Dollars and Sense: One Man's Opinion

By Ben Meisner

    
This week at City Council we got a lesson on double speak.

Back in November 2004 there was a motion put forward to get theCity to look at replacing the old Cameron St Bridge with a new metal structure, one lane or two.

This week we learned that the old pillars are okay for up to 75 years and we can build a two lane structure on the old piers for 9.5 million dollars. All of council agreed to have a look at it, but they were chirping about trying to get a report back to Council on the inland port ( if one is built on the down town CN property )  and  more details on funding.

They want a report back by November so that the bridge could be designed and finished by, Gee!! what a surprise, Nov 2008, just before the next civic election.

But wait, prices have gone up on the cost by between 20 and 25 % according to bridge builders. A bridge that would have cost 8 million to build back in 2004 (a bridge by the way that traffic would now be using) will now cost 9.5 . 

 Very smart planning.

What is more interesting is the fact that the Mayor voted against the idea back in 2004.

He, along with Basserman, Scott and Dezell nixed the idea of looking at the  the possibility of using the old pillars as a way to save money.  Suddenly this week it is a total reversal.

Now the Council, (Mayor included) is saying lets get on with it , lets look at the existing pillars.

Well we all know the public would not swallow a new bridge at a cost of $18 million for phase one, (today’s cost $21,600,000.00) when they know full well they could have had a bridge that would do the same thing for $8 million back in 2004.

I’m Meisner and that’s one man’s opinion.

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