John Amon

I sent this letter this morning to CBC, CTV, Global News, Victoria News and the Times Colonist: Why isn’t the mainstream media picking up on the scandalous way the city of Victoria has handled the Johnston Street Bridge Replacement Project, as outlined in this month’s FOCUS Magazine (Jan/Feb 2018? In it, David Broadbent provides a chronology of the scandalous cost overruns, city council cover ups, engineering problems and city staff incompetence with respect to the Johnston Street Bridge Replacement Project. Original estimated at $40M. Current Estimate $110M with the final price tag yet to be determined. To make matters worse, design changes were made to reduce costs, including narrowing of bridge channel; not budgeting for “bumpers” or landscaping; shortening the bridges; redustion in required life span specifications; reduced earthquake resistance; removal of rail component; etc. Since these amenities and more were part of the original design, the cost overrun is really even more significant. In effect the city originally budgeted $40 to buy a Cadillac and ended up paying $110 plus for a motorcycle that may or may not do the basic job In particular, why isn’t the media outraged at how the City has resisted, thwarted and lied in response to repeated FOI requests by Focus Magazine over the past five years? Mainstream media should be ashamed that they have stood by silently, while a small independent bimonthly publication has been left to bear the financial burden necessary to conduct a thorough investigative journal report on such an important issue. It’s time now for the mainstream to amplify the message, so it is heard by everyone, not just the subscribers to an independent local, but exemplary magazine. John Amon