From the Vancouver Sun:
Don Cayo: Hold your nose and vote Yes to the transit tax
Better a small tariff than worsening traffic congestion and longer commutes
- January 2, 2015.
The question is, are these serious negatives a good reason to vote No in the March referendum that seeks voter approval to add half a percentage point to the provincial sales tax rate in order to fund transportation improvements?
In my view, they are not.
My reasoning is there are plenty of issues here — governance structure, management competence and the ranking of priorities, in addition to financing — and we’re being asked to vote only on one.
Indeed, we’ll be allowed to vote only on one issue. And for those who want to punish TransLink for its real and perceived sins, voting this proposal down will hurt only ourselves. It’s Vancouver citizens, not the TransLink board or managers or their overlords in Victoria, who’ll pay the price. Because a price will have to be paid, if not in money through this or some other tax levy, then in time, turmoil and congestion as traffic in the region rapidly goes from bad to worse.
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From The Globe and Mail:
Ride the referendum: On transit, Vancouver points the way forward
- December 21, 2014.
This is a great plan, well worth emulating. The province and its largest urban area are co-operating on one of the most critical files for any city – that of providing a modern transit system that meets the needs of residents without choking either productivity or lungs. As a sales tax collected in Metro Vancouver, its payers would include tourists and anyone who commutes from outside the region for work or play, which is only fair.
Above all, by holding a referendum, the mayors and the province are letting voters choose their future. Early polling suggests they will vote yes. They should. If they don’t, the issue will remain a football in the hands of punt-happy politicians. You only have to look to Toronto’s paralysis to see where that leads.
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From the Peace Arch News:
Transit referendum a Grimm tale
- December 1, 2014
The way forward out of the current transit quagmire is not an easy one. It comes with costs that will not be easily or painlessly borne. There are tough decisions to be made here. And that is why the public elects governments – to make those tough decisions.
Merely throwing the question back at the public is not responsible leadership. And being willing to blame the public for the response is not responsible leadership either. It smacks of political game-playing by a government that would rather scapegoat regional mayors and their constituents than do the right thing.