Monday, April 30, 2012

OPEN LETTER

TRANSLINK – HANDYDART - TAXI

Open letter to - general public, all HandyDART users, their families, friends and supporters. WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Translink sub-companies or corporations are heading for a disastrous future. All users of public transit in the South Coast of BC will be affected.

At one time the Translink board made up of mostly elected Mayors was therefore considered public. Our previous Premier Campbell made several moves that privatized former public operations like the Ferry System, BC Rail and others, then hit on Translink.

BC government under Campbell’s direction appointed a board made up of professionals from the private domain (un-elected). HandyDART once comprised of eight districts was made one unit and through a contracting process turned over to a subsidiary of an American firm MVT, a for profit American Company. Adding Canada to their title does not alter that.

Proposed changes for profits impact negatively on HandyDART users and employees. Translink taxi proposal when in operation makes the disabled and elderly, the most vulnerable in society, suffer a serious reduction in their former transit service. HandyDART will not be a door-to-door service as it once was.

The taxi proposal contradicts several items in the “Custom Transit Operating Agreement between Translink and MV Canadian Bus Company Ltd”. Does it contravene Schedule A Section 3.0 Service Description or any other section? It needs public scrutiny.

In the operating agreement contract the prime service is bus transit with taxis as an ancillary. The proposed change make taxis a preferred service to bus transit. Perhaps most important does it contravene the Transportation Act?

We call on the general public to pressure and demand a public examination from the BC government of this whole question. Restore Translink Board to the elected mayors and limited additions. Remove “contracted service” from the transportation act.

Contact your MLA, the media and other resources to raise your voice in the support of HandyDART users. This system is no longer democratic; it is governance by business, corporation and big moneyed people. It deserves a huge public outcry for democracy.

HandyDART is a service, and not to be run for profit.

Two HandyDART users -John & Elizabeth Beeching,. Contact betjohn@shaw.ca

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

TRANSLINK

Tuesday April 10, 2012

Transportation is once more in the news. This time Translink wants a 12.5% increase in fares.

Fares already in place, and now the threat of an increase have made some riders talk about going back to driving their cars. It reflects the new appointed Translink Board by former Premier Campbell's government focus on cars rather than improving the transit system. That systems original aim was to get people out of their cars and into the transit system. The boards focus is doing just the opposite their improvements are for cars not transit.

Next year there will be a provincial election. BC citizens have the opportunity now to begin a 'Right the Wrongs' campaign. The liberal government made several in the past. Ferry system is well into the private sector. The Fast Cats would have come in handy when the ship on the norther route sank are just two. The South Coast Transit System is also slated to be privatized. so it seems. HandyDART is a 'contracted service' as are some other companies under Translink - Coast Mountain Bus Company symptomatic of privatization.

We suggest that two things need to be done to improve the transit system in the South coast BC. The South Coast British Columbia Transportation Act - Translink Board needs to be returned to elected mayors.  Second, any company under the act that is a 'contacted service' needs to have contracted removed and then they should be made the same as any other corporation or company under Translink - Coast Mountain Bus Company.

A Right the Wrongs Campaign should canvass every candidate and party to ascertain their position on these questions.

Two HandyDART users.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

US-Israel Axis -World Domination

A new emperialist system is being built in the 21st century - the USA at the head.

The United States with Israel and NATO allies is aiming at world hegemony. We veterans of WW II fought to defeat Hitler Nazism/Fascism and succeeded. Now in this century it is rearing its ugly head again.

We need such campaigns as the following.. Our young people are showing us the way. Remember the G8/G20? Remember Occupy mocvement? Remember the Middle East and Europe?

WORLD FEDERATION OF TRADE UNIONS
WFTU INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR PALESTINE For the immediate release of all political prisoners held in Israeli jails

Dear Colleagues,
Today in Israeli prisons there are 4,600 Palestinians imprisoned militants. Of these:
560 have been convicted to life imprisonment by Israeli courts.
220 are children.
24 are Members of the Parliament.
204 prisoners have died in Israeli prisons.
Among the prisoners there are great Palestinians and Arab militants who have dedicated their lives to the struggle of the Palestinian People to get their own independent homeland.

The WFTU from the first day of its establishment is firmly on the side of the Palestinian People. On April 17th is the International Day of Action for Palestinian people for the release of all prisoners in Israeli jails. All of those militants kept illegally and undemocratically by the imperialists and their organs.

For years now the International Organizations are limited to words. They show indifference. They allow the government of Israel to kill, to imprison, and to terrorize the people of the region.
The WFTU in a joint meeting with the GUPW held recently in Ramallah decided to call upon all our affiliates and friends to act on April 17. To submit statements to the Israeli embassies in their countries, as well as international organizations and to demand the immediate release of all the militants from Israeli prisons.
We ask you all to act. To express active solidarity with the best possible way. All together on April 17 calling for:
- The immediate release of all political prisoners kept unfairly in Israeli prisons.
- To stop the settlement activity and the dismantling of the settlements.
- The immediate lifting of the unfair and inhumane blockade of Gaza Strip, the withdrawal of the Israeli army from all occupied territories, which is there since 1967, including the Golan Height and the Shebaa area of southern Lebanon.
- The demolition of the racist wall.
- The creation of an independent, democratic and truly free Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital and the return of all Palestinian refugees to their homeland.
- The international community to undertake its responsibilities and to implement all decisions of the United Nations and the Security Council!
Send your protest letters, photos and statements to the following e-mail addresses:
mohammad_yahya2007@yahoo.com, mohiqn62@gmail.com, international@wftucentral.org
- UN Human Rights Council: civilsociety@ohchr.org
- Israeli Foreign Minister: sar@mfa.gov.il
-High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy: COMM-SPP-HRVP-ASHTON@ec.europa.eu
4/4/2012 THE SECRETARIAT
40, ZAN MOREAS STREET, ATHENS 11745 GREECE
Tel. +302109214417, +302109236700, Fax +30210 9214517
www.wftucentral.org E-mails: info@wftucentral.org, international@wftucentral.org