Dear Editor
I see our mayor has signed an agreement with Surrey to build a bridge to replace the aging Pattulo Bridge, but with a toll. A toll almost land locks us in New Westminster and will put a lot of pressure on the Queensborough bridge.
Tolls add to the cost of every product we use. One hundred per cent of what we eat, drink, wear and live in was delivered by a truck, and that truck pays a toll, thus raising our cost of living. The mayor has money, but living on a pension, every nickel (can’t say pennies any more) counts. The trucking companies pass the cost on to the stores, and the stores download it to us.
We are taxed on our gas, our income, our electric bill, soon a federal carbon tax, our property tax (if we own or rent we still pay land taxes), and our car insurance is the highest in Canada (three times higher than Alberta) – and there’s still not enough money to build a bridge.
Every time I see a political leader say, “It will only cost you the same as a cup of coffee (plus tax) a day,” I almost scream. I am 68 years old now, up to drinking about 60 to 70 cups of coffee a day. I can’t afford it any more. Any deals out there on an amphibious car?
Roger Reimer, New Westminster
