Vision spending is out of control
I think Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson should start living within his means. Adding more bike lanes when people are already taxed too much and with TransLink hanging around everyone’s front door for more money is wrong.
Robertson looks like a bike rider trying to put more bike lanes in for his own convenience if he loses the next election instead of doing what’s right for Vancouver.
I have no problem with bike lanes but what I have a problem with is self-serving politicians who know the people are already over-taxed continuing to build beyond their means.
Start charging bike riders insurance and registration instead of coming after the homeowners and car drivers for all these bike lanes they can’t afford!
Shawn Storey, Surrey
Quit the ant-bike rhetoric
I am sick and tired of The Province’s sensationalist, anti-cyclist rhetoric.
The reason we have terrible traffic congestion is because of cars. Shops aren’t losing business because of cyclists, they’re losing business because of the times we are in and people just aren’t driving as much, especially into Vancouver which has always been bad but more so because it costs too damned much to drive.
You just take an issue that’s sure to raise the hackles of the drivers and blow it out of proportion just to make “news.”
Tracey Eide, Maple Ridge
Business will be hurt
What is Vision Vancouver thinking? Businesses are already hurting in areas with bikes lanes so city council decides to hurt more people trying to make a living?
Pretty soon there will be no cars in downtown, which will mean lots of going-out-of-business sales.
Bill Berry, North Delta
Glad I’m not a commuter
A) I’ll assume the “2040 Plan” is really the “2014 Plan” or else I’m outa here!
B) So we’re on the verge of opening a$3.3-billion bridge to get Fraser Valley folks to work in Vancouver more than an hour faster and yet Vancouver’s response is to further choke access — remove the viaducts and bridges and more streets get bike lanes.
I’m so glad I choose to live in Kitsilano and ride my electric bike to work in about 10 minutes!
Mike Wolfe, Vancouver
Toll the cyclists!
Build the bike lanes and charge cyclists a toll to use them. And charge them extra property taxes, too.
Go TransLink, go!
Jason Feng, Burnaby
Parole board got it right
With regard to your editorial promoting no parole for the worse killers, fortunately David Ennis (Shearing) was again denied parole, even though his wife whom he married while in prison says that he is a gentle man who wouldn’t hurt a fly. Ennis is living well, considering that he shouldn’t be living, given the horrific crimes he committed.
In a letter to me, the parole board stated that, though a number of factors are considered with regard to parole, the protection of society — they emphasized this in their letter — is always the paramount consideration.
This time they got it right.
Mike Tropp, Vancouver
My bet is on higher gas taxes
Looking at the very unpopular property tax hike for the big black fiscal hole called TransLink, one can only guess where the money will be coming from.
These mayors have elections to worry about. My guess is the easy whipping boy willbe the gas tax. It’s so easy to hide a penny or two every year on a litre of gas to make up for the decades-long squandering of money. It has helped cover the losses from fare evaders, no turnstiles and overpaid administrators.
Taxing gasoline is an easy way out and way more subtle than property tax. Flogging the gasoline again? It’s been whipped way too much.
Frank Sas, North Vancouver
TransLink have some nerve
How dare TransLink ask for one more penny from us Lower Mainland homeowners when they just blew a big wad of our money on their fancy bus stop T signs.
What does the T stand for anyway? Transit? Translink? Twits? What’s next? Hanging baskets?
I bet that irresponsible waste of taxpayers’ money is a big chunk of their alleged $30-million shortfall.
Jim Diana, North Vancouver
Property tax is only fair way to go
When are all the local civic politicians going to wake up and realize that property tax is the only fair and reasonable method for TransLink to make up its funding shortfalls?
TransLink is not only responsible for transit, it is also responsible for roads and bridges throughout the region. Why should a provincial taxpayer in Burns Lake be required to subsidize the West Coast Express?
The only fair wayto fund TransLink is by way of a transit levy on Metro Vancouver properties.
Gary Tupper, New Westminster
Cross-border shoppers should ask U.S. coast guard for help
To those of you who are concerned about the impending closure of the Kitsilano coast guard base, if you are enjoying saving money on cross-border shopping, why don’t you ask Washington State to provide these facilities because that is the jurisdiction you are supporting.
Peter Rose, Delta
The editorial pages editor is Gordon Clark, who can be reached at gclark@theprovince.com. Letters to the editor can be sent to provletters@theprovince.com.
