Richmond First municipal party's email blunder: Cat bit our tongue

Dear _____,

Last night, we sent you an email with a subject line that had no bearing on the content.

Our Richmond First candidates are individuals solely interested in building a better city and school district.  They believe that through non-partisan means, we can achieve the highest degree of governance.  They are truly committed to working closely with everyone who wishes to participate in growing our community, regardless of their political affiliations or preferences at other levels of government.

The Richmond First Campaign Management Team apologizes for the inappropriate subject line on the email message, but strongly endorses and supports our candidates - eight people who are truly dedicated to working hard for the betterment of all citizens of Richmond.

Yours truly,

 Richmond First Campaign Management Team

No individual has yet stepped up to take responsibility for the e-mail, and appeals by opposition candidates for an explanation for what had happened have so far gone ignored.  Instead, Richmond First gave the job of apology to the youngest Richmond First candidate Eric Yung, who is running for School Board.  Yung also apologized in person to several opposing candidates during the Remembrance Day ceremony at the Richmond Cenotaph.

Richmond Citizens Association's (RCA) incumbent candidate and former NDP MLA Harold Steves, running alongside incumbent Linda Barnes and newcomer De Whalen, said that the apology email "appears to be fearmongering by setting up a bogeyman that doesn't exist."  

"There are only three NDP members running and two of us are already on council.  That's hardly an attempt by the NDP to take over the city ... Several other, perhaps all, of the Richmond First candidates are liberals ... Instead of claiming to be non-partisan, perhaps they should give their own political leanings," said Steves in an e-mail to Vancouver Observer.  

RCA has been open about being a civic extension of the NDP.  

"I accept their apology; we have a good working relationship on Richmond Council.  I regard highly one of Richmond First's School Board Candidates, Eric Yung, a former pupil, and I intend to vote for him.  However, politics have long been partisan in Richmond.  I was hoping we might get over it," said Steves.  

"Perhaps it was one of their 'back room' boys who didn't expect to be found out that sent the email."  

In public discussions, some candidates for the Richmond municipal elections have been open in their public discussions about their political affiliations at other levels of government, and some have not.  

Comenting on the type of City government in Richmond, independent candidate Peter Mitchell said he "has trouble figuring out the current council." 

"Sometimes council members are on opposite sides of issues based on what one would expect would be their provincial or federal affiliations ... There are many times when they all close ranks and none of them are working toward the most efficient economical option for the taxpayer, such as supporting a 35 per cent raise for themselves five years ago, or supporting the undertaking of the $180 million Olympic Oval project without taxpayer approval," said Mitchell in an email to Vancouver Observer.  

As part of his campaign, Mitchell has been highlighting what he has felt as mismanagement by the incumbent council, accusing it of having allowed spending to increase 50 per cent faster than inflation, causing the current high commercial vacancy rates in downtown Richmond, and failing to defend a significant section of Steves Farm, which had paid farm-rated taxes for decades only to be sold for expensive housing development.

Mitchell claims that none of the council members questioned "why this active farm was not placed in the ALR by the ALR's self-proclaimed author Harold Steves!"

"They have all been around so long it seems there are many things none will object to because they are all collectively responsible for them."

Wolfe: "I would expect nothing less from our current right-wing Richmond First Party"

RITE candidate for City Council and past candidate and a card-carrying member of the Green Party of BC and Green Part of Canada, Michael Wolfe, sees the apology as "a good news story of a change of heart that is too little, too late."

"Desperate measures from a Richmond First team that is facing identity issues since outgoing Greg Halsey-Brandt left the message that City Hall has become too corporate. . . . during when Richmond First had dominance on council and failed to prevent the privatization of public services," said Wolfe.

RITE claims to be a diverse team that agrees on a common vision, denise the acceptance of corporate donations to our campaigns, and independently votes on motions using its own common sense and experiences in public dialogue.

"Things are partisan in Council. . . . They cooperate on council to remain silent and out of any debate on issues that are challenging.  If the public chooses to elect members of all the candidate blocks and independents this time around, they will see cooperation on short-term projects, but the difference will come in the long-term planning, which has been a challenge for the past rubber-stamping councils who are allowing rapid development for the sake of development money now rather than allowing for planning that has public participation in mind."

Majority of Richmond voters know about partisanship in civic politics

"I think voters in Richmond are smart, my complaint is there is not enough of them.  Only 22% showed up last time [to vote] and I believe that a majority of them know about partisanship in civic politics

Emails from the Vancouver Observer to Richmond First candidates, including Ken Johnston, former Liberal MLA for Vancouver-Fraserview (2001-2005) were not answered in time.  

Seventeen candidates are contending for a seat on Richmond City Council and 10 candidates are contending for a seat on the Richmond School Board.