Editor, The News:
Re: Maple Ridge tops No vote (The News, July 3).
It was no surprise to me that the people of Maple Ridge voted 3-1 against the proposed transit financing referendum.
They are in tune with the rest of Metro Vancouver when it comes to the manner in which the transit system is managed.
Governance is the key to this issue.
I’ll never understand why the politicians of today do not realize they have no business taking our hard earned tax money and using it to spend on a propaganda campaign to convince us why we should vote for this financing.
The No side had to do the job on a shoestring budget, none of which was from my tax pocket.
The people who have been managing the transit operations to date have shown a disregard for the concern we all have when it comes to spending our money.
Too much is paid to Ian Jarvis, his temporary replacement and all of the others at the trough of the transit pay cheques.
If the leaders are seeking ways to fund these projects, I would start by suggesting a tax of approximately 50 cents per ton of every raw material (coal, sulphur, oil, timber), which passes through the Metro Vancouver region on the railways, CN and CP.
Look to our trading nations to assist us with the transit financing necessary to help them get their raw materials to markets overseas while making our ability to move around in the same region that much more efficient.
Think outside the box.
Ask the taxpayer for suggestions and don’t brush off any good ones.
Mike Boileau
Maple Ridge