Thursday, March 19, 2015

This Day In Clarkland...When The Going Gets Tough, Send In Mr. Stone.

TooBadMoreOfTheWeirdDon'tTurn
ProVille


Won't fund transit...

But as for roads 'n stuff?

Well, the good Mr. Stone has it according to Ian Bailey of the Globe:

...(Transportation minister Todd) Stone – unveiling a $2.5-billion transportation plan called B.C. on the Move during a speech to the Vancouver Board of Trade on Tuesday – said he and Ms. Clark are hoping for a Yes vote (in the Translink plebiscite). In remarks to reporters later, he added that he has delivered speeches making the case for Yes, but he said he is leaving the heavy lifting to the mayors and their allies in the Yes coalition.

“The Premier and I have said, very consistently, that this campaign is for the mayors council and the Yes coalition to lead,” he said. “It’s fundamentally up to the mayors and their coalition to get out there and sell their plan."...

{upside down snippety doodle}


...Minister (Stone) has ruled out any reforms to the controversial Vancouver region transit authority to help mayors and their allies win a plebiscite on a new tax to finance transit expansion, dismissing concerns about the issue as a “red herring.”...

{snippety dandier}

...“The Premier and I have said, very consistently, that this campaign is for the mayors council and the Yes coalition to lead,” he (Stone) said. “It’s fundamentally up to the mayors and their coalition to get out there and sell their plan.”...

(stuff in brackets, above, mine)

It would really appear that not only will the Clarklandians say anything, they'll also do anything as well.

Of course, one thing that the good Mr. Stone did not say was that it is the BC Liberal government that has run Translink since it took it hijacked it back in 2007.

Which, of course, had nothing whatsoever to do with the $200 million dollar fare gates that still aren't working (and will never work for people who purchase bus transfers) or anything, right?


_______
And, for those commuting drivers who rant away on proMedia comment threads about how unfair either road pricing or tolls would be because of all of the taxes they already pay...Have they considered the poor sod who pays ten bucks for transit if they cross three zones every day to get too and from work (or a mere $170 bucks a month for a pass)?


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6 comments:

Anonymous said...

No Coleman

RossK said...

Anon-Above--

Good, and interesting, point.

.

Anonymous said...

That's rich.leave no stone unturned.

Anonymous said...

Someone commented on a different blog about the 2.5 billion.

2.5 billion over 10 years. Not much when you think the port mann was 3b plus.

Something stinks here.

James King, Victoria said...

Interesting that Minister Stone is very carefully attributing his comments to himself AND THE PREMIER. Apparetnly not wanting to say something which, as was in the case of Shirley Bond who had the temerity to take a stand - (albeit a stupid one, but why would that matter in BC?) - on site C labour practices, was later rolled up and dustbined by Miss Christy in a most public way.
He, among other ministers has apparently got the idea firmly on board that nothing ever happens without the premier having her say. I had thought the epitome of one-man government had reached its zenith in the Gordo years.
Now, I'm not so sure.

North Van's Grumps said...

http://www.llbc.leg.bc.ca/public/pubdocs/bcdocs2015/585365/

10 year plan Details