I remember the days when it

I remember the days when it was honorable for people to work in jobs to serve people without thought of profit, when government could be seen to be working and making life better for people.

I was myself privileged to serve more than thirty years serving the people at Victoria's public Library system. There are still a crew of folks their who work hard because they believe in and like to serve others with no thought of charging them directly.

But nowadays if you are thinking of a life spend serving the public, you are regarded as a chump and a loser. Public office is used as a tool to move on to "higher" and "better" things that allow you to squeeze more money out of the system with little thought for the consequences.

Well, I am just an old fogy I guess, but I feel good that I was able in a small way to play a part in making a lot of people's life slightly better by providing books, records, movies and so much more to people without regard for their social position or wealth. And I think the loss of respect for public service is a sad, sad thing.

Waste of money

So, somebody suggested that if you raise the fares you would make more money?
How much was paid for this gem of wisdom?

I got a newsflash for the ferry corporation: Nobody travles for the fun of it anymore!

So "elasticity" makes no sense --- people travel when they have to and they have no alternative.

If government agencies would simply do their basic job, and quit all that fancy inter-office BS, they would not need million dollar management --- and THAT would save money!

I wonder what the ratio of

I wonder what the ratio of management to union employee is at BC Ferries? I was told by an BCF employee a couple of years ago that there was a hiring freeze for managers. He also told me that (in his opinion) that a lot of them were "just a bunch of fuck-ups".

Its why CEOs make the big money

Because CEOs have no problem sticking it to the average guy who is just trying to get to his job.
And who pays the CEOs enormous salary but the average guy himself.
The less for more government coming on down the line while giving you a line no less. BC Rail was sold just before the public gravy train came in as the little train that couldn't is making a bundle shipping BC resources. CEOs pay little taxes, another expense for tax payers who got to come up with the extra 75% to stay on the job.

discounted trips

Grania;
If I recall correctly the ferry is free for seniors Tuesday-Thursday weekly or used to be anyways. Check it out. Also I have encountered last year a mid-week discount Wednesday sailings at 50% off.
Car and driver total $45.00

Bah

Shouldn't this whole article be a sidebar on the "Risky Dix" thread? It's been more-than-adequately pointed out by Shreck and others that the canard of the BC Fiberals "lowering" income taxes (especially for corporations) has been more than matched by a massive and wide-ranging increase in user fees, extra charges, levies, assessments, tolls, imposts and surcharges, of which the suggestion of Ferries fare increases and time-of-day pricing is only one more example.

Sure, you can always charge more for ferry fares, and there will still be someone who will travel. But the object of civil service, is not to maximize revenue, but instead to maximize service, all the while bearing in mind the efficiency of the system.

Thus Seedhouse says it best - anyone who buys into the logic behind "market" pricing for ferry fares, considers the rest of us
"chumps". Ten-to-one you see this in the regular media in a few days, complete with Fraser Institution editorials on the front page for why it should be so. And yet another front in the war on the commons opens up.

For the Record...

In case any government or ferry employees who have any influence at all read this column, I wanted to add my story of ferry woes.

I only go now to Victoria when, twice a year, I travel for work and the ferry is paid for. My grandmother lives up island and is over 90 now, and I regret to say that I cannot afford to visit her regularly as the ferry costs are an add-on.

I do drive up from Victoria after finished work and stay for a few hours. We are feeling the pinch though with gas prices, etc

Ed Seedhoouse says "I

Ed Seedhoouse says "I remember the days when it was honorable for people to work in jobs to serve people without thought of profit, when government could be seen to be working and making life better for people."

As did companies...now it's all about what is in it for me.

No Vision

Where are the leaders with a vision similar to those who created BC Ferries, BC Hydro and ICBC?
Clearly these idiots in power now have no clue as to nation/province building, like back in WAC's day. All they are good at is nickel and diming us!

As the ferry system is part of the highway system.....

....and if it is required to break even or make a profit, then the rest of the highway system should be subjected to the same.

Consultants - Humbug!

As an ex-management consultant I will share a little secret. The successful consultants produce a report with the recommendations that the client wants; that's how to get to do another assignment. These ferry reports illustrate this practice exactly - the consulting firms delivered what Emperor Gordo wanted his people to see: jack up the prices, just like any neo-con economist would predict. Oh, and let's hide all this behind economic doublespeak & mathematical mumbo-jumbo. No-one knows what the impact of a price increase is until it happens - the world is too complicated for simple models. But this is what you can expect from the BC Liberals - it is the hidden agenda behind 'smart meters' so they can jack up the prices on a monopoly service. Time to throw out the bandits.

Let's not forget that all the

Let's not forget that all the food,building supplies, and tourists has to get over to the island by some ferry, or not get there at all

Is there anything the BC Liberals have touched...

...that isn't royally screwed up yet. BC Ferries is suppose to be part of the highway system. When the traffic gets clogged we build more highways and overpasses and bridges. RickW is right on. If they came up with this product of a brain fart for highways people would throw the bums out in an instant.

Question

It seems to me that the Ferry Corporation could increase ridership, flexibility and fill those large ferries if they lowered fares slightly during peak times and dramatically during non-peak times. To most of us the Ferries are part of the highway system. Didn't Campbell take the tolls off the Coquihalla Highway? Isn't the government building, expanding and maintaining our highways at huge expense? At what point does the Ferry System become a business and the rest of the highway system is free?

Part of the road system?

It seems to me that the water route to places only accessible by ferry are part of the road system. Fares should cover costs only...no profit...get rid of the PPPs all they do is cost tax payers excessive amounts to pay CEO and private sector upper management salaries and bonuses...utterly stupid and completely ineffective cost wise...when are we finally going to realise that the Austrians and the Chicago school is poor economic ideology...and should be kicked to the curb...

tolls

The User Pay argument would resonate with everyone if ALL bridges, mountain passes, sections of highway system that had high per mile construction cost and/or high maintenance costs were also User Pay. The penalizing of citizens of one part of the SAME country/province because of where they live is the core of the problem.

Meh!

This is the part in the movie where we pay for the decision to buy the Flensburg Follies. The next part is where we pay for the damage to the ferry terminals, done by the ramming.

Then come the enquiries:

1. Why did we buy foreign ships, with foreign parts suppliers?

2. Were all those collisions accidents, or sabotage?

Both were acts of sabotage, in my opinion. Buying the oversized spirit-class ships was a mistake, and was an act of sabotage against the BC economy.

There is no way the five recent ramming of the ferry terminals were all accidents. Just look at the timing for one thing. It is getting to be so obvious that anyone with a grain of knowledge would automatically avoid travel on a long weekend or a holiday. How many more "accidents" are required before they are investigated?

Yes, I realise the legal implications of accusing the ferry workers of sabotage. It is a serious accusation and it needs to be followed up. David Hahn was was a stooge, but even he could not get to the bottom of the Queen of the North sinking. Some BC Ferry workers are criminals and they should be charged. People have already died and there will be more deaths if the RCMP do not take action.

As for increasing he fares; as long as the ship makes the whole trip and not just part of it, I will gladly pay for the privilege of walking off alive.

Granville

FWIW Two of the larger ferries are now on their last legs. The local shipyards will most likely be tied up with federal contracts. I guess that means the replacement ferries will still need to be built off shore.

Variable time and Day Rates on BC Ferries

Sounds a lot like BC Hydro's plan for power rates. Did they drink the same brandy?

Variable rates are a good idea to spread the traffic load

My concern is with passenger safety. Two people have died because of crew negligence. More "accidents" are going to happen, especially before a long weekend, which is when the "equipment failures" seem to happen.

I am not concerned with a few dollars on the fare, but with my own personal safety and the safety of other passengers. Ther ferry service is usually impeccable and I do not want to cast aspersions on the majority of the crews, who provide excellent service in a demanding environment.

That said, a few crew seem to know exactly which which button to push to make sure an "accident" happens at the most inconvenient times. Am I the only person who is suspicious?

Hahn and Liberals = pork barreling

The latest rumour I heard from some people in the marine business is that the door hinges were damaged on the ferry that smashed into Duke Point Terminal. A contractor that had been approached to facilitate repairs requested that BC Ferries ask the ship builder to supply specifications for the doors and the contractor would have repairs done in a matter of days. Apparently the German company refused to supply the data...which means that the German builder will have to undertake the repairs. I can't say if the doors need to be completely rebuilt but I can say "gee thanks you incompetents" for creating BC jobs and keeping maintainence cost effective and efficient. Liars and Villains to be certain have made the decisions that are costing us dearly.
Here's an idea to save money for riders. Take these ridiculous, newly and likely outrageously expensive "imitation granville island tourist trap terminals", sell them to some sucker that actually thinks they are plausible money makers and use that money to reduce fares. Most importantly don't forget to fire the idiots that approved them.

re: No Vision

"Where are the leaders with a vision similar to those who created BC Ferries, BC Hydro and ICBC?
Clearly these idiots in power now have no clue as to nation/province building, like back in WAC's day. All they are good at is nickel and diming us!"
I agree with the sentiment however: BC Ferries and BC Hydro were both created by WAC Bennett and the original "tea-totaling Socreds" however, ICBC was created by the Dave Barrett NDP government. Three great ideas by two very different political parties.

There truly is not limit

... on the madness that is politics.

And people vote for this shite??

Anyone want to storm the Bastille with me?

snert

Don't hold yer breath. The Cons are backtracking so fast, you'd swear they had two faces.....eyes in the back of their collective head.

RickW

I'm not. As mentioned before in another thread, remember the Polar 8.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_8_Project

Polar 8

Thank you, Mr. Mulroney......