Show Paul the money
I happened to catch the Geoff Meggs vs. George Heyman tilt Monday night at the Holiday Inn on West Broadway.
As regular readers/my Twitter posse/Courier website fans will know, I wrote about the meeting of the two men who would be the NDPs candidate in Vancouver-Fairview earlier in the week.
It was hardly a tilt, by the way.
What I didnt write about was an interlude during the debate by Paul Faoro, the vice-president of the Vancouver-Fairview riding. Yes, hes the same Paul Faoro who leads Local 15 of CUPE.
It was Faoros duty to rally the troopsthat would be the 125 or so largely older folks gathered in a stuffy room at the hotelto volunteer their time in the campaign to knock off current Liberal MLA Margaret MacDiarmid, who is the provinces health minister.
Then came his second request.
I know you know what Im going to saywe need money, Faoro told the crowd. We are going to get outspent by the B.C. Liberals.
In 2009, he said, the Liberals spent $145,000 in the riding to the NDPs $107,000.
I believe, and our executive believes, thats one of the reasons why we lost in 2009. Were not going to have the big bankrolling corporate machine. So, my friends, Im asking on behalf of Vancouver-Fairview that we need you to open up your wallets.
Every chair in the room had an envelope on it emblazoned with NDP leader Adrian Dixs smiling mug on it. Yes! I want to help build a better British Columbia! was written in bold type across it.
Cheque, cash, credit cardwhatever you have would be accepted, according to the details on the envelope. And hey, if you donated $400, thats really $175 after a tax credit.
While Faoro was making his pitch, volunteers circulated around the room with white buckets to collect the contributions.
Ill throw in a hundred bucks, Faoro continued. Cmon, is someone else prepared to throw in a hundred dollars?
A couple of people matched the offer. We have no choice here, we need to do everything we can. Whatever you can doif its simply volunteering, well take your time.
Those listening to Faoros plea included a few familiar faces. Vision Vancouver Coun. Tony Tang was there along with former Vision councillor George Chow and Mayor Gregor Robertsons policy guy, Kevin Quinlan.
Like others in the room, they were there to take in the only debate between Meggs and Heyman. Meggs, of course, is a Vision councillor and Heyman is the executive director of the Sierra Club of B.C.
Theyll find out this Sundayin the same room at the hotelwhich one of them will be the ridings candidate in the May 2013 election.
Apparently, there are about 650 NDP members in the riding. Heyman told me he signed up about 160 members. Meggs would only say he signed up quite a few.
Neither candidate expects all 650 members to show up Sunday.
A turnout of 50 per cent is considered pretty good, Meggs said.
As for raising cash in the riding, the union Faoro represents doesnt seem to be shy of dollars, as previous contributions to civic campaigns show. Campaign disclosure documents filed at city hall for the 2011 election indicate Local 15 of CUPE donated $30,000 to Vision Vancouver.
Heymans former employer, the B.C. Government and Service Employees Union, where he was president for several years, gave $12,000 to Vision.
Both those sums would fill a lot of white buckets.
Twitter: @Howellings
