Editor, The News:
Re: Rough ride for TLink vote (The News, Jan. 16).
While I supported Nicole Read at the polls and am pleased that she is now mayor of Maple Ridge, I do not think she should be opposing the proposed PST increase for TransLink capital projects.
When you are a member of a committee, votes do not always go your way. It is important to remain a team player and support the decision of the group.
Just how much cooperation will Mayor Read receive from TransLink when she is working against them?
Flash back to the vote on the Canada Line. Former Pitt Meadows mayor Don MacLean voted against it and had his 30 seconds of fame on the TV news.
Result: Harris Road is still a bottleneck to this day and there are no set plans for improvement.
The former mayor for the City of Langley, Marlene Grinnell, voted for the Canada Line and within a few years there is a brand new overpass built over Highway 10 and the train tracks.
TransLink and the province picked up 60 per cent of the capital cost.
Grinnell would later be retained to look into TransLink governance, which was clearly a patronage appointment by then transportation minister, Kevin Falcon, who got the report he wanted.
While Mayor Read may be scoring political points locally for her ‘no’ position on the tax and her fighting TransLink for better transit service and road improvements, at the end of the day, our community will have gained very little.
K. Ogden
Maple Ridge