To the editor:
Re: “Taxpayers Federation tax their credibility,” Jan. 9.
As usual, Allen Garr makes up for a lack of thoughtful analysis by calling people names. He sits on a board himself and I imagine he always votes with the majority out of fear that he will be called a curmudgeon or a contrarian for taking a different view.
I opposed the referendum because I believe that it is a fundamentally bad way to make public policy. It got Premier Clark off the hook on transit issues during the election campaign, because so-called journalists were dazzled by the avoidance maneuver. In addition, the $7.5 billion vision is not a plan. It is a wish list of projects that can’t be funded by the tax. Garr should know this.
Finally, I have steadfastly opposed the governance structure of TransLink and I have made this clear dozens of times. I won’t ask people for more money when I have no control over how it will be spent. This is particularly true given the TransLink history of mismanagement.
As far as being contrary, Burnaby has become one of the most successful cities in Canada during my terms on council and, as chair of regional Planning for Metro Vancouver, I was responsible for attaining unanimous approval of the regional growth strategy.
Get off your high horse, Garr, and try talking about the issues, instead of calling people names and impugning their motives.
Mayor Derek Corrigan,
Burnaby
