Coupar is right, this is seriously outrageous, I just not sure I trust the NPA and it’s breakaways to stop it.
Didn’t know we were friends, nothing against him, hadn’t talked to him much, I think I had more words with Ken Sims.
Friends don’t send Friends form letters as the only form of communication.
The Slush Fund is outrageous, however.
NPA newsletter message:
“Dear friend,
I hope you’re sitting down for this.
Did you know that Mayor Kennedy Stewart receives $1 million every year from Vancouver taxpayers for his political slush fund?
Records show that of the close to $4 million made available to Kennedy Stewart in the last four years, $2.3 million has gone to “political salaries” with another $450,000 to consultants and $87,700 more allotted for private polling.
Keep in mind that Kennedy Stewart already has seven full-time political staff in his office, including TWO Chiefs of Staff, and his administration has a whopping 44 people working on communications.
Kennedy Stewart’s political slush fund is wrong, and it’s another example of how everything is worse with his administration in office.
At a time when thousands of Vancouver residents are struggling to pay their bills, and everyday people are worried to leave their own homes, Kennedy Stewart’s out-of-touch political slush fund is a slap in the face.
How many police officers could we fund with an extra $4 million?
That’s why I announced that if I win the upcoming civic election with an NPA majority on Council, we will immediately end the annual $1 million political slush fund.
Under our watch, your tax dollars will be directed towards protecting YOU and YOUR FAMILY – not protecting the Mayor’s political image!
However, virtually every effort the NPA undertakes to win the next election requires financial support.
And, unlike Kennedy Stewart, I don’t have a taxpayer-funded slush fund to draw on.
But I do have something far better… I have friends like you.
So please, if you agree with my plan to end the $1 million political slush fund for the Mayor’s Office and invest in community safety instead, can I count on you to tap here to support our NPA team with an immediate donation of whatever you can spare?
On behalf of our entire NPA team, thank you for helping us deliver the change our city urgently needs by building a safe Vancouver that you can afford.
Sincerely,
John Coupar, NPA Mayoral Candidate”