What the Vancouver vote means
Re: The People Have A Right To Say No, editorial, July 4. The message all governments across this land should be hearing from the definitive vote in Vancouver is people are sick and tired of being forced to pay taxes for services they don’t use. John L. Krysa, Oak Bay, B.C.
The people should not have the right to say “No” to specific government policies, especially taxes. Democracy is good, mob rule isn’t. Most of us appreciate the right to vote for the people who rule and run our government. It is the foundation of our democracy. Referendums and plebiscites, on the other hand, are just mob rule.
Our elected officials are abdicating their responsibility for making decisions when they fall back on popularity contests to set policy. Most votes in a referendum are based on personal greed, not prudent economic management. A Yes or No vote, based only on self interest, is dangerous. That’s why it’s the responsibility of elected officials to set tax policy based on longterm planning, extensive research, and fairness. Mob rule has no such wisdom. In fact a “referendum” looks like you are “referring” the question to the “dumb.”
Vancouver taxpayers should fire this bunch of buck-passers, sending a clear message to future politicians: shirking your responsibility will not be tolerated. Steen Petersen, Nanaimo, B.C.
Virtually all of us in the Lower Mainland want improved public transit. But rewarding TransLink with more money after it has proved its incompetence and outright contempt for taxpayers was not on. Remember, TransLink is the only organization to win a Lifetime Achievement Award for incompetence from the Canadian Taxpayers Association.
Craig Noren, Surrey, B.C. B.C. residents said no to new taxes to pay for transit and infrastructure. This tells the politicians they are taxed enough, that they pay enough of their incomes to government. The government should use the money it receives from our pay cheques wisely because it isn’t getting any more. It has a revenue stream from the gas tax. The “road tax” applied to every single litre of fuel bought should be used for its intended purpose — roads, bridges, infrastructure. Wade Pearson, Calgary.
The day before the result of the transit referendum was announced, I paid my annual property tax and reflected bitterly that, based on my take-home pay, I spend two months a year working exclusively for the benefit of my district council. Add to that the myriad of other ways we are gouged by various layers of government and the fact we live in the third-least least affordable city in the world, and it isn’t rocket science to figure out why we rejected the new transit levy. Put simply, we are not greedy, selfish, dim-witted morons, we just don’t have any more money to give our profligate politicians.
Paul Higgins, North Vancouver, B.C.