So did you hear the one about the provincial government that blew off a lot of steam about green house gases and urged the humble folks of said province to find ways to reduce their carbon footprint on good old Mother Earth?
Heck, the politicians even went so far as to issue $100 to every citizen of the province - and then just to show their utmost sincerity, they even slapped on a brand new tax to be applied in ways for the government to further reduce our sloppy footprints.
And just when we were beginning to buy into the whole government-knows-best policy, the Sunshine Coast got one of its usual transportation kicks in the teeth. Because, in spite of all the magnitude of the B.C. government, it turns out they just don't have any more money to fund an expanded bus service here.
At the request of the Sunshine Coast Regional District, B.C. Transit submitted a budget proposing the Coast get 2,600 more hours of bus service, an overall increase of about 15 per cent - a budget that was trounced by the province.
We suppose when Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon announced his 12-year, $14 billion transit plan in January, he forgot the Sunshine Coast was part of B.C. And, as usual, when it comes to transportation improvements, the Coast is getting the drive shaft.
The next time you're driving down our less-than-adequate excuse for a highway, count the number of cars with only one person in them. We bet you'll be surprised. Many people live in one area of the Coast and work in another. Although most employers would probably be happy to have their employees commute by bus and arrive for work anywhere from an hour to half an hour early, the reality is employees are not excited by that possibility. We really think the government missed the bus on this one. Now is the time when the environment is foremost in everyone's mind. We agree with Area D regional board director Donna Shugar. It is astonishing to realize how little weight the Sunshine Coast's transportation needs bring to bear in Victoria. But then we really shouldn't be surprised - we're still waiting for Falcon's visit to the Coast that's overdue by about three years.
If you care about this issue, send an email to Falcon at [email protected] or phone him at his Surrey constituency office at 1-604-576-3792. In the meantime, don't hold your breath waiting for that bus.
