Dear Editor,
Barely a year after the failed transit plebiscite, we have the regional mayors and BC Liberals re-engaging in their never-ending school yard fight, showing once again their total lack of leadership.
As loath as I am to agree with Minister Fassbender, he is correct in that the mayors’ contention that last year the Liberals’ committed to funding one-third of the entire (flawed) Mayor’s Plan is absolutely false and, furthermore, they knew that this level of funding was not forthcoming from the provincial government.
In the plan itself, it states that ‘Total Federal, Provincial and partner government contributions would be $3.95 billion.’ This represents only 53 per cent of the original $7.5 billion estimated cost. If the federal government contributed one-third of the total cost that leaves less than 20 per cent for the provincial and partner governments (who they conveniently don’t identify, but will, of course, result in additional municipal tax increases).
Further, in the Liberals’ updated transportation plan from last year, the commitment was for funding one-third of ‘new rapid transit projects and the Pattullo Bridge.” The Liberals do not consider items such as a third sea-bus as ‘new’ but rather an addition to an existing system. Also, if the mayors believed that the Liberals had committed to the entire plan, why was the Pattullo Bridge, part of the Mayors’ Plan, mentioned specifically?
At best, the current statement from the mayors concerning the level of provincial funding is disingenuous.
As for the Liberals, it is their poor choices and constant politicking that is even more responsible for the transportation problems in the Lower Mainland.
The Liberals claim that, as the region does not pay a hospital levy, as other areas in the province do, the region is then responsible for a greater share of local transportation costs. How this policy came about I do not know, but it is a policy that the Liberals can change but chose not to. In fact, regardless of whether it is a hospital in Dawson Creek or transportation projects in the Lower Mainland, all British Columbians benefit from these projects and, as such, the majority of the cost should be borne by the Province, not downloaded to the various regions.
The Province often claims it cannot afford to provide additional funding for the Mayors’ Plan, yet they had no problems eliminating a high-income surtax this year, resulting in a nearly $250 million/year loss in revenue (more than enough to finance the Mayors’ Plan and other underfunded provincial programs). The Liberals made a choice: tax cuts for the one per cent (and big contributors to the Liberals) and tax increases for the 99 per cent to pay for transportation infrastructure.
Though traffic congestion at the Massey Tunnel does require attention, it does not require the level of attention it is receiving from the Liberals. The Liberals made a choice to build an incredibly expensive bridge, primarily for the benefit of Port Metro, with no consideration for a comprehensive region-wide transportation plan or the region’s land-use plans.
The poor choices made from by the Liberals are a major contributor to the problems in the Lower Mainland and generally favor three categories: tax cuts for the 1 per cent, corporate welfare and downloading of costs.
The Liberals, I’m sure, would like to see transportation improvements in the Lower Mainland, but only to the extent that they can claim credit for job creation and if someone else pays the political price for tax increases.
Both the mayors and the Liberals continue to show contempt for residents of the Lower Mainland with their ideological power struggles.
Al Williams
Richmond
