The key item of importance at this past Monday night’s Council meeting was how Mayor Rick Green was once again busy word weaselling and baffle-gabbing his way out, as only he can, of his July 2011 decision to support a proposed Translink 2 cents per litre gas tax increase. One has to ask: Just how much more of Rick Green’s political weasel words can this community afford and believe? And what exactly will be the total tax cost to us, the Langley Township taxpayers, if Green and his slate get elected? A 2 cent a litre gas tax for starters unless he changes his mind on Friday at the Translink meeting which this Editor predicts he will most likely flip-flop on and vote against. Quite frankly we hope he does. But he could just as easily flip-flop on this again given any opportunity after the November election!
Just to show you Green’s baffle-gab politics in action, we have 2 videos for you to watch. The first is from Monday night’s Council meeting (October 3, 2011) and the second is from the July 25, 2011 Council meeting.
The first video is a classic politics 101 primer in the slick US-style political technique of back-tracking and butt-covering. In just under 1 minute, Mayor Green delivers an amazing line of political BS reversing his July 25, 2011 stance on the 2 cents per litre gas tax hike all the while managing to keep a straight face. He loses points though because his level of concern is not delivered genuinely ad lib but is instead read verbatim. It makes one wonder if he really believes what he’s reading!
As usual, Mayor Green tries to fool Township taxpaying voters by constantly blaming others for his own lack of good judgement. In July 2011, Green voted with the
majority of his friends and buddies in Metro Vancouver (who keep giving Green $300+ per meeting Metro Van committee appointments). In July, he obviously forgot who really elects him (i.e. the Township voters not his Metro Van cronies) because he was ready to saddle Township taxpayers with 2 cents a litre more Translink gas taxes although he refused to admit it even when asked several times in public and even when his Metro Van cronies revealed how they voted. He again tried to weasel and baffle-gab his way out in July.
In July, Councillor Kim Richter went on CKNW (listen to cknw audio archive link) to defend why the Township should not have to pay more gas taxes. According to Richter, the Township already forks out $40 million a year in both property and gas taxes to Translink yet gets nowhere near $40 million worth of service. Where was Mayor Green in this debate? In fact Mayor Green even voted against his council's request to have him return to the TransLink Mayors' Council and ask for reconsideration of a two-cent gas tax (read Langley Advance story here)! Why wasn’t he defending the Township? Richter’s arguments were also printed in the Langley Times (Langley Times link). We agree that Richter is right: No more taxes for Translink until Langley Township becomes an equal partner. Mayor Green should not be caving into Translink’s threats of building facilities in the township but not opening them, like the park & ride in Walnut Grove, etc. – especially not given what the Township puts into Translink’s coffers on an annual basis.
majority of his friends and buddies in Metro Vancouver (who keep giving Green $300+ per meeting Metro Van committee appointments). In July, he obviously forgot who really elects him (i.e. the Township voters not his Metro Van cronies) because he was ready to saddle Township taxpayers with 2 cents a litre more Translink gas taxes although he refused to admit it even when asked several times in public and even when his Metro Van cronies revealed how they voted. He again tried to weasel and baffle-gab his way out in July.
In July, Councillor Kim Richter went on CKNW (listen to cknw audio archive link) to defend why the Township should not have to pay more gas taxes. According to Richter, the Township already forks out $40 million a year in both property and gas taxes to Translink yet gets nowhere near $40 million worth of service. Where was Mayor Green in this debate? In fact Mayor Green even voted against his council's request to have him return to the TransLink Mayors' Council and ask for reconsideration of a two-cent gas tax (read Langley Advance story here)! Why wasn’t he defending the Township? Richter’s arguments were also printed in the Langley Times (Langley Times link). We agree that Richter is right: No more taxes for Translink until Langley Township becomes an equal partner. Mayor Green should not be caving into Translink’s threats of building facilities in the township but not opening them, like the park & ride in Walnut Grove, etc. – especially not given what the Township puts into Translink’s coffers on an annual basis.
This coming Friday (October 7, 2011) though, Green will not be able to vote in secret with his Metro Van cronies any more on this proposed 2 cents per litre gas tax hike and that probably explains his tap dance and sudden about face in Monday’s Council meeting. It is an election year after all!
The second video shows how Councillor Richter held Mayor Green’s feet to the fire in July 2011 (just as she has always done with any mayor). Funny, how Green is now finally paying attention. Listen and enjoy.
But above all, remember that on November 19th, a vote for Green and his slate-mates is doing nothing more than giving Metro Van total control over Langley Township because it is giving Green and his slate literally a blank cheque for 3 years to support his Metro Van cronies at the Township’s ultimate expense.by LFP Editor
The look on Green's face is priceless!
ReplyDeleteWatching the videos of candidates on the Times website is laughable. Mayor Green says that he is running with a group of "independent" candidates and that each one has their own platform. He lists some of his and includes his now infamous 0-0-0 promise, repeated from 3 years ago, which he never delivered. He says it can all happen without cuts to services and such. Really, Mayor Green?
ReplyDeleteThen the slate mates step up and each delivers a message with basically the same platform as their slate leader, Rick Green. These guys must really think that Langley's citizens are extremely stupid. Either that, or they simply believe their own lies.
It's official! We correctly predicted that Mayor Green was flip-flopping on the 2% Translink gas tax hike. It's very curious that he voted exactly as his former colleague and now Delta's Mayor, Lois Jackson. Jackson by the way is the chair of the Metro Vancouver cozy elite club of Mayor's. She is also the one that appointed him to all the $300 a meeting committees in spite of the Township Council's request that she appoint others!
ReplyDeleteWhat does not impress this editor is that he is now using the very same arguments that the majority of council stated in July. Does he not have any original thoughts? Since running first for Mayor he has constantly been using other ideas/arguments as he just did with the gas tax! He even in July voted against his council's motion to not accept and tell the Mayor's Council & Translink "no" to any more gas tax hikes and tax increases for Langley until we get our fair share of services. Yet he now parrots the same arguments he voted against in July!
How can anyone have confidence in any of his decisions? No doubt he can just as easily flip-flop on this again after the election if he happens to be re-elected.
By LFP Editor