Gregor Roberston may be right … but he’s wrong, wrong, wrong.
Robertson has a court date in December for failing to pay the proper fare for a two-zone Skytrain ride in June, 2007. Robertson reportedly bought a one-zone ticket, rode two zones, and was caught by transit police. He paid the extra $1 fare at the time, but was also issued a ticket for $173.
The former NDP MLA and current Vision candidate for Vancouver mayor says he simply had made a mistake in buying a one-zone ticket. OK … so he made a mistake: probably not a big enough one to make most voters worry about his ability to handle the city’s $895 Million annual budget.
However his handling of the matter since then, I think does raise some serious concerns about his respect for the taxpayers’ dollars.
First of all, I do not believe Robertson ever announced he had been ticketed and would not pay so he could make a great statement about the high price for fare evasion fines. I understand the information leaked out and only then did he say he was fighting this great matter on principle.
But what really grates me is I understand Robertson admits his guilt and has said he WILL pay his fine once he has his day in court.
What!!! I would see nothing wrong with his going to court if Robertson felt he was not guilty or was wrongly ticketted. But I believe it is a total waste of court time and public money if he just intends to use his hearing to draw attention to transit fines he thinks are disproportionate to offences.
Court hearings should not be used by politicians to grandstand or “make a point”.
Robertson could have produced his ticket shortly AFTER he received it, held a press conference outside the Court house, delivered his message, made his point, and then have gone in to pay his fine … even showing it “PAID” (for the cameras .. ho hum) when he came out.
Instead he allowed the time for paying the ticket to lapse, starting up the process that saw the court system swing into action … including preparation of all the legal information needed, the issuing of a Provincial Court summons, the scheduling of court time and date, and … if he doesn’t stop this folly soon … a full court appearance, complete with a judge and court staff in attendance .. and the Translink police officer(s) involved being subpoenaed to testify, taking time away from their patrols (?) or on overtime (!!!) … with the taxpayers’ meter running the entire time.
And doesn’t this man who served as an MLA and wants to be Mayor know the judge only enforces the law/penalty structure … and isn’t really in ANY position to actually change it. Sure, if there is a good explanation, he may reduce the fine (although I’m not sure he can even do that) but no judge can unilaterally change the penalty structure set out in the law.
So I submit Robertson’s making his point will be a total waste of very costly and valuable court time, resources and taxpayers’ money.
And maybe he doesn’t even know that no cameras, recording devices are allowed in court, so his eloquent arguments won’t be heard or seen by any taxpayers or government or Translink officials unless they are in court … or buy a trancript. Or is he going to take his theatrics all the way … and issue printed copies of his script? Maybe sell autographed copies to pay his fine?
How ridiculous!
I once read that the cost of processing even a minor infraction all the way through the court system runs about $3,000.
Surely Robertson could have found a better way to make his point than wasting court resources, time and taxpayers’ money .. to satisfy his pique.
9 responses so far ↓
1 Barry // Nov 3, 2008 at 9:49 pm
absolutely Harve–it is a ridiculous and puerile attempt at political grandstanding….
2 b forst // Nov 3, 2008 at 10:43 pm
flash! Robertson and McCain soon to be available to sub for Christy Clarke on vacations.
BF
(Response: “Frosty” could be right … but I’d rather tune in to hear Palin ho)
3 bob // Nov 3, 2008 at 11:43 pm
Don’t get your knickers in a knot over this one HO… GR will drop the case on a dreary Friday night after the election is over. It makes for some headlines now (can you say “backfire”), but once 11/14 passes he’ll drop it – My $$ is on 11/28 after 5pm.
(Response: My $ is on him announcing VERY soon he will pay the fine now ..after he reads my take on hist wasting Court time and public $$ or if some other media pick up and cost out the thousands of $$$ involved in that angle. Let’s see who’s right, BOb. ho)
4 Grant g // Nov 4, 2008 at 3:32 am
I don`t believe any of the story,I don`t believe it was a mistake!
I think he was jusy trying to save a buck,he calculated his odds,first what were the odds of getting caught,second,he is well known who will bother the famous,likeable Gregor Roberson!
Don`t you think he should of should of purchased a monthly pass?
If his goal was to save the poor transit rider he should have brought the story to the press,the people but no,the story got leaked!
I think this will cost him the mayors job and I don`t see him being able to return to the NDP!
That one dollar cheat could end up costing him his political career!
5 Ron R // Nov 4, 2008 at 3:37 am
The Gregor Robertson fare evasion ticket says mountains of information about the man. For someone, especially in the public eye, to try to
scam transit (I don’t believe him!), what do you think he will do if he gets in office.
Someone who would try to scam a buck and a half would surely be more susceptible to influence peddling, taking bribes, et cetera, which I’m sure Vancouver politics is fraught with.
This short sighted behavior does not bode well for someone who has control of the purse-strings of the Vancouver tax paying public.
This is typical of the me-first position most politicians take, which is why I’ve completely lost faith in government in BC and Canada.
Vancouver city has a real problem now with their election choices; pick Peter Ladner, big business pawn (and proudly so from what I saw on Shaw cable today, Nov.3rd), or go with Robertson, who’ll bring more of the same, just at a different angle.. Good Luck Vancouver. You’re gonna need it.
I thought outgoing mayor Sullivan was a good choice until I found out he was a pawn of big business and the reality came out when he got elected. His announcement today to spruce up the east side storefronts and saying it’s not because of the Olympics and then in the same week, taking all those homeless peoples’ stuff while kicking them out of their squat, just made my blood boil. I now know he used his wheelchair and feigned caring for these people to get elected and I would have voted for him if I lived in Vancouver. I’m glad I can’t be tied to that liar. He and Gordon Campbell are two peas in a pod.
Damned if you do.
6 Patrick Bell (NOT the MLA) // Nov 4, 2008 at 4:59 am
First…lets get turnstiles in there already.
Secondly, I totally agree. Although I agree the fine is a bit steep, but this just sets a bad precedence for future court abusers vying to make a point.
7 RS // Nov 4, 2008 at 2:47 pm
Mayoral hopeful Gregor Robinson is setting a good expample don’t you think. Robinson is to Skytrain as Campbell is to drunk driving — GUILTY!
8 bob // Nov 6, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Looks like GR has paid the fine: “Chad Skelton and Tim Lai, Vancouver Sun – Thursday, November 06, 2008
VANCOUVER – Would-be Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson said Wednesday he has paid the SkyTrain fare-violation fine that has been embarrassing him this week.
By paying the fine, he avoids a traffic court hearing in December.
He may also be able to escape more of the enthusiastic tongue-lashings Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon has been sending his way.” link
congrats to HO for, again, making a difference
(Response: Thanks. That one was fun to write about! But it tells you something about how GR sees spending public $. ho)
9 A Dave // Nov 7, 2008 at 2:34 am
Wow, a politician gets caught doing something stupid and trys to spin it, but it backfires so he recants? Who ever heard of such a thing!? I am outraged and therefore must make huge leaps of judgement about it. Way to go Vancouver media!
What’s more disturbing to me is that the NPA apparently shopped this story around for a while, and found a willing taker in The Province. The day previous to breaking the story, the Province ran a front page headline saying something like “Unpaid Transit Fines Cost Millions”, then, lo and behold, the next issue “breaks” the Robertson story in the exact same space as the previous story. This is disgusting paritisan journalism at its worst. Kudos to the NPA for digging deep in the dirt to dredge this one up though, it shows they are working hard at something, at least.
It’s a good thing Robertson didn’t endanger lives by drunk driving (the Premier) or aid and abet in a real crime (Sullivan and the crack van) or tell a bald-faced lie to a thousand people (Ladner’s stated deep resentment and absolute denial that he voted against the Homeless Action Plan).
Robertson’s initial response was lame to be sure, but not even in the same league as this kind of stuff. To take the leap and say that it means he doesn’t care about how public money is spent is even more lame and shameless. You bought the NPA line hook line and sinker, suckers. They didn’t even have to say a thing, just stand by with that smug look on their faces while you did it all for them. So predictable.
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