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Transit vote proves leadership unable to make decisions

Surrey - The Editor, Re: "Not all can afford to vote 'yes' to tax," the Now editorial, Jan. 20.

 

I will be voting "no" on the Metro Vancouver Congestion Improvement Tax referendum and encourage everyone to take the same position.

 

It is not because it is an unworthy cause. It is certainly worthy. Yet, so are many other causes. Education, health care, policing, homelessness, poverty, child abuse and aging infrastructure all come quickly to mind.

 

Is the concept of specific taxes for specific causes the direction we are going?

 

Will the popularity or visibility of a cause determine its success? Will the general revenue fund be available for whimsy once the funding pressures are provided by specific tax measures?

 

We elect leaders with the expectation that they will lead. They are to carefully consider the issues, make the difficult decisions and stand by the reasoning behind those decisions. They hire competent professionals to advise them on the issues.

 

At least that is the way I thought the system was supposed to work.

 

I oppose this referendum based on the abdication of leadership and the direction of creating specific taxes for specific purposes.

 

Allan Alton

 

Surrey