Matthew Steinbach opinions@theotherpress.ca What's False about VancCOUVEe Fr 3 sissies seis: Winn do you get when a bunch of people think it’s a good idea to begin to build out onto False Creek? A ridiculous plan that will actually impact Downtown Vancouver, where False Creek is located... Let’s be honest here, we are talking about the potential flooding of the Lower Mainland; the water has to go somewhere. Isn’t that a big deal? Shouldn’t we be worried about being knee-deep in this problem? But we’re not, and why aren’t we? That’s what’s False about Vancouver. It’s the fact that we want to be a super city so badly, despite being less capable of competing with Toronto, or Montreal who have much more land available for expansion than we do. What in the hell is wrong with us? We're focusing on the wrong issue. Vancouver is focused prestige when we should be scared for our lives. Hell, we should be taking swimming lessons if anything, because at this rate, we are closer to becoming more like New Orleans after Katrina hit than we are to becoming Montreal. If we learned anything from that, then it should be that you don’t mess with Mother Nature. Matthew Steinbach Opinions Editor Southeast False Creek in Vancouver Obama’s cabinet could be one for the age » sis sic.cms: Win the recent election of Democrat Barrack Obama as the 44" President of the United States, change is in the air, and it has already begun with Obama’s new cabinet, which could prove to be one of the best ever. After Obama, the first name that has to be mentioned is Joe Biden. The Delaware Senator ran as Obama’s running mate and brings a lengthy and distinguished political record to Obama’s administration. One of the main concerns and criticisms levied on Obama during the election campaign was his lack of foreign policy credentials, and having only served as a one-term senator, Obama clearly lacks experience. Biden solves those issues. He is the current chairman of the U.S. Foreign Relations Committee. Due in large part to Biden’s role on the FRC, the United States intervened in the Bosnian War. Biden has also chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee, and was instrumental in the creation and passing of the Violence Against Women Act and the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act. Shortly after the election, the new President-elect selected Illinois congressman and fourth-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives, Rahm Emanuel, to be his new White House Chief of Staff. Emanuel is the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairman and oversaw the gaining of 30 seats by Democrats in the 2006 elections. Emanuel was a senior advisor for the Clinton administration from 1993-1998, so he brings the clout of previous White House experience with him. Several names have been bandied about for Secretary of State, with the most prominent among them being Al Gore. Gore would bring a wealth of varied experience to the table. He was a long-running Tennessee congressman and served as Bill Clinton’s vice-president from 1993-2001 before running for President in 2000. He lost to George Bush but remained an extremely popular figure in Democratic circles. There were rumors about him running for President in both 2004 and 2008, but he frequently denied them. Gore moved away from politics and into environmental activism; he won an Oscar for his documentary, An Inconvenient Truth and a Nobel Prize for his work. The most likely candidate for the now all-important Secretary of the Treasure position is Larry Summers. Summers seems like the perfect choice for the job. He’s done it before; he served as Treasury Secretary under Clinton, and in the current catastrophic financial climate, a seasoned veteran like Summers would be a huge benefit to any administration. If chosen, Summers’ most pressing job function will be to oversee the recently-passed $700 billion bailout of Wall Street. Obama’s cabinet could also have a strong legacy feel to it. Caroline Kennedy, the daughter of arguably the greatest president of all time, John F. Kennedy, has been touted as the American ambassador to the United Nations. She received her B.A. law degree from Columbia University and is a member of the New York and Washington, D.C. bars. She also is the director of the Commission of Presidential Debates and serves as the head of numerous charitable organizations. Her cousin, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., could be the next head of the Environmental Protection Agency. Kennedy is a highly successful lawyer who has served as the assistant district attorney for New York and has also been an environmental law professor. He is also a respected author and has been very active on environmental concerns. Both Senator John Kerry, who ran unsuccessfully for President in 2004, and New York Senator Hillary Clinton, who narrowly lost to Obama to lead the way for Democrats this year, are expected to receive cabinet positions. Obama has also stated that he wants his government to have a bi-partisan flavor to it, and that is why former Bush administration Secretary of State, Colin Powell is likely to be involved in the cabinet. He gave Obama a major endorsement that he received widespread praise for, and Powell is expected to be named in some capacity. Without a doubt, Obama has a number of extremely bright lights to choose from. With all the star power and talent at his disposal, the next Obama-Biden administration could prove to be one of the best ever.