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Transportation Minister draws a firm line in transit funding fight
VANCOUVER/CKNW (AM980)
Shane Woodford | Email news tips to shane.woodford@corusent.com
2/15/2013

BC's Transportation minister doesn't seem to be too worried about a looming deadline from the mayors council over transit funding.

Mary Polak says while the mayors have some options the perception Translink will just run out of money and have to cut services is not accurate.

"Translink won't run out of money. The mayors could if they chose, vote to deny them funding, they could choose that. Translink will not run out of money Mayor Gregor Robertson's statement that as of February 28th they run out of money is absolutely not true, it is a deadline they have created."

Polak admits transit funding has been an issue historically sent back and forth between the province and mayors.

"Up until now you are quite right it has been a series of propose reject propose reject that hasn'thappened since Premier Christy Clark has been there and since I have been minister. We have laid out a criteria we said to them if the funding models you propose fit within that criteria we can do that."
 
That said mayors have sent her a list of fundraising ideas but she has sent it back asking for specific details.

"I know there are certain mayors who think there should be one answer with very little background information that is not our view there has to be engagement with the public and they have to be able to show cleary the quantum of money they are looking for they have to make sure that whatever funding mechanism they want is regionally based."

By stressing a regional funding mechanism Polak could possibly be opening the door to a Metro Vancouver specific carbon tax, another option floated by the mayors.


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  1. brianp1950 posted on 02/15/2013 07:20 PM
    what part of no more tax do you no get? carbon tax? what is wrong with you people? If these bafoons get re-elected we are doomed, we already have the highest gas taxes in North America and they are considering another carbon tax on top of the cabon tax we have already, how bout user pay jus like the tolls on the bridge those of us living on the wrong side of the Port Mann pay and the Golden Ears toll as well. No More taxes, period!!!!!!
  2. BY_7463 posted on 02/15/2013 07:54 PM
    God. She sure looks like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car!!!
  3. mikem_6368 posted on 02/15/2013 10:03 PM
    Mini me strikes again
  4. DougB_25 posted on 02/16/2013 02:05 PM
    Get a grip people.And stop spinning.She IS trying to hold taxes to support transit as low as possible.It is our local mayors who want to impose more taxes for transit.They just want someone else to take the blame for it.In the real history of this,it was the NDP who turned Transit over to our local governments.The Liberals told them they were making a mistake by taking this on,but the mayors and the NDP got their.Now that things have unfolded exactly as Gordo said they would,our local governments cannot now go back and blame the provincial government.
    I'm amazed how quickly people have forgotten,that it was our local governments that raised our taxes last fall to pay more to Transit.It WAS NOT the provincial government.Translink was formed by the NDP because our local governments thought they could run it better than the provincial government.In my view,they were WRONG.And all we have to do is look at Transit now to know that.
  5. joes_2868 posted on 02/16/2013 02:51 PM
    DougB_25: Excellent commentary. Do you think Ken280, the readers consultant, a man with a briefcase 50 miles away from home and bctaxpayer will get the message?
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