The Johnson Street Bridge

Ok I'm absolutely pissed off about this referendum coming about the ugly old bridge that needs to be replaced. Bridges are part of the roadways of our city and they are in place to move traffic over waterways. Well the Johnson Street bridge is just such a thing and I don't give one tiny ounce about its significance outside of moving traffic. Heritage is a word the people with too much time on their hands like to throw around lots when speaking about this traffic tool. The bridge is old, out of fashion not to mention its inadequate ability to move the amount of vehicles that it needs to in 2010.

Sure, the cost of replacing it is high but in the end that's going to happen. It's inevitable that a replacement will be built at some point in the next thirty years. The people who are fighting the new bridge are the same idiots who were against building an over pass at McKenzie/Admirals and the highway. Anyone who drives that route knows what a mistake it was to give in to that small interest group on that issue. Now we have them doing it all over again this time its save the bridge its part of Victoria's history. Well I say "screw that and screw you!" to all the replacement bridge opponents. That group is a self serving bunch of ego maniacs who can't handle the fact they didn't get their own way. So yet again another small interest group who bitches and complains and whines loudly screws it up for everyone. Why the city is willing to allow these people to have such a big voice makes no sense at all. Sure the taxes will probably go up to cover some of the expenses but the benefits of a new route through there will have such a positive affect on the city it will be worth the cost.

So now you are going to force the referendum which is going to cost at minimum a million dollars. Barely anyone will vote, the replacement of the bridge will win and Victoria will have the bridge replaced. All that happens is it will take longer to start the project the completion date will be later than proposed and it will be more expensive as they have to incorporate the referendum costs into the price of the project. So we as citizens in this city are on the hook for another small interest groups issue. Now one other thing about the bridge is that the board chose a design that much of the population voted against. I believe that if they want support for the new bridge to be large then they should retract their choice and use the design that was chosen in the contest they ran. If they don't do that it might cost them their replacement bridge as interest in this issue will just fall flat. The right choice is to vote for a new bridge because it will be the cheaper solution in the long run. Don't get caught up in the politics of the save the blue bridge campaign. Look at the not so distant future and realize you are going to be caught paying twice for something you really don't have to which will cost even more in 10 years when the project will have to happen anyway.