Environmental Destruction, Greed, Illegal Court Injunctions, Corporate, Government, Judicial Corruption, Outlandish “Executive” Benefits Pensions Salaries Perks; Worth it, to Real Canadians or is it?

Environmental Destruction, Greed, Illegal Court Injunctions, Corporate, Government, Judicial Corruption, Outlandish “Executive” Benefits Pensions Salaries Perks; Worth it, to Real Canadians or is it?

If, Vancouver consistently ranked among the five most liveable cities on the planet, as often claimed; why does housing still cost too much, and why are we losing too many bright young people to other provinces and south of the border?

Still, some people (mostly politicians or grossly overpaid executives of privatised-formerly Crown Corporations-Owned by the citizen/ taxpayers of Canada) claim that Vancouver is doing something incredibly right-the city’s brand is incredibly valuable, and “We’re” only starting to reap the benefits. Here are some small examples:

1.       The proposed expansion of Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain pipeline, in Burnaby; while we’ve all played; or are playing, our roles in building Vancouver, most citizen/owner/taxpayers feel they’ve had no say in the pipeline decision. A decision, which has the potential to radically alter our city, our country, our living environment. Instead, we’re asked to trust the National Energy Board/Government’s review process, even though one expert — former B.C. Hydro CEO Marc Eliesen — withdrew as an intervener over his view that the NEB is flawed.

2.       We, the citizens, people, Taxpayers, Legal Owners Of This Country are illegally being forced to just look on as the project races ahead NOT, over the protests of the mayors of Burnaby and Vancouver BUT, over the protest of Canadians, and The People Of British Columbia.

3.        We’re obliged to forget about the 2007 spill, when the Trans Mountain pipeline was broken by a backhoe and 224,000 litres of crude oil was spilled.

4.       On a purely economic level, expanding the Trans Mountain pipeline doesn’t make sense. Kinder Morgan is promising B.C. 3,000 jobs and $2.1 billion in revenue over the first 20 years — figures already shown by some researchers to be inflated. Even taking these numbers at face value, this is a drop in the bucket compared to the potential harm to the Vancouver brand should the city become associated less with progressive urban planning and stunning vistas and more and more with oil and of course Greed of the Powerful or Specially privileged. A spill, of course, even a minor one, would be devastating in this regard.

5.       High car Allowances for TransLink Executives. While, TransLink looks for millions of dollars for future transit projects, a Freedom of Information request by Global News shows the transportation authority is handing out substantial vehicle “perks” for seven, already, grossly, overpaid, Specially Privileged, “EXECUTIVES”. According to the FOI, last year seven executives each received a monthly vehicle allowance of $950 to $1,200 to maintain their personal vehicles and get to their meetings-which like many of Steven Harper’s “Meetings” they didn’t need to attend in the first place. Most if not all could have, and should have been, accomplished just as readily, and far more economically, through computer “chat”.  When you include the executives parking expenses, the total bill equates to more than $94,000 not including Special Meals.

6.       However, TransLink vice president of communications, Colleen Brennan says the vehicle allowances are “the norm” and in line with other organizations, in particular government agencies and Crown corporations. “Having a vehicle is a requirement of the job when you’re an executive at TransLink because we serve a very large area. We have a number of meetings to get to, back-to-back meetings and such, so that’s a part of it.”

7.       Yet, another perk for the Executives, which has critics shaking their heads, is the $100 a month given for a reserved parking stall located beneath TransLink’s new headquarters in New Westminster. Ironically, the nearest Skytrain station, Sapperton, is located only blocks away from the transportation authority’s offices and is accessible, via a covered walkway-from which these EXECUTIVES could, undoubtedly, gain even greater benefits through using-for FREE. Obviously, in British Columbia, as in the rest on Canada, it’s a case of “Do As I Say, Not As I Do” from TransLink, government and bureaucrats.

I’m a big believer in leadership by example and our Canadian Governments??? Politicians, Leaders???TransLink Bureaucrats; just FAIL – over, over AND OVER again.

“They already pay their executives far more than any other transit system in Canada pays theirs… and we’re talking about $95,000 split amongst seven people, who already all get paid more than $200,000 a year, one of whom gets more than $400,000 a year AND more than the president of the United States of the Americas. These Civil Servants can afford to pay for their own vehicles.”

In September, TransLink CEO Ian Jarvis made news when he made almost $84,000 in bonuses in 2013, which made his total compensation for the year $468,015.

 In comparison to the CEO of transit in Toronto, Andy Byford, who made $338,246 and Montreal’s Carl Desrosiers earned $327,369 plus benefits. In the United States, the transit general manager Neil McFarlane in Portland made $290,164 and Seattle King-County Metro CEO Kevin Desmond earned $191,375-all illegally of Taxpayer Money.

A New Study Commissioned By The Cariboo Regional District And The West Chilcotin Tourism Association Has Found That Major Cuts In BC Ferries Service Levels Have Resulted In A Localized Recession Within The Bella Coola Community.

According to the report by the Larose Research Strategy, passenger ridership dropped by 46 per cent and tourism revenues fell by $3.9-million after the cuts made to the Discovery Coast Circle Tour route through Chilcotin – from Port Hardy to Bella Coola.

Both the provincial government and ferry corporation decided to precede with cost reduction measures that would save $725,000 per year. Service reduced by 90 per cent with the use of a much smaller and slower ferry.

That also resulted in $870,000 in lost tax revenues from local businesses in the region. Three in four business were experiencing decreased incomes in the year following cuts to the ferry service, and approximately one in five tourism-based businesses in the region face foreclosure.

These findings come just weeks after the provincial government sunk a B.C. Ferries proposal to eliminate the major ferry route-West Vancouver’s Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo’s Departure Bay. It would have rerouted traffic to Tsawwassen and Duke Point; however, local businesses at Horseshoe Bay and downtown Nanaimo would likely have suffered greatly.

Earlier this year, a Union of B.C. Municipalities study found that fare hikes on B.C. Ferries services have cost the provincial economy $2.3-BILLION in GDP over a ten-year period.

The provincial government??? agrees with a new report that says BC Ferries fare hikes are hindering economic activity.

“Don’t expect prices to drop anytime soon”; that was Transportation Minister Todd Stone’s reaction Wednesday to a policy paper commissioned by the Union of B.C. Municipalities that concluded fare hikes have cost the province $2.3 billion in lost economic activity in the past decade. “Having only received the report this morning, we haven’t had an opportunity to fully analyse it,” Todd said in a conference call on the matter. “However, at the highest level, we certainly agree that fares cannot continue to escalate as they have in the past. We’ve reached a tipping point.”

Asked if prices should revert to 2013 levels, as suggested in the report prepared by Larose Research & Strategy, Todd responded: “I think it’s too early to tell definitively. That being said, I’m not one to falsely raise expectations. I think any expectations that there would be a reduction or rollback in fares is likely misplaced.” He said while there is “no silver bullet” to achieve the objective, “we agree with the report that a broad vision is required to work toward an affordable, efficient and sustainable ferry service.”

The staggering losses cited in the report are the result of declines in ferry ridership on nearly every route, something that strongly related to fare increases that have outpaced inflation, the report concludes. “PERKS” undoubtedly make many of the fare increases necessary.

The report, titled Boatswains to the Bollards: A Socioeconomic Impact Analysis of BC Ferries, comes after a provincial announcement in November 2013 that ferry fares would continue to rise even as services to some communities would trim back.

Municipal leaders and residents up and down the B.C. coast claimed increased fares and route cuts would hurt local businesses, spark job losses, and cause property values to decline.

Among the key findings of the report:

·         BC Ferries is among the global leaders in operating cost recovery, on-time performance, labour cost ratios, safety, and other areas.

·         “Despite common criticism ... BC Ferries compares favourably with its competitors in nearly all categories of operational performance,” stated the report.

But, in the category of Value For Money-cost to the citizens/people/ taxpayers/OWNERS, effectively, efficiently, or even passably; providing the SERVICE they were created to be, management, sustainably it is weak and worsening, a trend that comes while passengers are increasingly price-sensitive, according to the report.

Ferry ridership declined 6.8 per cent overall from 2003 to 2013, while most other modes of transportation in the province experienced jumps in volume, according to the report.

Ridership declined across the province, with the exception of just a few routes, the report found, with northern routes seeing the largest drops — between 20 and 40 per cent. In comparison, ridership dropped 10 to 20 per cent on minor routes and five to eight per cent on major routes between 2003 to 2013.

During that time, average fees increased the most for minor routes, followed by northern and major routes.

The economic losses the report attributes to a decline in ridership over the past decade include $203 million in finance, insurance and real estate???, $161 million in manufacturing, and $67 million in the construction industry.

In coastal regions, the damage attributed to high ferry fares includes lower rates of business formation and stunted housing starts relative to other regions in the province- HIGH FARES ARE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO ECONOMIC RECESSION.

So, Fares Are Scheduled To Rise Another 3.9 Per Cent In 2015???

The impact of a decline in ridership felt far beyond the ferry-dependent communities served by the ferry system — even far away as Ottawa. It is claimed, provincial, federal and municipal coffers lost a combined $609 million in tax revenues on the back of B.C.’s stunted gross domestic product.

The Taxpayers of this province spend some $150 million annually on the system and are receiving very little back.

Time to talk about tolling policy

BC’s Transportation minister says it might be time to review his government’s ten-year-old tolling policy. Todd Stone says he has no set date for such a discussion or even a framework, but it is something the government and taxpayers (tolls amount to taxes on taxes and like high ferries fares, contribute to a decline in tourism and economic recession) need to look at closely. The minister claims, “We have two tolled bridges today. There is potential of one of a number of options:

·         the replacement of the George Massey tunnel could end being funded with a toll.

·         There is also potential for a replacement of the Pattullo Bridge also tolled.

·         The transport claims that the tolling policy is over ten years old and it might be time to look at it. Of course, most Canadian Owner/ Taxpayers and Most Tourists disagree.

·         The finance minister claims, equity and fairness???; especially South of the Fraser, are of primary concern to the government??? when looking at transportation options and the costs involved.

·         Taxpayers and then—maybe--provincial and municipal governments need to be involved the conversation.

Provincial Government is getting closer to asking public about tolling –They Had Better.

·         Minister Todd Stone says the finishing touches are being put on the framework and approach that will be used to get public input and feedback on tolls. He says it’s an important part of the ten-year transportation plan. He says, “Another important ingredient is whatever the Mayors’ Council comes forward with in their plan. They are responsible (providing the taxpaying/voting public-Higher Power to the government politicians, agree) for the Pattullo Bridge, for example, obviously the Golden Ears Bridge as well.”

·         Stone says both those bridges and others are potential tolling situations--while as has been proven with the Port Mann proven the economy and the public (real owners) disagree.

·        Translink civil servant administrators however continue to insist, additional fees may be coming to maintain, repair or replace bridges under its control. Should we be looking at some mechanism of pricing and that conversation has come up, “it’s come up with the mayors, it’s something that we’re talking about.” There had best be a Referendum-first.

Translink Official Raises Possibility of Tolling (which TransLink has no Public/Taxpayer authorisation to even be considering-TransLink does Not legally own the bridges or actually anything else in Canada) all Publically Owned Bridges.

·         Bob Paddon apparently does recognise that any bridge pricing  on TransLink’s part is legally a long way off and Translink has, at this point, not pursued it. But he says if they were to, one of the potential options might be to introduce tolling on spans like the Knight Street Bridge???-appears this guy would gladly see the city and province go bankrupt, just so long as his pockets are well stuffed.. “There’s some potential for that. Tolling is something you put in for the long term. If we’re going to look at it across the network, we’re going to have to work out the equity (TransLink does not have any equity, what issues) and fairness issues. And we’re going to have to make sure however we collect it we’re getting the revenues that THE PEOPLE-THE TAXPAYERS are hoping for.”Translink administrates the operation of several bridges in the Lower Mainland, but, only on continued Public/Taxpayer approval.

·         Paddon also defends employing a separate force on transit, saying the special constables on Skytrain years ago just didn’t work.

·         “All they could do is giving tickets. They didn’t have power of arrest. We sat down with all the chiefs of police within the region and we said to them, ‘What is the best solution?’

·         “They looked at a number of options. They said ‘I think we should create a transit police force that can work with our jurisdictional police.’ I mean, you have a situation when you start at Waterfront you go through about five different jurisdictions to get to Surrey.”

·         Paddon says the current transit police are able to respond faster than jurisdictional police are.  The public is, justifiably asking, at what cost?

Some people claim that we should give thanks for all that we have in Canada today. I wonder if they have ever paused to consider at what cost. The cost of all  this is devolution; Vancouver, the lower mainland, British Columbia, Canada have all devolved to the point that we are now living in what is very close to Medieval style feudalism where one must—Fight for the Realm, and Pay For The Luxuriant Life Style Of Celebrity Aristocracy, for which  “Contribution”—One Is Allowed Life. 

©Al (Alex-Alexander) D. Girvan. All rights reserved.