Editor: The proposal to spend $7.5 billion on transit mega-projects sounds like a lot, but is actually about the amount of money the BC Liberal government has spent on a variety of transportation projects since 2001.
These projects include the Sea to Sky highway, new Port Mann Bridge and Highway 1 improvements, the South Fraser Perimeter Road, the Canada Line and Golden Ears Bridge 鈥� and there are many others.
The provincial government did not go to taxpayers and ask for money for these projects.
Suppose you are one of the mayors in Metro Vancouver who wants to spend the same amount of money on new transit projects. Then you鈥檙e unlucky. You have to hold a plebiscite and ask people 鈥淲ill you agree to raise the sales tax half of one per cent to fund transit?鈥�
Many people will say 鈥淣ot a chance鈥� and then will vote 鈥榥o.鈥�
So it鈥檚 great to be the premier of B.C. if you favour transportation mega-projects. It鈥檚 not so great if you are one of the mayors who favours more buses and more rapid transit lines.
Dave Jaffe,
Vancouver
