by Sean Orr | Putting the plebe in plebiscite: A resounding ‘No’ in Metro Vancouver transit referendum. Part of me wants to say “we live in the dumbest city/region on the whole fucking planet”, but another part of me knows it was all doomed from the beginning. I’d love to blame it on the suburbs, as Pete McMartin has.

The real winner? Christy Clark. She now gets to say “the people have spoken”, even though if we had said yes she would have reminded us that the plebiscite was non-binding. She gets to say “no new taxes” even though cities will now have to – guess what – raise taxes. Gordon Price called it back in February. We were all duped, and it was an inside job.

So what now? Vancouver mayor: ‘There is no plan B’. That sounds incredibly irresponsible, but it highlights the absurdity of asking the hoi polloi to vote on the basic responsibilities of government; collect taxes, make stuff, et cetera.

It’s probably time to update Transdink to include, “an organization so hated that people would rather punish themselves than make it look like they were giving them more money…” Which they weren’t.

God is punishing us for voting no: Metro Vancouver issues air quality advisory due to smoke from wildfires. But hey, at least it makes for a cool listicle, right Vancity Buzz?

Vancouver Is Awesome goes one step over the clickbait edge and suggests wildfires might be “kinda great“. I’m not sure if he’s getting kickbacks from the depleted Ministry of Forests, but dude, there is nothing natural about these fires.

They’re a consequence of climate change.

Blame it on the blob. Or the Canucks. Or maybe it’s caused by the new Ford Focus. Whatever the case, “The flames are stunning and the camera’s running“.

In lieu of those decommissioned water bombers, I suggest fire fighters drop the CEO of Nestle on the fire instead. Also, “when are they going to turn on that giant fan on Grouse?” – Colin Spensely.

Meanwhile, in other Banana Smoothie Republic news: Cannabis Day in Vancouver sees arrests, pepper spraying. Looks like the people’s patience for weed culture is burning out.

Speaking of scare tactics: Harper urges voters to avoid ‘risk’ of NDP or Liberals in power. “Prime Minister Stephen Harper is warning voters that a victory by the New Democrats or Liberals in this fall’s election would bring European-style economic calamity to this country and open the door to an increased security threat from jihadist terrorists…” So the pro-democracy Harper hates democracy? No surprises there.

But to compare us to Greece when he’s hitched everything to oil and tabled tabled 7 deficits in a row? That’s rich. The scary part is (and has always been) that Harper believes his own rhetoric.

Maybe he’ll have an existential crisis like this one day.

I want to believe: CBC — Mom skirts tight security, throws cream pie at Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s face.

Meanwhile, ‘What the hell is this?’ RCMP Musical Ride stuns with guns, military might.