If you thought the last annoying V.I.A. column you'd ever read about former Vancouver mayor Kennedy Stewart was the one I recently wrote about him blocking people on Twitter, you're not alone.
I had hoped that after he lost the 2022 election, went back to work for Simon Fraser University after a 12-year "leave of absence," then blocked a bunch of folks on social media (me included), that I wouldn't ever again have a reason to let our readers know what he's up to.
Then, yesterday, I had my feet kicked up on my desk and was puffing on a cigar while sipping a 30-year-old scotch, wondering how I might finally obtain a photo of Spider-Man to run on the front page of our newspaper, and an email from Kennedy hit my inbox.
The subject "Happy 2023!" had me instantly intrigued. I set my vices down and opened it up, assuming it was simply a late new year's greeting sent out to the mayor's email list.
It was not.
Contained in the letter was a somewhat confusing ask for money, couched in a vague tease about some electoral reform thing he's working on, a bid for people to pre-order copies of his upcoming book, Decrim (which he somehow had time to write while working full time as our mayor,) and a postscript containing regards from his dog, Fergus.
And, of course, there was a button that said DONATE in all caps, which led to a website where you can give money to Kennedy's team so he can... well... so he can do whatever the heck he's working on right now.
Old habits are hard to break, and I'm an entrepreneur myself, so I find it understandable that now that the former MP and former mayor is no longer officially at any trough he's finding creative ways to obtain money from taxpayers to fund his pursuits, as vague as they may be.
He's finally been able to cut out the middle man, which might be charitably described as a shrewd business move.
