Langford Group Says It’s Not the Interchange — It’s the Money
Posted by insidelangford on January 13, 2008
Published Jan 12, 2008 by CFAX
A GROUP OF CONCERNED CITIZENS WILL BE KNOCKING ON DOORS IN LANGFORD TODAY LOOKING FOR PETITION SIGNATURES FOR COUNCIL TO RE-EXAMINE THE ISSUE OF FUNDING FOR THE BEAR MOUNTAIN INTERCHANGE.
STEVEN HURDLE IS THE LEAD ORGANIZER OF THE GROUP. HE SAYS HIS GROUP IS NOT AGAINST THE INTERCHANGE ITSELF — ONLY THE LARGE AMOUNTS OF MONEY BEING BORROWED FOR ITS CONSTRUCTION.
“THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR TAX DOLLARS. THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT TAKING ON A $25,000,000 LOAN (THE BIGGEST IN LANGFORD’S HISTORY) WITHOUT ANY KIND OF A PUBLIC APPROVAL PROCESS. YOU MAY NOT KNOW BUT MUNICIPALITIES UNDER PROVINCIAL LAW ARE NORMALLY REQUIRED TO GET APPROVAL, FOR ANY LOANS THAT THEY TAKE ON, FROM THE PUBLIC.”
HURDLE SAYS HE HOPES TO GATHER AT LEAST 2,000 SIGNATURES OVER THE NEXT MONTH.
IT’S UNLIKELY THAT IT WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE HOWEVER AS LANGFORD COUNCIL HAS BEEN VERY CLEAR SAYING THE INTERCHANGE IS GOING AHEAD REGARDLESS.
– ADAM STIRLING
Rana Aurora said
It would seem that the process and the product are equally rotten and poorly motivated. The lack of public consultation, the undemocratic loan bylaw and the massive habitat destruction to be wrought by the interchange and the build-out of the Bear Mountain are part and parcel of the same lousy plan. There can be no redeeming features of a development scheme motivated primarily by greed and laying waste to the natural world in our care. It is clearly time to stop killing the planet. That’s the most urgent issue. Everything else pales in comparison. Every inch of natural forest cut down and permanently lost for a a thick wad in the pocket of a rich developer or to expand the privilege and luxury of the well-to-do, only robs the planet as a whole of the best carbon sequestering device there is. To be paving more of the living planet for more car infrastructure, especially at this time, is pure madness. I commend the tree sitters for taking a non-compromising stand against this stupidity and greed. The petition is focusing too narrowly against the loan bylaw. Why act like if they only asked us it would be alright? It would be sad if a referendum ruled in favour of the interchange. Do the frogs get a vote?