Father, husband, raconteur, journalist, editor, nobody’s fool, not beholden to special interests (read: developers, or Joel Solomon / the Tides Foundation / Hollyhock), a man of wit and intelligence who is possessed of warmth, charm and élan, a man of the people who grew up in a single family household that experienced desperate straits of poverty and want, a person who entered the profession of journalism because, as he told VanRamblings just prior to his campaign commencement address on Monday morning, “without journalism, I would never have been provided the window on the world that was afforded me. I have been fortunate in my life. The time has now come to give back, to help make the lives of families and children in our city better, to give back to the people of Vancouver.”
In 2014, Kirk LaPointe has re-fashioned the NPA as the Naturally Progressive Association (or, perhaps, as he suggested, the No Preferred Advantage municipal party — this a comment on the blaringly obvious marital tryst that Vision Vancouver has formed with developers in our city — the NPA, Vancouver’s municipal party seeking office that is on your side).
VanRamblings recommends that you watch and listen to the full commencement speech Mr. LaPointe gave to those assembled at Jack Poole Plaza yesterday morning, in order that you might gain some early insight into just what kind of man has come forward to seek the Mayor’s chair, “in 2014, in 2018, and beyond” he suggested to VanRamblings, and others.
Prior to meeting for the formal, 10am campaign kick-off announcement, just west of the Trade and Convention Centre, Mr. LaPointe met with selected media for an informal Monday morning breakfast ‘briefing’, and had the following to say on the issues facing our city, & why it is he has chosen to come forward to offer his name in candidacy for the Mayor’s chair …
An edited version of the Kirk LaPointe, NPA Mayoral candidate, media briefing | July 14, 2014
Media present at the introductory interview / media briefing, which took place at Kafka’s Coffee & Tea, on Main and East Broadway, from 8:15 a.m. til 9:05 a.m., on Monday morning, July 14, 2014, included: the Globe and Mail’s / Vancouver Magazine’s Frances Bula; Vancouver Sun civic affairs reporter, Jeff Lee; Mike Howell, 12th and Cambie columnist, Vancouver Courier; Emily Jackson, civic affairs reporter, MetroNews; Raymond Tomlin, VanRamblings civic affairs blog; Bob Mackin, civic affairs freelance journalist.
