To the Editor,
Before you vote in the upcoming City of Port Alberni and Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District election on Oct. 20, take the time to ask the regional incumbents, as well as the city mayor, their record on the Alberni Valley Regional Airport expansion. I know the answer to the following questions, but you should ask them yourselves. CLUE: the real answers are all the same.
• Was the vote to spend taxpayer’s money on this project democratic?
• Has the project come in “on budget”?
• Has it been completed as promised?
• Have the promised economic benefits to justify the expenditure been realized?
• Is there a scheduled airline operating as envisioned in initial reports?
• Was there any consideration for the permanent loss of 150 acres of sustainably managed lands producing real jobs for local people?
• Were all the affected parties that had operated around the airport for many years treated fairly and compensated for their business losses? Have they avoided legal action?
• Did construction avoid significant environmental damage and water pollution to surrounding creeks?
• Does construction continue to be free of a threat to environmental values and endangered species?
• Should I vote for you if you supported this “white elephant”?
Dave McBride,
Port Alberni