Most folks are surprised when I tell them that TransLink spends 10 cents of every farebox dollar on the process of actually collecting that dollar. Economists refer to this as the “friction cost.” By comparison, the collection of income tax is incredibly efficient, with a friction cost so small that it amounts to a rounding…
Renewal and hope: the best wishes of the season
As the days get shorter and we move toward winter solstice and the shortest day of the year, I always look forward with great excitement to the day we turn the corner. At long last, we are now at the point when we can officially celebrate that the days are once again getting longer! For…
Paris climate talks: where the story disconnects
I’ve listened with interest to the two very different narratives coming out of the Paris climate talks. The dominant narrative is that at long last, significant achievements have been made in hammering out an agreement that will see world temperatures kept, at worst, to 2°C and possibly as little as 1.5°C above pre-industrial temperatures. The…
Let’s put HandyDART users back in the driver’s seat
As co-chair of the HandyDART Riders’ Alliance, I was scheduled to speak at the public session of the TransLink Board of Directors’ meeting in New Westminster on Wednesday. (Check out CBC Radio’s coverage of some of the points raised by my co-chair, Beth McKellar, here as well as a video clip of some of the…
Check out the new DTES markets
Many of you may be aware of the street vending that used to happen along the 000-block of East Hastings Street between Columbia and Carrall streets. For a large number of people living in the Downtown Eastside this was a desperately needed opportunity to earn income by selling things such as used clothing and dishes…
How Syria’s refugees echo Second World War’s Jewish refugees
When I last blogged about the Syrian refugee crisis September 16, Stephen Harper was still in office and offering to bring in a paltry 10,000 refugees over the next three years. It was a promise he later revamped to 10,000 by year end when, closer to the election, he realized he was on the wrong…
All sides must stop their terrorism
If we are to ever succeed in bringing terrorism to an end, we must categorically denounce all acts of terrorism, no matter which side these acts are committed by and no matter whether they’re committed by non-state actors or nation-states. The first-ever instance of terrorists blowing up a civilian airline was Cubana de Aviación Flight…