the city.

I agree. As long as it is not forced on neighborhoods which don't want it.

6. Increase the transparency of the licensing and inspection process by making standards, bylaws, licensing and inspection documents openly available to the public.

I agree. There can be only corruption is secrecy.

7. Advocate with the province and Park Board to allow the responsible use of alcohol on some beaches and in some parks when consumed with food, as is done in Montreal where this is classed as a picnic.

I agree. We need to encourage mature drinking in fun social outdoor settings to get away from the hidden/forbidden attitude. Legalizing Cannabis will give people more choice and perhaps moderatethe alcohol consumption. It would also give business more of a menu and choices for their customers.

8. Advocate to allow corkage in restaurants, so diners at restaurants with or with out liquor licenses can bring their own alcohol, as is done in Quebec, Alberta, Australia and several US cities.

I agree. We must take away the immature aspects of alcohol consumption by making it more of a food, than an intoxicant.

9. Take into account the social and cultural value of community gathering places and live music or dance venues when assessing the impact of a new establishment on neighbourhoods.

I agree as it all boils down to neighborhoods.

10. Simplify and streamline the complex licensing and inspection process, making it easy to understand how to get a license and what is required of licensees.

I agree. There is way too much government doodle crap in there documentation.

11. Encourage cooperation between city inspectors, provincial inspectors, and business by allowing owners to request a "compliance check" by officials, including a grace period to remedy any violations that are not a critical threat to public safety.

I agree. But there must not be any safety concerns.

12. Limit licensing fees to a cost-recovery level, paying for inspection or increased policing requirements but not contributing to general revenue.

I don't agree. Nightlife entertainment has a big impact on the city and if there is profit in it there must be an equal opportunity for the citizens. Perhaps the revenue could be targeted for that neighborhood.

13. Review existing licensing procedures to end the private transfer of licenses. A license to operate should be easily obtained only from the government and allow a particular.

I agree. At a fair price which reflects its transient nature


I am for reducing the crime throughout all levels of society by controlling as substances and taking the criminal element out of our society as well as the night scene. Along that idea I am for allowing crime entrepreneurs amnesty and the chance to rejoin society and keep their profits after taxes. See podcastof radio interview with Len Catlin

Bud Oracle

[edit] Chris Shaw – Work Less Party

As a candidate for the Work Less Party, I agree with all of your proposals. In fact, if you check our platform (www.worklessparty.org) you will see that we already have many of these proposals.

Chris also replied with these comments on specific items

2. Allow the free market to operate by letting licensed establishments set their own hours of operation, as has been done in London.

Yes, but in context to neighborhood wishes.

9. Take into account the social and cultural value of community gathering places and live music or dance venues when assessing the impact of a new establishment on neighbourhoods.

Yes; this ties in with the above concerning community control.

10. Simplify and streamline the complex licensing and inspection process, making it easy to understand how to get a license and what is required of licensees.

Yes, but this may be more an advocacy issue involving provincial laws.


[edit] Geri Tramutola – Work Less Party

Geri replied with a detailed email, and also phoned us and had a long conversation stressing her commitment to a Pro Fun City

Hello Pro Fun City!

Sorry for the tardiness in this response-as you can imagine, the last few weeks have been a whirlwind, and there are a great many groups to connect with.

First off, let me say that the Work Less Party is the ideal political party for your group to align with. The abysmal conditions for artists and promoters in this city is one of the main reasons I personally decided to become involved in politics, and it is one of the cornerstones of our election platform.

We believe the city leaders need to take a proactive stance to improving these conditions and supporting, rather than hindering, the work of the various types of artists of Vancouver.

First off- we are recommending a complete overhaul of the antiquated bylaws pertaining to live performances, event staging and liquor licenses.

We believe there are certain sections of the city where promoters should be allowed to have all-night events, and have extensions on the hours for serving alcohol. The only reason the extended-hours experiment failed in the past is because of the ridiculous policy of concentrating all the 'cabaret' licences to a small section of Granville St., where the potential for violence and noise was inevitable.

We also believe that the city needs more bars and cabarets spread throughout the city- that this will increase the vibrancy and safety of neighbourhoods, and lead to economic benefit. We think that by having regular people going out late at night (not just those that are involved in criminal activity), it will increase security.

We believe current restrictions on live musicians and dancing in restaurants must be lifted.

We believe that outdoor music festivals (such as the Vancouver Folk Fest) should have a grace period to allow for shows that accidentally run late, so the headliners can still perform their set.

We believe that certain areas should be deemed 'cultural zones', and have extended hours for music. Those moving into said areas would be aware of this when deciding where to live.

We believe the city should create incentives for landlords to maintain certain buildings for artist workspaces or studios.

We believe that City Hall should cut the red tape for promoters who want to organize events or festivals.

This is just a start!

Please let your members know that if they have any input, comments or questions, that they should feel free to contact me directly!

cheers,

Geri Tramutola

[edit] Wendythirteen

I TOTALLY AGREE....WITH ALL THESE VERY VALID POINTS....


[edit] Timothy Wisdom - Work Less Party

Hey, I read your pledge and support EVERY item except #10. I find it a bit confusing as I don't currently think it's difficult to get information about licenses and the "Serving it Right" program is straight forward and informative. It is hard getting inspections to be fair and item #11 helps address this issue. And, of course, getting a new liquor license is next to impossible. That certainly needs some updating.

Besides focusing on liquor issues, we need to remove restrictions that prevent people from congregating late at night. Dancing is not a crime - yet we are not allowed to gather and dance towards the dawn. Those opposed to late night dancing will site drugs as the danger but I'm familiar with many communities that are very responsible when it comes to drug use and maintain a fun and safe environment for dancers to meet and celebrate.

Anyway, I'm grateful for your organization and all you've done to help bring this VERY important issue to the media. As a future councillor, I look forward to working heavily with Pro Fun City and making Vancouver a world class destination that isn't embarrassing in terms of our limitations on fun.

best,

tim

[edit] George Chow, Heather Deal, Kashmir Dhaliwal, Kerry Jang, Raymond Louie, Geoff Meggs, Andrea Reimer, Tim Stevenson - Vision Vancouver

Vision's Policy Chair sent a consolidated reply that applies to all Vision candidates

On behalf of the Vision Vancouver City Council and Park Board candidates, they will all sign the pledge on all the numbers except 2,3,4 and 13. There are some complex issues associated with these that would need to be addressed before we could agree to change policies.

Vision is willing to meet with you to discuss this after the election.

Am Johal Chair, Vision Vancouver Policy Committee

[edit] Michael Geller - NPA

Michael contacted us through a voice message, this is a transcript of that message

Thanks so much for your note, I don't actually recall getting the original mail-out. As someone who just had my last campaign event, a party at the Cambie Hostel last night, organized by my children and Peter Ladner's children, I did have to respond. As I hope my actions have demonstrated, I very much don't want this to continue as No Fun City. I am the guy who built UniverCity the new community at Simon Fraser University, where the whole town is built around a town square neighbourhood pub, I hope that speaks volumes. And indeed, working with the managers of the Cambie and Bridges, and many other restaurants, I am very much cognizant of the need to make sure this as a place for entertainment. Many years ago I was involved with the expansion of the Trade and Convention centre, I know how important tourism is to the city and believe entertainment facilities are part of our tourist attraction.

I will try to get back to my computer and respond to your questionnaire, but in the meanwhile please accept these comments as an indication of the fact that I want this to be a good place.

Finally, if you do go on to my blog you'll read my articles I wrote in the Vancouver Sun ( http://www.michaelgeller.ca/VanSun.html ) about how much more lively many of the European cities are compared to Vancouver, and how it's just one of the things I would like to bring to city council if I am elected.


[edit] Steve Wansleeben - Independent

Steve phoned us to talk about the issues. The following is a paraphrased summary of our conversation

Neighbourhoods are the foundation of the city and public consultation needs to happen on a neighbourhood level. If the neighbourhood supported an application for a new liquor license or restaurant license, then I am all for that. It should be up to each of Vancouver's 23 unique neighbourhoods.

I agree with the concept of a level playing field, and would like to stop the concept of grandfathering licenses. Licenses have become too valuable, and this is not fair for new players and entrants into the market.

One of the things I have talked about in my campaign is eliminating the need for business licenses generally, including those who already licensed through other levels of government. There is no cost-recovery for a business license generally speaking, and it actually costs the city more than they collect on it. Industries where there is protection required and no other levels of government are involved justify licensing. Licensing and regulation should be simplified and made less convoluted for restaurants and other venues. I don't believe that bars and restaurants should have different hours for serving liquor.

The city needs to support advocacy where provincial law interferes with the development, however I am more interested in what the city can do with the powers that it has.

As far as restricting licenses, it really should be up to communities and neighbourhoods. Before a new operator goes to the city, they should approach the community first. I am a big fan of community involvement, and more citizen involvement with city hall. I think that a lot of planning is backwards, with things starting at city hall and then moving towards a public hearing. More things have to be done through community involvement, getting support from the communities and then going to the city. This should be the primary consideration when it comes to operating hours.


[edit] Lee Johnson - Independent

It all makes sense to me, unless I missed some nuance.

I see this pledge as a contribution to achieving balance and will emphasize a high concern for the needs of each individual citizen, the needs of the environment and the need for improved income to achieve a self-reliant city and people that will experience a higher quality of life.

In addition, I think we should bring back Vancouver Street Theatre as well, and artist times in council.

[edit] No Reply

NPA - Suzanne Anton, Elizabeth Ball, Sean Bickerton, Kim Capri, Korina Houghton, David Lee, S. Sidhu, Kanman Wong; WORK LESS PARTY - Ian Gregson; INDEPENDENTS - John T. Boychuk, Marc Boyer, Lea Johnson, Matt Kadioglu, Audrey Jane Laferriere

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