Letters | Road tolls would handicap Atlantic region
Published Thursday February 26th, 2009
Tom Mann's suggestion to Finance Minister Boudreau that the province should bring back toll roads shows a lack of understanding of both the road transport industry and the future of the Atlantic Canadian economy.
Two things need to be pointed out. Firstly, the Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association represents approximately 10,000 long haul trucks engaged in the movement of all freight in Atlantic Canada. Each of these vehicles pays between $50,000 and $60,000 per year in "on road" and associated taxes. Since 9/11, the road transport industry is paying approximately $1 billion in new administrative and security fees to cross the U.S. border.
Secondly, by introducing tolls you will give this region another economic handicap in terms of making our manufacturing and production facilities and ports less competitive by increasing transportation costs. Mr. Mann and his organization, which represents public sector unions, must realize that creating road tolls will increase the costs to move freight throughout our region taking us once again down the path towards the day of the "$8 head of lettuce."
Since October of 2007 the road transport industry has invested in new vehicles that run on clean diesel fuel (produced in Saint John) causing our emissions to drop by 90 per cent. No other transportation industry can match this. We are adopting anti-idling technologies, new single-wide based tires, lowered speeds and added aerodynamics to reduce fuel consumption.
The road transport industry continues to invest in clean energy, environmentally friendly technologies, the Atlantic Canadian economy and regional employment.
PETER A. NELSON
Executive Director, Atlantic Provinces Trucking Association
Parking regulations have been a success
Shayne Galbraith is correct when he declares South Central parking regulations a success.
Several years ago much thought and public consultation went into the plan of alternative street side parking, snow bans, and city-provided parking lots for use during those occasional bans. The results are better conditions during the winter, cleaner streets during the summer, and the absence of abandoned old cars on the streets.
Sure, some still complain about the "inconvenience" of moving their cars on the first and 15th of the month, and complain that snow removal isn't 100 per cent; but notwithstanding these minor inconveniences, this is a much better solution. It was community based and a good example of city management taking initiative to improve results and achieve better efficiency.
Let's give credit where credit is due; and let's keep pressing for additional opportunities to improve our neighbourhoods.
BOB McVICAR
Realtor, Exit Realty
Group concerned by ban on pesticides
It's interesting that in the wake of polling results from the anti-pesticide contingency not a single story has reported the results of the provincial government's online polling on the matter.
That polling showed the majority of New Brunswick residents do not support a ban on either the use or sale of pesticides and they believe the existing regulatory processes adequately protect both human health and the environment.
What is needed - certainly more than polling figures - is an honest exploration of the facts, something activists are failing to do as they campaign to eliminate pesticides from Canadian cities.
Before any pesticide can be sold in Canada it must undergo a comprehensive scientific review and risk assessment by Health Canada. Through this process pesticides receive a greater breadth of scrutiny than any other regulated product.
Last year Health Canada released the findings of an extensive review of 2,4-D. The review concluded "risks to homeowners and their children from contact with treated lawns and turf are not of concern."
CropLife Canada is concerned about the assault on pesticides. How long, we wonder, before the anti-pesticide crusaders turn their attention to agriculture? The agricultural use of pesticides contributes significantly to ensuring Canadians have access to an affordable and abundant supply of grains, fruits and vegetables - foods that are important contributors to life-long health. CropLife Canada believes decisions regarding our health and environment are important and that they should be made based on defendable scientific evidence. We hope New Brunswick residents will agree.
LORNE HEPWORTH
President, CropLife Canada
Crews doing good job removing snow
I would like to say that, in my opinion, I believe the City of Saint John and the Towns of Rothesay and Quispamsis are doing an excellent job of cleaning up after snowfalls. I believe that people have unrealistic expectations to be able to travel anywhere, at any time, no matter the time of year.
Believe me, nobody recognizes the difficulty of being able to get around for those that are physically challenged more than myself as I have had first hand experience in that area. However, it should be recognized that it takes time to remove snow and ice. When we have such a mixture of snow, freezing rain, mild then cold temperatures there will no doubt be ice on the sidewalk that we will not be able to get rid of.
Why is it that when the schools are closed, people can find their way to the malls? If the conditions are bad enough to close schools then only in case of emergency should people venture out. People need to start using some common sense and relaxing a little bit.
STEPHEN MORRIS
Rothesay
Bring back those who went out west
Most of the problems facing the world today are the results of overpopulation. New Brunswick is in the enviable position of being underpopulated. Yet the government of New Brunswick is promoting immigration as the solution to all our problems - financial and otherwise.
Some misguided bureaucrats believe that importing francophone Africans will maintain and preserve the Acadian language and culture. This calls for some serious rethinking.
The new logo of the province is apparently intended to attract new people to settle here: a speedboat with a sail accompanied by some mumbo-jumbo which makes sense in either official language. We don't know whether to laugh or cry.
The province of New Brunswick already has an emblem (coat of arms) and a motto (Spem Reduxit - Hope was restored) created by the people who created the province.
What this province needs is to bring back home the thousands of young people who went west and elsewhere to find work. Most of them would be happy to return to their roots if government, business and industry could get their acts together and maintain a stable working economy providing reliable jobs and hope for the future.
EDWARD BOWES
Sackville
Marigold program shows our pride
This is our 12th year growing and planting marigolds in our community. Many schools have started growing them in their classes. The children use the various learning styles and connect their marigolds with many different subjects (Cross Curriculum Learning).
We have planted more than 1.7 million marigolds by tens of thousands of school children many of whom are now adults. We have won six international awards and our idea has been copied in several places. The marigolds make our children and our community feel good about themselves, this is extremely important in life.
We include all the children so it is a positive inclusive project.
We hope many people will grow marigolds this year as a symbol of hope that we will all lead meaningful lives and to show pride and understanding that our community matters.
BARRY OGDEN
Saint John
We need to cut public sector pay
Public sector pay must be cut. There is no escaping that harsh reality.
Make public sector workers contribute more to their secure pensions. The economic dangers facing this province and country are intensifying. The scourge of unemployment grows worse by the day. Calls for higher taxes and property assessments must be resisted. Raising extra revenue from this economy risks tipping it into terminal decline.
The government's first responsibility is to cut its own current spending. It cannot be allowed to evade that responsibility by raising taxes. the decisions we face in the future will not get any easier.
ROBERT BROCKIE
Saint John
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Are you seriously saying online polling has any validity? I think you've applied too many of those deadly chemicals yourself. Stop sniffing the fumes and prepare for a major shift in your industry instead of lobbying for the right to continue poisoning people and neigbourhoods. Go organic!
With a title like yours no wonder you promote poisoning the land!
To say people will get affordable foods through the use of pesticides is tantamount to saying tobacco is good for the lungs!
The cancer rate is now one in three, where a century ago it was one in 33. Chemicals are the direct link to it all. More of the same? Well, not if reason ruled. Sadly what often rules is the profit margin. That said, you must think the world is made up of fools and surely New Brunswickers too dense to see beyond your audacious words.
This may be a public forum, but making a public case for the right to continue applying poisons to crops would be different from advocating terrorism, how?
People with asthma and sensitive to chemicals find themselves in dire straits with the application of the most minute of pathogens, so how is this not going to affect them? If you wish to be valid, why not give us all an actual breakdown of those pesticides?
Here's why. I've been in many China Shops where the sign reads "You break it....you bought it". The 2 Million containers that the Atlantic Gateway plan is expecting to come into Halifax MUST TRAVEL THROUGH NEW BRUNSWICK. Who is going to pay for the road repair, picking up blown tires and urine bottles?
We've been told as New Brunswickers that someone has to pay for everything. Since these long-haul truckers will be buying their fuel in the cheapest place around (the U.S.part of their trip) we in New Brunswick get to subsidize their profits by providing the very best of roads at no cost to them.
Enough is enough. Time for the big trucks to pay for what they consume.
I doubt that Nova Scotia is about to remove the tolls from the Cobequid Bypass any time soon.
Imagine, instead, if we had toll booths in Aulac, Youngs Cove, Longs Creek, the Houlton border and St-Jacques. People from out of the province who use our highways would pay their fair share for using them. We pay for Maine, Nova Scotia and New Hampshire highways, why shouldn't they pay for ours?
I recall former Premier Lord saying after the proposed tolls were removed from the entire F'ton-Moncton 4 lane section, something to the effect....." now that the tolls have been removed, a family that could not afford to travel to Moncton, can now go free ". A classic case of telling the people what they want to hear. The toll elimination was an election ploy no doubt. With summer traffic levels, the province has paid MRDC up to $50,000 daily, in Shadow Tolls.
Cite a reference for this fact, please. Thanks.
Interesting to note, there are 12 U.S. states that allow triple trailers, 3 * 29 feet in length. However, despite the push by the U. S Trucking Industry, that hasn't expanded due to road damage and safety.
The two largest U.S. Trucking firms, Schneider National and J.B. Hunt, over the last 20 years have used the Intermodal Services of Rail for the long haul of their trailers. This creates the most efficient method for the transport of goods, in terms of fuel and effects to the environment......rail long haul, truck short haul.