I will be voting for Casey Cook for mayor in the upcoming municipal election in New Westminster.
During the effort to keep Saint Mary's Hospital open, Casey demonstrated the ability to roll up his sleeves and work with the diverse interests who were supporting the hospital. He was a Director on the Saint Mary's Hospital Board up until the time that it was dismissed.
We now take it for granted that we can go to a shopping mall, a restaurant, or a pub without being involuntarily exposed to tobacco smoke. It wasn't so long ago that this wasn't the case. New Westminster was ahead of most B.C. municipalities in this area, and Casey (along with former mayor Helen Sparkes) deserves a share of the credit for this.
Remember all the promises we heard when the proponents of the Royal City Star were trying to get approval from City Hall? That New Westminster would become a tourist destination for gamblers throughout the northwest who wanted to go for rides on the riverboat? And Columbia Street would be revitalized with money brought here by these tourists? Well, we got the Burr Theatre, and, as predicted by gambling opponents, we got a municipal government dependent on gambling revenue. Casey deserves credit for being able to foresee this outcome. I believe he is the best person to trust with the responsibility of coming up with other sources of revenue.
Casey Cook for Mayor site: http://caseycook.ca
Some other people I'm voting for
Jaimie McEvoy (http://www.jaimiemcevoy.com/): If you've heard that Jaimie is one of those heritage preservation fanatics, it's true. Problem is, I'm another one of those heritage preservation fanatics.
Bill Harper
Jonathan Cote (http://www.votecote.ca/)
Bob Osterman
Lori Watt for school board
