Dear Editor,
The recent announcement by the BC Liberals to provide $217 million in new school funding for Surrey is obviously good news for the residents of Surrey. This money is in addition to the $100 million committed to Surrey’s schools last year by the Liberals.
With the provincial election on the horizon, this is not the only funding the Liberals are promising Surrey.
The Liberals have also promised a seventh lane on the Alex Fraser Bridge and a new intersection at Highway 91 at 72nd Avenue. (Though these projects are not actually in Surrey, Surrey residents will benefit significantly). These two projects will cost $100 million.
And of course there is the promise by the Liberals to fund one third of the capital cost of the Surrey LRT project and the Pattullo Bridge replacement. The government’s share will be more than $1 billion.
The Liberal commitments for Surrey are in excess of $1.5 billion for schools and transportation alone!
Contrast this level of funding for Surrey with those for Richmond.
Funding for schools, zero.
Funding for transportation, zero. (The Massey Tunnel Replacement Project is not for the benefit of Richmond.)
Perhaps there have been some funding announcements for Richmond that I have missed, but given the Liberals’ saturation ads on TV and never-ending photo-ops, it seems unlikely.
Richmond consistently elects three Liberal MLAs (and perhaps a fourth this year).
Despite this loyalty to the Liberals, our MLAs have essentially delivered nothing but scraps for Richmond.
Of course, in Surrey, the Liberals will be fighting hard to maintain or even gain seats in the May election, while they know that Richmond will blindly deliver them three (or four) MLAs.
Thus, they have no reason to actually address Richmond’s needs.
Our current MLAs have provided spectacularly mediocre representation to Richmond because they know they can treat us with contempt.
Richmond needs fresh MLAs. As long as the Liberals consider the ridings here as a lock, we will never receive a fair share of government funding.
Al Williams
Richmond
