Get Moving BC

The facts on Get Moving BC

Many of you have seen that Sean Holman's website, Public Eye Online, has run a piece on some Get Moving BC fundraising.

Right now, GMBC has raised and spent a grand total of (wait for it!) $75. Some of our members would like to do some research and polling on congestion and Gateway issues, so they have approached some people to raise money.

It's no secret that I'm a provincial Liberal. But I do not believe that should disqualify me from talking about Gateway or transportation issues. If it did, the Gateway 30 group (which counts the NDP, Green Party, Canadian Action Party, and Canadian Auto Workers among their "grassroots" members) would also have to step out of the dialogue. We all vote one way or another. Living in a democratic nation means we get to speak our opinion no matter how we vote. I don't begrudge the Livable Region people having rallies, websites and blogs--why would they be upset with me having one too?

We send out emails to people who support Gateway about public meetings where they can share their opinions. We also encourage them to write MLAs, Mayors, Councils, and press.

In fact, we break with Kevin Falcon and the BC Liberals on Evergreen--GMBC wants it fully funded now, while they seem to be dragging their heels for some reason. I’m hoping the Emerson funding announcement will loosen ther province's purse strings for Evergreen.

I have found the comments on the Public Eye post most intriguing, and would like to address a few of them.

Since The Gateway Project is going ahead as is the Golden Ears Bridge (now being built), plus the Perimeter Roads, Canada Line, etc. what is the use of this group?

The Gateway opposition seems determined to drag out this fight through the next provincial election in May 2009. The quiet majority of folks who support both road and transit solutions must not assume that Gateway will be built until after the next election. While some projects are underway, many will extend past the next campaign and could be cancelled if the opponents get their way.

I doubt these groups are looking to get fat, they just don't want the construction slowed down by all these David Suzuki led groups that don't want our city to grow. I never see anybody complaining about all these negative citizen action groups. I'm pretty tired of hearing about these groups that complain about every transportation initiative that's taking place. Like twinning the Port Mann, doesn't that just make sense. I doubt anybody that complains about it has to drive across it. I don't know about the tolls, but shouldn't the people who use the new bridges and highways have to pay for them. I'd be happy to pay a dollar or two if I can get across the fraser river in under 30 minutes in the morning.

I completely agree.

Jared, There is info aplenty on this site http://livableregion.ca/ and their new blog that demonstrates quite clearly why twining the Port Mann and doubling Hwy 1 is only a stop gap measure. Besides that, with oil at $1.30/litre ($5.75/gallon)and climbing, we'd all be better off if they just did the less expensive option of a good transit system out to the Valley. Because in 10 years we won't be able to afford driving into Vancouver anymore by ourselves.

I'd respond to that one, but I think commenter Budd Campbell already did:

I suspect that Nic Slater is intelligent enough to know that the inspirationally titled "livableregion" site contains propaganda, not information.

If you look through their material you won't find papers authored by experts with professional reputations to maintain, such as a tenured professor at a university. Instead, you find MA level people who are employed by an advocacy group signing their names to various critiques.

In my opinion, these foot soldiers are being used in the holy war against Gateway that's being pursued by Vancouver and Burnaby real estate and political interests cleverly disguised as "greens". In reality, the only green thing any of these people really care about preserving and protecting is the immense untaxed capital gain in their principal residence, when they fear might diminish slightly if Gateway makes suburban locations more accessible.

posted by Jordan Bateman @ 8:26 AM