http://www2.canada.com/vancouvercourier/news/story.html?id=fd9fad43-642c-41d0-8977-dcdd16f1e113
 
COPE councillors turn down tickets for Olympic ceremonies
Naoibh O'Connor, Vancouver Courier
Published: Thursday, January 28, 2010
 
Two city councillors are turning down Olympic opening and closing ceremony
tickets provided to council members and their partners. COPE Coun. Ellen
Woodsworth said she received an email from city staff early last week
indicating councillors and their spouses would get the free tickets, along
with parks board commissioners and their spouses. The email also asked
councillors to recommend the names of people they thought had contributed
to the city who deserved free tickets.
 
"In March, when the purchase of the [Olympic] tickets came forward, I
voted against the city purchasing these tickets and I have been consistent
right through the vote on the budget, saying that I thought we should pay
for our tickets. And if people are coming to the city, they should pay for
the tickets, and the $195,000 worth of city tickets should be sold back,"
Woodsworth said.
 
Woodsworth voted against the Olympics during the 2003 referendum, but said
she would honour the vote. She said she will fulfill her duties during the
Games, but pointed out councillors were told a year ago that Olympic
protocol calls only for the mayor and his spouse to attend the opening
ceremonies. "The Olympics are coming here, but we need to minimize the
social cost of these Olympics and make sure that as a city we can spend
our money on pressing social needs."
 
COPE Coun. David Cadman is also refusing the tickets. He said the opening
ceremony tickets are worth $1,100 apiece, while the closing ceremony
tickets are priced at $750 each, for a total cost of $3,700 for two people
at both events. "The litmus test I put it through was, was I prepared to
buy these tickets for $3,700 and I said, no, I'm not prepared to say I
will buy the tickets, so how can I possibly expect the taxpayer to buy
them for me when we're cutting services in the city, laying off people and
raising taxes," Cadman said.
 
He voted for the Olympics during the referendum. Like Woodsworth, Cadman
said he will fulfill hosting duties during the Games, but insists only the
mayor and his spouse are required to go to the opening and closing
ceremonies. Vision Vancouver Coun. Andrea Reimer will be deputy mayor in
February and said she will attend the opening and closing ceremonies if
they are part of her duties, but she won't bring her spouse.
 
She added that city staff indicated that councillors and their partners
would be expected to attend both ceremonies with the mayor due to
protocol. "[Cadman] votes to hold a billion-dollar event. He votes yes in
the referendum, but now won't actually go and represent the city at it.
Why would he have a problem, at this point, with the money?" she said.
 
Reimer, who voted against the Olympics during the referendum, won't refuse
the tickets on principle. "No, I think the point of principle was voting
no to the Olympics. Now that we've spent, as taxpayers, several billion
dollars, it would be doubly foolish to not ensure that you use the
opportunity provided by all that money to represent the city to increase
its reputation, to develop economic activity. It just seems a fairly
significant piece of grandstanding."

Naoibh O'Connor, Vancouver Courier