Here’s a quote from Mike McDonald – “director of the B.C. Liberals’ (permanent) election campaign” – in Vaughn Palmer’s column:
On the Liberal promise of a referendum for any new funding sources for TransLink: “The Mayors’ Council made it clear that it opposes a referendum for new TransLink funding … because the public won’t support it. Now I’m just a simple country boy from Ladysmith, but if the public doesn’t support something, is that a reason not to ask for their vote? And if the public doesn’t support it, then maybe we should find a way to get the public to support it.”
And what might that way be? And whose responsibility is it to find that way? And do the Liberals intend to take any ownership?
In short, do they care about whether transit is funded for Metro Vancouver, or is the referendum strategy just a way to offload responsibility while effectively placing blame for failure on the region’s mayors?
It just reinforces my theory that when pressed to provide something like Governance (where her talents are questionable), the Premier will shift to Campaigning (where her strength clearly lies). She wants to turn a complex governance issue like managing the regional transportation network into an Us vs.Them campaign that can coincide with the Muni election. Any rational discussion of costs and opportunitites and benefits will be lost in the hubub of “ProTax” vs. “AntiTax” Mayoral candidates. Alas.
What’s with all the paranoia? The statement “And if the public doesn’t support it, then maybe we should find a way to get the public to support it” is pure, unalloyed, incontrovertible logic. Certainly the province hasn’t shown any leadership yet, and might never, but that isn’t a reason to start fantasizing about some conspiracy to slough off responsibility and blame the region for its situation.
One reason that the province might do nothing is that they don’t know what to do. But that really isn’t as damnable as it is made out to be. A bunch of transit advocates can’t agree on what to do. And some sort of public buy in process is necessarily here. A referendum is not the best way to do this unless it is very well run – and there isn’t any sign that it is going to be – but there must be something. No one could just start introducing new taxes for “transit” without major blowback, maybe of HST proportions. Even if we didn’t have this referendum hanging over our heads, we would have to have something.
Now I favour an actual Daniel Burnham sized plan because I suspect that would be more appealing to people, seeing what they are getting. I would include the Expo and Millennium Line extensions and the Pattullo and Massey rebuilds as well as rolling all the tolls into one road charge akin to a transit fare so that all transportation users are paying fee for use. This isn’t a total answer for the op cost funding, but it is a partial answer. Just the Millennium Line completion would seem to be able to generate serious operational savings.
I’m always amazed about the free ride the mayors by asking for more options for funding, but washing their hands of trying to build consensus. They don’t want the province to unilaterally raise property taxes, but they are refusing to even marshall support for things they want done like vehicle levies.
———
“Metro Vancouver drivers could soon be paying for a new regional carbon tax or vehicle levies based on their size of their vehicle to pay for transit expansion — if a request by the districts mayors is approved.
Metro Vancouver mayors are requesting the provincial government quickly approve the new fees in order to avoid a short-term property tax increase.”
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/03/19/bc-translink-taxes.html
It’s also hard to forget this from Burnaby Mayor Derek Corrigan:
“Burnaby’s Derek Corrigan calls other mayors “sheep” as TransLink gas tax passes
by Carlito Pablo on Oct 7, 2011 at 2:06 pm
‘Stop being sheep.’
Outspoken Burnaby mayor Derek Corrigan issued a challenge today (October 7) to fellow mayors of Metro Vancouver. It came as elected local politicians prepared to vote for a new public transportation plan that will again pick the pockets of residents in the region.
“Have courage,” Corrigan urged. “Stand up for your communities.” ”
….
Indeed, Mr. Corrigan.
Link:
http://www.straight.com/news/burnabys-derek-corrigan-calls-other-mayors-sheep-translink-gas-tax-passes