[Stroker]

Another rant. Sorry. For those who do not know who/what Translink is, they are a non-elected, non- government body that manages our buses and rapid transit system with some other stuff thrown in there too. However they have the ability to invoke taxes/ fees/ levies ect, to our property taxes, gas prices and our vehicle insurance. They annouced yesterday they will be voteing in July to raise the price of some or all of the above as well as a flat $100-$150 / year to all insurance policies. So they decide to do this during a reccesion when many of us are losing our jobs?????? Get my gun Mother!!!

 

[OldGuy 71Acadian]

BC sounds just as bad if not in some cases worse than the crap that southern Ontarions have to endure. Northern Ontario residents get better deals than us. Our province can't even make it the same province wide. :turn:

 

[scherp69]

Another rant. Sorry. For those who do not know who/what Translink is, they are a non-elected, non- government body that manages our buses and rapid transit system with some other stuff thrown in there too. However they have the ability to invoke taxes/ fees/ levies ect, to our property taxes, gas prices and our vehicle insurance. They annouced yesterday they will be voteing in July to raise the price of some or all of the above as well as a flat $100-$150 / year to all insurance policies. So they decide to do this during a reccesion when many of us are losing our jobs?????? Get my gun Mother!!!

I feel for you guys in Vancouver. I would hate living there. It's stressful enough just visiting. Not only do you guys get the fuel taxes, but now they add this. The only good thing I find about translink, which I know was a big complaint when they first announced it, is the expansion of the sky train. Having one to the airport is a great idea. Unfortunately it's hurt a lot of businesses in the mean time. I'd like to see the sky train go farther out towards Langley. If you're not a user of the sky train, I would hate paying the taxes too. I don't think it's right they can just invoke taxes though without some type of legislation.

 

[LeftCoast Carl]

I feel for you guys in Vancouver. I would hate living there. It's stressful enough just visiting. Not only do you guys get the fuel taxes, but now they add this. The only good thing I find about translink, which I know was a big complaint when they first announced it, is the expansion of the sky train. Having one to the airport is a great idea. Unfortunately it's hurt a lot of businesses in the mean time. I'd like to see the sky train go farther out towards Langley. If you're not a user of the sky train, I would hate paying the taxes too. I don't think it's right they can just invoke taxes though without some type of legislation.

don't feel 'left out' mike.
translink has the power to add this new levy to EVERY car in the province,not just the ones in the greater vancouver area.do you think an unemployed logger in smithers is gonna be pleased about this B.S.? i think translink has too much power and too many brainiacs that are trying to justify their own income by figuring out how they'll loosen our wallets to pay for transportation that will only benefit a few in the lower mainland.
because the infrastructue has been ignored for soooooo long,we will all get to bear the financial impact in one tax or another
leftcoast carl.

 

[scherp69]

@#%&* Translink Now that really sucks!! Oh well, if they're not going to get us one way, they'll get us another. I still feel sorry for you lower mainland guys though

 

[CdnL79 Registry]

As I understand it, their proposed new taxes would only apply to metro Vancouver (Greater Vancouver Regional Dist.) which is everything east to the Abbotsford border south of the river, and the Mission border on the north. There has been great pressure for years to have Abbotsford join the GVRD. No thanks! No benefit at all, just all kinds of Translink taxes for absolutely zero Translink services.

Bob

 

[BOGIE]

Tax Perspective

Let's keep an open mind and look at it a different way...(not that I like to pay taxes !!)
I had a neighbor once that was married and chose to not have children. He was an absolute lunatic when tax time came around and he had to pay "SCHOOL TAXES"..... I never heard so many curse words in one day!! Can you possibly imagine what the school system would be like if that was the case??? Hey no kids= no taxes!!!

I kinda feel sorry for those who pay taxes that goes towards my monthly Gov. pension.......... poor sloths, they're still working and I'm not and they pay me!!!!!!!! :devil::devil::devil:

The tax system is what makes the whole world prosper, wether you think it's fair or not!! Don't pay them and you'll end up in jail where all the rest of us poor slobs who do pay taxes will ensure a decent meal and a nice bed...... and maybe even a nice neighbor!! Suck it up.

Bogie

 

[scherp69]

Let's keep an open mind and look at it a different way...(not that I like to pay taxes !!)
I had a neighbor once that was married and chose to not have children. He was an absolute lunatic when tax time came around and he had to pay "SCHOOL TAXES"..... I never heard so many curse words in one day!! Can you possibly imagine what the school system would be like if that was the case??? Hey no kids= no taxes!!!

I kinda feel sorry for those who pay taxes that goes towards my monthly Gov. pension.......... poor sloths, they're still working and I'm not and they pay me!!!!!!!! :devil::devil::devil:

The tax system is what makes the whole world prosper, wether you think it's fair or not!! Don't pay them and you'll end up in jail where all the rest of us poor slobs who do pay taxes will ensure a decent meal and a nice bed...... and maybe even a nice neighbor!! Suck it up.

Bogie

I agree with you completely. There is no point fighting it, like I said earlier if they don't get you one way, they'll get you another. Without the taxes, we wouldn't have the sky train which I use most times when I'm in Vancouver. We can still complain about it though

I know this is off topic, but shows the point of fighting what you can't really fight. I was training a new member and he pulled a guy over who had no insurance and no driver's license. When he went to talk to him, the driver wouldn't tell him his name. My recruit radioed me and asked me to come help him. I told the guy if he didn't give up his name, we'd arrest him, put him in jail until we could confirm his identity, then he'd get several tickets. In the end he knew he wouldn't win so he told us his name. We still towed his truck, impounded it for 3 months and gave him a ticket for no insurance, no driver's license and fail to state name to police. It was just under $1000. A couple weeks later I was talking to a friend of mine who actually works with this guy and he was complaining about getting stopped. Until then he was the type of guy who refused to buy insurance or get a license. He thought he was better than the rest of us who have to pay. He's since got his license and payed for insurance as he found it's cheaper in the long run.

 

[Stroker]

First off don't assume that because someone lives in the greater Vancouver area that they benifit from skytrain or the bus system. If you live in the burbs like i do ( south delta) there is no skytrain and the bus system is sorely lacking. I'm a carpenter so I travel every day to and from work with tools and materials in my pickup. Taking the bus is not an option. I agree that I made the decision to be a carpenter and live in the burbs. I'm not against me paying taxes for the transit system. But enough is enough. Remember we are already paying translink with our feul (4-5 cents/liter) and property taxes. We subsidize the west coast express to the tune of $14 per rider. At some point we need to say whoa to translink and say yes to more hospital equipment and resources in our schools. Something we will all benefit from. Like all of us do during economic hardships...they need to live within their means.

 

[graymond]

Translink provides all kind of wonderful service for us folks.

Aircare, Skytrain, convienent bus service, reasonable gas prices, wonderful wide roads without potholes, merging that makes sense.

I can't see why anyone complains.








I think I will wake up now.

ray

 

[65-SD]

Translink provides all kind of wonderful service for us folks.

Aircare, Skytrain, convienent bus service, reasonable gas prices, wonderful wide roads without potholes, merging that makes sense.

I can't see why anyone complains.








I think I will wake up now.

ray

Ray, do you know anybody with a baseball bat? Ask them to use it on you. If will help you wake up.

I know that you were joking about "Aircare, Skytrain, convienent bus service, reasonable gas prices, wonderful wide roads without potholes, merging that makes sense." But I still keep thinking about that bat. :devil:

 

[LeftCoast Carl]

As I understand it, their proposed new taxes would only apply to metro Vancouver (Greater Vancouver Regional Dist.) which is everything east to the Abbotsford border south of the river, and the Mission border on the north. There has been great pressure for years to have Abbotsford join the GVRD. No thanks! No benefit at all, just all kinds of Translink taxes for absolutely zero Translink services.

Bob

i stand corrected bob.
i too,realize that with out taxes,the world as we know it doesn't "go round...". that said,there is a difference between taxing the citizens and gouging them.i know this is an age old debate,but there are problems with sooooooooooo many translink policies that it's difficult to even pick one to expose the ridiculousness of the situation.
yes i drive a car(in fact i own several of them) but i don't commute across a bridge,i haven't been on a bus in 25 years,i ride skytrain every 3 years whether i need to or not,i rarely cross a bridge and remit a ton of taxes already for the priveledge through ICBC,fuel,and property taxes and i'm certain there are a few other hidden taxes in place.i'd much rather "pay as i go" with tolls than simply have it applied to me because i live in a certain area and might use it someday.
can you imagine a flat tax of $150.00 per vehicle? between my personal vehicles and the fleet of courtesy cars i own/lease for my business i have about 20 cars.does $3000.00 of tax seem fair for my share?!?!?remember,most of these cars won't ever cross as bridge or leave the fraser valley
i don't mind paying my fair share,but think hard about pulling 3 grand outta your wallet every 365 days to feed an agency that you have NO faith in already and then tell me i should "suck it up" or be a good corporate citizen.
aircare is too easy a target and i have paid the full brunt of owning a non-compliant vehicle year after year after year.......the only thing cleaner in the end is my wallet.we've now empowered these same idiots to decide what's best for us to pay for infrastructure to correct decades old problems and also to support the influx of people for 2 or 3 weeks during the olympics we can't afford to host.it would appear the tail is wagging the dog.
rant over-FOR NOW!!!
leftcoast carl.

 

[roysnova]

My 2 cents
Years ago Translink (then Transit) started with a couple of cents a gallon on gasoline as far out as Langley. The rant was Nobody'll buy gas in Langley.
Fast forward to today. I've move away from the Mainland, so, am not sure how many hands are in your pockets today, What is it?
Gas tax, Hydro levies, ICBC levies. Maybe more?
Does anyone think it will stop? I don't!
When politicians or their appointees need money, they never seem to hesitate to go back to the well. They don't consider cost. If they need a raise............they got it.
How would Translink be run If Jimmy Pattison was the Chair?
We have the power! With a provincial election in May, We CAN make them listen. Why don't we determime the issue for a change rather than letting them tell us what they are.

Well, I guess that was more like my 5 cents worth.

 

[steelrat]

I kinda feel sorry for those who pay taxes that goes towards my monthly Gov. pension.......... poor sloths, they're still working and I'm not and they pay me!!!!!!!! :devil::devil::devil:

Bogie

Hey Bogie,
The least you could be doing is either wrenching on our cars or detailing them while we are at work supporting your pension

 

[graymond]

What would be really nice if we could elect Translink. Right now they are appointed and unaccountable.

There is a huge fight going on right now with cancelling the single seat ride from White Rock to Downtown Vancouver when the new Skytrain comes in. People will have to transfer at least once and possibly twice to get to their destination. At that point, taking your car starts to make sense. And yes I took the train for 6 years, carpooled for 3, took the bus for 2 years.

For example, went to a hockey game a couple of weeks ago, if I took transit, would have to drive to Scott Road Station, 30 minutes, park, $6 then take the train,$4, 35 minutes to GM place. Then reverse, another $4. Cost $14 for transit. Plus I then get the enjoyment of people being stabbed (last time I rode the train), drunks sitting next to me and then my allegeries kick in. Just not worth it.

If I drove, parking $20, gas $2, time 45 minutes. Coming home about 35 minutes.

Why take transit when it takes longer and the money is about the same?

Ray