The transit plebiscite in Metro Vancouver appears to have degenerated from being a Yes versus No battle to a Doom versus Gloom fight. The past couple of weeks saw two good examples of the hysteria either side likes to employ.
A couple of weeks back the No side floated the ridiculous notion that the Lions Gate Bridge would eventually be closed to all vehicle traffic. Based on an unimplemented and unenforceable “deal” hatched between a dying NDP government and the Vancouver Park Board more than 15 years ago, the whole thing seemed like a ploy designed to get everyone worked up about TransLink.
All it took was a couple of phone calls to realize the whole idea was more hoax than reality. Still, while the No side’s credibility may have taken a hit, it may have pushed a few more ballots into their camp.
More recently, on the day of a federal budget that outlined a new fund for transit, Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson flatly declared that a successful No vote would mean the federal government would never, ever provide new funding for transit projects in Metro Vancouver. He was immediately corrected by federal Industry Minister James Moore, who said no matter which side won the federal government’s commitment to boosting funding for transit in Metro Vancouver was “unshakeable.”
You can argue all you want about a government’s “commitment” to something and whether or not it’s real, but a truism in politics is that improving transportation is a key way to winning votes. The transportation needs of Metro Vancouver, in some parts, are directly tied to the political fortunes of both the federal and provincial governments.
Does anyone really believe that a No vote would kill, say, any chance of Surrey getting provincial and federal funding to build light rail rapid transit lines within its borders?
Not on your life. This is basic politics, folks. If there is indeed a successful No vote, the two senior levels of government will find ways around that outcome to curry favour with voters in key ridings.
The mayors claim there is no “plan B” should the Yes side go down in flames. There is one, of course, but no one yet knows what it will look like (perhaps it will mean raising property taxes, or bringing in a vehicle levy, or something else that produces revenue), and it may take a couple of years to sort things out.
There are plenty of valid reasons to vote either Yes or No in the transit plebiscite, but don’t base your vote on the silly idea that the Lions Gate Bridge may close, or on a fear that governments will stop spending big money on transportation.
