Candidates' vision for LRT in Ottawa

Let me start by saying that I think Mr. Baird has been in his right to
ask to see the contract. It would have been smarter, having seen
the business case for the city's proposed Billion-Dollar Streetcar
system, he'd said "no thanks, show me something that has value for money."

Let's not forget that the federal liberals (of which Mr. Chiarelli is a
supporter) got kicked out of office for a "mere" $130Million lost in the
AdScam that Justice Gomery investigated. Mr. Harper's conversatives
came in on a platform of accountability, and I can not call spending
$200million of my tax money on a streetcar system that will move fewer
people than our current system, move them slower, and cause significant disruption to our existing bus system to be good "accountability".

Mr. Baird, bowing to political pressure seems to have found a
politically acceptable out in delaying things. This seems acceptable
to me, and is really only what numerous people asked for in July.

It is now time to hear from all candidates what they would do. Calling
for an "audit" is not clear enough to me.

There are three choices: a) approve the project as it is. b) cancel the
project completely. c) design and build incrementally on what we have.

Option (c) is what I thought I voted for in 2000 and 2003 when I voted
for Mr. Chiarelli. He has not delivered on it, and he's on record on
this.

I am calling upon all candidates to state clearly what they would do,
and if the option is (c), then tell us what your vision is, or endorse a
specific vision.

From Mr. M. Richardson, (whom I agree with).