Listening to Premier Horgan hold forth on the removal of tolls from Vancouver’s two toll bridges, the differences between the words and the facts caused me to wonder if Premier Horgan listened to the words emerging from his mouth.

By far the silliest question I have entertained in quite some time.

Undoubtedly Premier Horgan chose his words with great care, seeking to create the images and thoughts he wanted in citizen’s minds, being careful to say nothing that would encourage citizens to listen with care or thought to what was said……. and not said.

After all Premier Horgan wouldn’t want people thinking of the removal of Vancouver bridge tolls in terms of the NDP purchasing popularity in the Vancouver ridings the NDP needed to win the election.

Especially not while Premier Horgan was in the process of informing taxpayers outside Vancouver that  they would be paying the cost of that NDP popularity purchase.

Any politician as experienced as Premier Horgan knows governing and winning elections would be so much easier if only undeniable facts or inescapable realities didn’t intrude.

Thus Premier Horgan’s dissembling and bafflegab were simply business as usual for current politicians

Given people’s familiarity with the Coquihalla Highway tolls, a failure to mention the Coquihalla by Premier Horgan would have been conspicuous and drawn attention to the  Coquihalla tolls in terms of the Vancouver bridge tolls and how we pay for costly roadway infrastructure.

Far safer to toss the Coquihalla tolls out submerged in a stream of bafflegab.

Given people’s well developed powers of wilful denial and abhorrence for actions, realities or responsibility they do not want to conceive of, much less acknowledge as existing, and the current structure of the media, Premier Horgan speaking of how infrastructure was traditionally paid for was not likely a significant risk.

Even if someone creatively maladjusted pointed out that the ‘traditional’ way to pay for infrastructure – and government services – was on a pay-as-you-go basis; as opposed to the current practice of self-gratification paid for through debt………

Or noted that paying for the original Port Mann bridge and other infrastructure, as well as paying for the services provided by government, had been paid for without creating a mountain of debt,,,,,,,

Or pointed out that traditionally ,if parents took their children to a fancy restaurant, it was the parents who paid the bill [or washed the dishes]…….

It is only current practice for parents to take children to a fancy restaurant and after enjoying the meal sneaking out leaving the children stuck paying for the meal…….

That it is current practice, and not any prior traditional practice to saddle the next generation with the burden of paying off the debt incurred by the current generations wastrel ways..

The public’s well developed wilful denial of anything the public does not wish to see or acknowledge or think about, coupled with the manner our systems of information distribution and public discussion dismisses and/or ignores any topic on the public’s banned list, there was vanishing small risk that Premier Horgan’s government could be forced to deal with fallout from a public discussion and addressing of government debt and financial responsibility.

It would have been much more of a concern for Premier Horgan that people would realize that the bridge tolls were not based on where you live but on whether you used the bridge. If you lived in Prince George but had occasion to use the tool bridges you paid a toll for that usage. If you lived in Surrey but did not use the bridge, you paid nothing.

Or that people would wonder why, if TransLink is about getting people out of their cars and onto public transportation, did TransLink build the Golden Ears bridge, thus encouraging people to use their cars. Why should the rest of BC be forced to increase their subsidy of TransLink? Aren’t BC taxpayers paying steep enough subsidies to TransLink’s exorbitant and wasteful cost structure?

What’s next on the political popularity in Vancouver agenda? The removal of Skytrain and bus service tolls for users? After all, if they didn’t live in Vancouver they would not have to use TransLink’s services.

And finally, when it turns out the BC government couldn’t capture Rumpelstiltskin and lock him in the legislature basement spinning straw into gold, just where and on who will the $300 million dollars in budget cuts needed to cover the yearly cost of this Folly?

Part I of III      Apologies Premier Horgan, It Was Silly of Me.

Part II of III:   Premier Horgan Buys a Folly….er…Bridge

Part III of III:  Santa Horgan Giftss TransLink