Lou Brancaccio’s Nov. 6 Press Talk, “Who’s the big loser? That’s right,” continues his Commissioner David Madore vs. Mayor Tim Leavitt theme, but it seems to me he left a few things out. So let’s see: an incumbent mayor, endorsed by a Who’s Who of the local great and good, and having raised four times as much money as his challenger — $107,945 vs. $24,699 for Bill Turlay — manages to win the election by a margin of 52.14 percent to 47.05 percent. Not exactly a landslide. More like, “money talks.”
Curiously, Brancaccio makes no mention of the fact that of the five transportation advisory measures on the ballot, four received at least 55 percent “yes” votes — Madore’s view, one believes, not Leavitt’s. Of course, those votes have no power to compel any action, but one would think that elected leaders ought to consult the will of the public before making profound alterations to the community and its way of life. With a fresh term in office and, probably, a Vancouver city council more to his liking, will Leavitt be listening?
Bob Harper
Vancouver
