Opinion The Tyee - Christy Clark proposes audit

Premier Cristy Clark has called for an audit of Translink. However the major problems that exist do not seem to be her concern. Translink was originally set up under the South Coast BC Transit Authority Act – Translink with the aim of getting people out of their cars and into transit. With respect, Clark’s proposed audit is not a public audit? What is needed extends beyond the Act to the government itself. The present Liberal government are the inheritors of the mistakes made by former Premier Campbell. The wrongs include a number of selling off government corporations and/or assets to the private sector. The present liberal government had the opportunity to right the wrongs of the previous administration. Of interest is Translink. It is time to right the wrongs of Liberal government’s inept handling of Translink. Instead of righting the wrongs the Clark government has adopted the format of the act made under former Premier Campbell’s rule. It is time to stop the advance of Translink to the private sector, begun under former Premier Campbell as was done with the ferries. The present Campbell appointed Board instead of making changes designed to get people out of their cars and into public transit have made improvements which encourage the use of cars. Their improvements have also increased the tax burden on the general public including car drivers. It avoids taxation of the real benefactors of public transit, business and other aspects of the private world that presently pay little or nothing toward transit in the form of taxation. What is needed is clear. Two things are imperative. First return Translink Board to elected Mayors plus a limited number of others. Second, make all services and companies in Translink and Coast Mountain Bus companies the same, not contracted. John & Elizabeth Beeching, Two HandyDART users at betjohn@shaw.ca

TELUS, mobility, internet, telephone, tv, support, music, entertainment

WE NEED A COMPLETE AND PUBLIC AUDIT OF TRANSLINK AND HandyDART!

Translink was intended to get people out of their cars and into public transit, Not an exact quote see Auditor General's 1941 audit of Translink.

Since then the Translink Board has been taken out of the public domain and placed into the private one. In 1941 the Translink Board was comprised of Mayors and other named members. Under premiership of Campbell they moved to a advisory group with no powers. Since Mayors are elected officials, public went down the tube. Government appointed a board made up of professionals. So Translink moved into the private domain.

With elections in 2013 it is time NOW to start a "Right the wrongs campaign." Let's start with Translink - restore the Translink Board to Mayors and remove "contracted service" from any companies that are contracted like HandyDART placing them as companies like all other companies in Translink. It would improve for both users and companies.