Keeping it Real…

Way back in the late 70s, I remember being downtown, celebrating the original version of the White Caps (in the North America Soccer League) winning the Soccer Bowl championship.

“White is the colour; soccer is the game … ” thousands sang in unison.

But the truth is neither I … nor I dare say many of those celebrating OUR team … had ever been to a Whitecaps game! And most of us probably haven’t been to one of their Major League Soccer matches either … or bought any Whitecaps paraphernalia (jerseys, hats, jackets) either.

Yet almost none of us want to see the team leave Vancouver … especially to be snapped up by a billionaire American and moved to Las Vegas!

And the campaign to keep the Whitecaps here has taken up by not only their fans (old and new), but the bar and restaurant owners who profited from them, by the local media and, of course, by politicians at every level of government … reading the crowd.

But let’s keep it real.

The Whitecaps are a BUSINESS, with a reported franchise value that now tops $450 million (US) … up from $30 million just years ago.

With every level of government so short of funds they can’t even meet essential service levels (health, education, social services, mental treatment programs, public safety, transit) I don’t think a penny of public funds should be PAID out to the Whitecaps to get them to stay here!

Yes, maybe there can be a deal to award the team a better share of profits from food and beverage sales, parking fees, etc. … but NO taxpayers’ CASH to try and compete with any private buyer who wants to take over/move the franchise!

After all, the team isn’t exactly broke.

This is from AI:

“According to 2025 data from Capology and Statista, Ryan Gould is the highest-paid Vancouver Whitecaps player, earning a guaranteed compensation of roughly \(\$3.675\) million. Other top earners include Andrés Cubas (\(\approx\$1.15\)M), Mathías Laborda (\(\approx\$1.04\)M), and Brian White (\(\approx\$1\)M). The club’s total 2025 payroll is approximately \(\$15.7\) million, positioning them in the middle-to-lower end of MLS spending.”

Middle to lower end???

Are there really people who believe Vancouver and BC taxpayers should shell out corporate welfare to this or ANY privately-owned sports team and their millionaire owners?

They must have FIFA Fever!

That’s the hallucigenic illness that afflicted City, Provincial politicians and convinced them to spend almost A BILLION DOLLARS of public funds (some believe even more!) for Vancouver to host seven FIFA World Cup games.

The BC government says the games will generate a $1.7 Billion boost to the economy.

Really?

Well, why don’t all those companies cashing in on FIFA pick up the costs … instead of once more shaking down the taxpayers ???

And they can use the projected FIFA “surplus” to buy up the Whitecaps … and keep them here!

Harv Oberfeld

Buy Canadian!

(Follow @harveyoberfeld on “X” for FREE First Alerts to new postings on this Blog.)

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He doesn’t have to cite the REAL reasons: David Eby can blame “wanting to spend more time with his family”; personal health issues; yearning for a new professional challenge; or, he just needs more time to read the blogs.

Of course, Eby won’t admit how British Columbians have tired of his endless pandering/give-aways/caving in to First Nations militants; BC’s skyrocketing debt under his “leadership”; the crisis so many voters are now facing dealing with affordability; the continuing problems with BC Health Care; people’s ongoing fears for their public safety, as criminals and crazies run amok; or, maybe worst of all, the disastrous state of BC’s investment/development economy.

Let’s keep it real: Eby HAS to go … if the NDP is to have ANY chance of being re-elected when the voters get their chance to speak their minds.

“Support for the B.C. Conservative party has increased, even before its new leader is chosen, while the governing NDP’s popularity continues to show signs of waning, a new Leger poll has found,” The Vancouver Sun reported April 10th.

At that time, the NDP was still ahead, garnering 44% support, down 4% from the previous Leger survey; the Conservatives were up 2% to 40%.

And that was without a new Conservative leader yet being chosen.

“If I was the NDP I’d be a bit worried about that. … It’s not alarm bells yet, but it should be concerning,” said Leger vice-president Steve Mossop. (Read the details here: https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/b-c-conservatives-gain-ground-before-leadership-vote-as-ndp-support-softens-poll.)

In fact, just weeks earlier, Angus Reid had the Conservatives ahead: 44% to 42% … again, despite having no new leader making promises, taking stands, catering to growing hopes for change.

And Eby’s personal popularity in the same poll stood at only 37% … third lowest of the nine Premiers rated by voters.

“New data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds Eby’s approval rating has declined 16-points year-over-year. In March 2025, when most premiers enjoyed a bump in popularity as nationalism surged in the face of tariffs and threats from U.S. President Donald Trump, Eby was approved by a record-high of 53 per cent of British Columbians. Now, just 37 per cent say the same,” the Institute noted.

And that was BEFORE Eby caved so humiliatingly on DRIPA in the face of First Nations pressures, threats. (Read the full story here: https://angusreid.org/premiers-performance-march-2026/.

Can hardly wait for the next post-DRIPA Eby “popularity” survey!

However, the truth is the reasons behind Eby’s decline in popularity go well beyond DRIPA: my impression is the public today sense an insensitivity, arrogance in the Premier; and, many also feel a sense of betrayal … in the face of mounting costs of living and yet, ever-increasing taxes, fees and BC debt.

In fact, BC’s projected deficit this year under Eby will top $11 Billion; the provinces debt will hit $155 Billion …and is reportedly growing at more than $45 million a day! (This from a Premier who inherited a surplus!)

And yet, the province’s unemployment rate in March hit 6.7% … the highest in a decade (apart from the Covid pandemic) … and the province in March lost 19,000 jobs, on top of the 20,200 BC lost in February.

Nor can all the blame be attributed to US tariffs.

““We’ve had losses in wholesale trade, we’ve had transportation, warehousing, finance, insurance, a very broad base in terms of our economy right now, it seems, for some of those losses,” Bryan Yu, a chief economist with Central 1, told Global News.

All Canadian provinces are facing stresses from the Mad Hatter’s tariffs, especially Ontario. So it really says a lot when so many thousands of British Columbians still leave home to seek jobs elsewhere!

If Eby cares at all about the future of the NDP in BC, its time to go … and give the party a chance to rebuild, refocus and maybe even repent to the majority of BC voters … under a new leader.

Meanwhile, I’d love to read Eby’s “CV”, listing his “job accomplishments” over the past four years, when he looks for a new job.

Should be quite a hoot!

Harv Oberfeld

🇨🇦🇨🇦Buy Canadian! Keep yourself and your neighbours working!🇨🇦🇨🇦

(Follow @harveyoberfeld on “X” for FREE First Alerts to new postings on this blog.)

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