If you are a Surrey resident who feels as though you are riding a landslide to the bottom of a steep hill, you’re definitely not alone.
Civic politicians have been pea-shooting at each other during these past three election terms, with many millions of dollars lost to reversing a plan to bring LRT to Surrey, and many millions more already blown to smithereens on this epic boondoggle of a policing transition, launched largely on a dubious premise that the RCMP was somehow particularly answerable for gang violence and similar societal failures.
We gaze on, slack-jawed, as politicians fight their sandbox fights, with the cold comfort that we do get to cast a vote every four years.
In the meantime, we have these double-digit tax increases slung at us thanks to inflation, waste, government entitlement, incompetent political leadership.
We bang into potholes on crummy roads, pay through the nose at grocery stores for grey beef, wilted vegetables and fruit past its prime, and continue to pay more for less.
Who among us can’t relate to the frustration expressed by Popeye, who says, “That’s all I can stands, I can’t stands no more.”
Our front page story concerns a proposed city tax increase north of 17.5 per cent, followed by past years of similarly soul-withering rate hikes. No fun for homeowners, for sure.
Definitely no fun for renters either. According to Rentals.ca, monthly rents in Canada rose by 10.7 per cent, while average rent for condos and apartments in Surrey in January rose by 19.8 per cent, year over year.
In conclusion, this city, this province and this country really needs to get its act together.
– Now-Leader
edit@surreynowleader.com
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