Editor:
TransLink states it currently has a $30 million budgetary shortfall in spite of all the money it continues to extract from the taxpayer's wallet.
Yet by its own estimates it has been bleeding $18 million a year due to fare evasion. This translates to a loss of $180 million over the last 10 years. Anyone care to make a bet this is underestimated, even grossly so?
TransLink now admits it isn't/can't enforce the tickets and fines given to the freeloaders that don't pay. This has been going on since day one and they just realize it now? The transit system was designed without adequate controls over entry into the system.
TransLink wants to impose a list of taxes and user fees on the already hard-hit taxpayer. It wants us to continue to pay for infrastructures that we have already paid for numerous times. It wants to continue its spending and pass the bill on to us. After all, we're a bunch of dumb sheep that will remain silent and continue to be fleeced.
Enough is more than enough already.
It's time to bring this organization under control and more directly responsible to the people that are paying the bills. Here are some potential remedies:
1. Create an independent group/board to hold hearings to investigate mismanagement and spending at TransLink. You can almost guarantee mismanagement of fares is only the tip of the iceberg. If necessary, give this board the powers to subpoena witnesses.
2. Dismiss employees responsible for this fiasco; for failing to provide adequate levels of financial management; for dereliction of their fiduciary responsibilities to the public.
3. Dismiss the TransLink board of directors and replace it with a board consisting of a director from each member community.
Ensure each board member is directly elected by the citizens of their community; board members are not to be appointed by councils, mayors, etc.
4. As part of the new system of governance, create advisory/oversight boards comprised of stakeholders, including property owners, members of the transportation industry, employees (such as bus drivers) and user groups. We simply must have those paying the bills have more control of the spending.
5. Don't allow any taxation powers by this organization unless they have been approved by referenda and roll back the current taxing powers.
Personally, I strongly suggest it's now time for Delta to get out of TransLink. We shouldn't even consider being part of TransLink until we (the people of Delta) can be assured the lack of control and overzealous spending of this organization has ended. Approval of signing back up should be done via a referendum.
Paul Mumby
