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Raindrops keep falling on my head

As the rain continues to come down like we live in Vancouver, another provincial election is on the horizon. I’m trying to decide which is more depressing.
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As the rain continues to come down like we live in Vancouver, another provincial election is on the horizon. I’m trying to decide which is more depressing.

To be honest it’s the rain, and if the truth be told it never actually rains here like it does in Vancouver. I actually was in downtown Van last weekend and I can tell you rain may have been invented at the Lower Mainland. Or at least if it wasn’t they should try to patent it cause they’ve got it down to an art form.

It reminded me of when I got my first reporting job at the Hope Standard back in 1986 and I thought how bad could the rain really be?

For an Okanagan-raised guy like me? Pretty bad.

Don’t get me wrong, Hope is beautiful and the people were great. I still say if it didn’t rain so much it could be a second Banff, the mountains are that stunning, well almost, and when you get to see them, and when you can actually look up without getting soaked……but I digress and please no hate letters from Rainbow Country please. I’m still a fan.

But just like I’m finding it tough to get excited about April showers bringing May flowers, I’ve managed to contain my enthusiasm for this election campaign pretty well so far.

I, of course, believe in democracy and we will endeavour to cover it to the best of our ability as it’s always important and vital to our well-being and future and we are blessed and grateful that we live in this province and in this country where we have the hard-fought right to free speech and a secret ballot.

Still, yawn.

Maybe it will pick up the pace as the four-week campaign progresses towards May 9, actually it always does and this one will too, but right now I’m not feeling too inspired, and I don’t think I’m alone on that count.

The Liberals didn’t help any when they gave all that money away over the last few weeks (I lost count somewhere along the way) to all those worthy causes, well most of them anyway. I’m not saying they shouldn’t be funding most of these groups and projects but, hey, the timing was just a tad suspect and cynicism starts to greet even the most deserving of announcements.

They know we know it’s our money, right? Taxpayers aren’t stupid, right?

Well, maybe we are because if you thought the money was being handed out willy-nilly before the campaign just wait until you hear what the parties are going to promise us voters over the next several weeks if we only put an ‘X’ next to the right name on May 9.

They know we know that’s not real money, right? Voters aren’t stupid, right?

Again, tough to say because we often vote based on campaign promises that never materialize for one reason or another.

Or we vote along party lines, or for a particular leader, or for purely selfish reasons, or maybe even because the local representative is a decent guy or girl.

Me, I may be going in cynical and unexcited for most of the reasons stated above (and I fear this campaign may be more nasty name-calling full of sound and fury signifying nothing than useful debate), but I’m also a fan of the process so I’m willing to shut my mouth and start listening starting today.

Please, someone, inspire me.