SOUTH SURREY, B.C.: The Canadian Taxpayers Federation’s (CTF) B.C. office today celebrated TransLink’s Municipal Teddy Waste Award with a special event in the empty, $4.5 million South Surrey parking lot that powered TransLink to the win. (Photo: The award winning Translink Parking lot)
Confetti, sparklers, and a one-car parade welcomed the iconic golden pig, the Teddy Waste Award, back to B.C. for the first time in five years.
“We welcome TransLink to this most dishonorable roll of tax waste,” said Jordan Bateman, the CTF’s B.C. Director. “As we’ve chronicled, TransLink has had plenty of practice wasting money over the years. They just kept wasting, wasting, and wasting until finally they broke through into the Teddy stratosphere this year.”
TransLink’s win was announced this morning in Ottawa at a news conference in the Charles Lynch Press Theatre, with CTF Federal Director Gregory Thomas outlining just how empty the lot usually sits.
“When the media showed up to take a look at the parking lot on a weekday during business hours, they found just one car parked in the $4.5 million lot,” said Thomas. “When interviewed, the sole commuter said that he parked there because there was no chance of his car getting scratched – because there were no other cars in sight.”
“TransLink’s lack of business savvy didn’t just keep this lot empty, it actually reduced the use of the existing park and ride too,” said Bateman. “Only TransLink could be so hopelessly out of touch with its customers.”
Today’s Teddy Waste Award is the sixth for a B.C. agency in the storied 16-year history of the Teddies:
Click here for all 2014 Teddy Waste Award winners.
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