Raise the Hammer

I receive and read RTH for information and nostalgic reasons. I am a former Hamiltonian, albeit twenty-three years ago but keep in touch through friends and family. I have never been induced to comment, leaving things to the locals and the taxpayers, however I feel that before applauding this carbon tax some points should be brought to your attention. The concept of going green has my full support and the support of thousands more in this most beautiful part of the world where people share in very progressive environmental forum and a carbon tax should be applauded, however in many cases the habitat and local geography defy this enthusiasm but for economic reasons. I will give an exmple to explain. I live on Bowen Island and work at UBC. I look from my window at home, across English Bay/Burrard Inlet,and view the building in which my office is contained.To get there I drive to the ferry and cross to Horseshoe Bay and then drive through all of West Vancouver to wait in a line-up of idling cars and carbon emissions to cross the Lion's Gate Bridge and over the Stanley Park Causeway to enter Downtown Vancouver. Slow traffic through the city and then on to Burrard Street for another slow Bridge crossing to Kitsalano and the all the way out past Point Grey and the Endownment Properties to UBC. Going and coming on a good day just under one hour and on a bad (becoming normal) day two hours is fast. We have joined the people on the North Shore and in West Vancouver to have a ferry from Horseshoe Bay to Point Grey or even another Bridge to twin with Lion's Gate Bridge for both economic and environmental reasons but the Government continues to wear blinders and earmuffs. Now they have decided that a Carbon Tax may solve a problem. There is no other way for the people on the Sunshine Coast or Bowen to reach the North Shore other than by car/ferry/car and then to get to the city other than to park at Horseshoe Bay for $15.00 a day plus $7.00 return bus-fare per day. British Columbia is a
mountainous region and Vancouver is a city of islands joined by bridges, the first province to have carbon tax where a good arguement can be made for the Only Province Not to Have One.