Fund transit from above

The Surrey Board of Trade strongly supports Mayor Dianne Watts with respect to her comments (July 2) concerning with the funding shortfalls of TransLink through additional taxation “of any kind”.

About five years ago, the Surrey Board of Trade actually endorsed a 3.5 cent per litre levy on gasoline in order to provide greater funding for the agency

How times have changed.

In addition, TransLink sought to increase their funding, first through a vehicle levy which was soundly rejected, then through the parking tax, which was vigorously opposed, instituted anyway and ultimately dropped after a couple of years of egregiously unfair (to business) application.

Now, in an ironic twist, the vehicle levy idea is circulating again.

With the amazing escalation in fuel prices threatening serious damage to our economy, there is no money left either in our businesses, or in the pockets of their employees, to handle any further tax increases for transit.

There is no question that funding the transit shortfall is necessary, but there is also no question that while the provincial and federal governments are “enjoying” substantial budget surpluses, the shortfalls facing TransLink must be made up from these sources rather than continuing their discretionary spending on programs and initiatives less critical than transit.

The transportation and transit systems in the Lower Mainland are in crisis.

There are excellent plans to solve this, however, senior governments must step up to the plate to handle the cost of this shortfall at TransLink without resorting to further taxation.

The money they so jealously guard, after all, was from “we” the people, and businesses, to start with.

As Mayor Watts so aptly put it, “You cannot go back to the residents time after time and expect them to pay.”

Clearly this is equally the state of affairs with the business community.

Well said, mayor.

Inde Sumal, president

Surrey Board of Trade