The Editor,
The elected municipal leaders in most Metro Vancouver cities have allowed unbridled development without consideration to the impact of their decisions. Flooding and erosion exists in many new areas. Wildlife is routinely killed for trying to exist in what has been their home for generations. School boards scramble to try to accommodate the influx of children. The existing streets and highways are clogged with people trying to go about the business of living in their new homes.
And how are the municipal governments, whose own negligence has caused these problems, reacting? At this late date, they are meeting with the school districts and are proud of the fact that there may be schools built in the next few years. Some of them sell wildlife-proof garbage containers to their citizens while others fine individuals if it's found that wild animals dare return to the areas they have always known and try to feed themselves.
And transportation? Most of the municipal governments have jumped on the Yes side of the transportation referendum, with the mayors proposing a .5% increase to the sales tax to fund transportation improvements.
It is a perfect solution for the politicians. It takes away from what should be the real focus, which is that they did not do the job for which they were elected: to effectively manage their cities. They can't lose with this referendum. If the vote is Yes, they can breathe a sigh of relief, continue to rake in thousands of dollars from developers at election time, continue to vote themselves raises and pat themselves on the back for a job well done. If the vote is No, they can blame the voters for the transportation mess they created.
I find it interesting that one of the arguments for the new tax is that millions of people will be moving to this area and transportation is needed to accommodate them. Guess what? If each of the municipalities' elected governments did the job for which they were elected, any influx of people could and should be managed as it happens. If there are no solutions to negative community impacts, stop the new development.
A new tax is not needed. What is needed is for our elected managers to do the job we have assigned them.
Jonathan Myers, Port Coquitlam
