As we see the leaves drop from the neighbourhood trees, we think of the season our region is currently enjoying – Autumn, aka Fall.

It’s an appropriate description for this time of season, with yellowing leaves… some blood red, some just burnt and crisp like a brown piece of toast. It is also an apt description for what may be in store for this pretty little burg by the Pacific Ocean.

As the world is now sliding into a worldwide economic downdraft, the pollyannas of the world are attempting their best to shelter the obvious.

The City of Vancouver has seen it’s rise, as a starlet on the world stage … but, now it appears, we’re entering it’s decline – with it’s real estate market precipising on what could be a race to the bottom to offload.

The most worrysome part for this UGLY Chinese Canadian is the fact that our fair weather citizens have all decisively elected in a brand spanking new civic government. One that is clearly left of center… maybe even far left of center given the fact that a few of our newly elected officials have had some serious involvement in the labour and poverty industries.

homeless man (Vanc Sun photo)

As a city preparing itself for a happy Olympic soirée in a couple of years, it will be interesting to see how happy it’s citizens will be when the actual event occurs and the juicy bill afterwards.

A couple of newly elected officials are old friends of the UGLY Chinese Canadian. One of them dating back a few decades. Having chatted with a few of them, it is obvious that they too are a bit concerned. Concerned of the inexperience and loose alliances formed leading up to the election.

Truthfully, of greater concern to the UGLY Chinese Canadian is the overall background of Vancouver’s new City council. The concern that not a single one of them has been adequately steeped in the world of real world business. None of our new City Councilors are from a business background. The new Mayor claims a background of business… but his detractors have indicated otherwise.

And having just tasted the fiasco of a leaked financial document as collaterol damage from the election campaign, to the delight of the borrowers, Vancouver’s news media has already indicated that the City’s citizens have lost their biggest poker hand… and it will cost our City.

The cost of dirty politics. It sucks.

Hopefully our new civic government will appreciate their shortcomings and will haul on board some smart advisors – those who really understand civic governance and business… and especially those who are willing to state the truth.

It will be interesting to watch the next 3 years.