To the editor:
Re: "Cadman's loss, Louis's win good news for NPA," Sept. 21
As a COPE city councillor who worked closely with Tim Louis for two terms, I must respond to Allen Garr's column. Garr said of Louis, whom he loves to hate, that Tim can be "disruptive and destructive." Yes, in 2005, there were disruptive and destructive COPE politicians, but Tim was not one of them. They were the politicians who left to form another party, rather than to work within COPE.
Tim, in contrast, has remained constructive, disciplined and true to COPE ideals. He is strong in voice and action, and worked on city council with unsurpassed diligence. Tim chaired the Finance Committee of Council and served both the food policy and ethical purchasing task forces task. Often, late in the evening, after other councillors had left, Tim was responding attentively to citizens by phone and email.
Tim models himself on Harry Rankin, a founder of COPE, a vigorous champion of the poor. Rankin was described in one eulogy as a "loud, profane, bombastic, ungracious and unforgettable politician who could be nasty to his allies and much crueller to his foes. and who topped the polls in even the wealthiest neighbourhoods." Tim's commitment to principle and transparency may frighten some people, but others appreciate the opportunity to have him on city council again. In these tumultuous times, Vancouver needs Tim's strong and compassionate voice.
Fred Bass, Vancouver
