Ontario considered Hwy. 407 buyback before announcing tunnel dream, Ford says

Just like he considered not having the second cheeseburger for lunch.

Folks, we have considered this much more reasonable and affordable option, and I decided that the best I can do is offer beer and booze in corner stores and gas stations.

>Adding to the price tag is the idea that the tunnel would also include transit infrastructure.

>“We’re also looking at a transit system down the centre of the tunnel going down the 401 and that would stop at every single stop,” Ford said.

He’s so close to a real solution, but there’s no way he’ll ditch the highway part of the Gravy Tunnel.

>During his conversation with AM640, Ford indicated that his government briefly considered the idea and reiterated his view that the sale of the highway by the Mike Harris Progressive Conservative government in 1999 was a bad decision.

>“We’ve thought of that as well,” Ford said. “Previous government sold it off for $2.3 billion, **which was the biggest mistake I’ve ever seen.”**

>Ford suggested that Highway 407 is now “worth approximately $35 billion” but said the government decided not to fork out to buy it back because of studies completed internally suggesting “all the 400 series highways are going to be at full capacity” in the next quarter-century.

>“Studies have come out that we’ll be at full capacity in another 20, 25 years on the 407 — that defeats the purpose,” Ford said.

At least he admits that Harris fucked up.

He must have read Reddit and come to that conclusion.

It would be easier to just have everyone do another drivers test. Covid made people stupid and it would get them off the roads

We need some of Elons Boring Company up here. And SpaceX too. StarLink is awesome.

It’s harder to skim a few $ with buying back the 407. With a tunnel, the sky’s the limit. He’ll make a killing.

It’s fucking insane how much public money goes to friends of politicians.

Classic move.

Sell public infrastructure to foreign a entity (because you’re corrupt and receiving kickbacks), even though not only is it not in the best interest of your constituents, it actively hurts them.

Then you try to sell the public on a shit sandwich and they don’t want to eat so you can then sell them a sprinkled shit sandwich (which was your plan from the very beginning). So they’re more likely to bite because by comparison it seems like the better option and the public has a short memory, so they don’t recall you selling them out so you could line your own pockets.

The plan from the very beginning was to funnel billions of taxpayer dollars to a foreign entity so that some could receive corrupt pity money on the down low. Tax payers haven’t benefited from any of this.

People need to realize they’re being conned in broad daylight. I have no idea why this isn’t the primary narrative.

The 407ETR is mostly owned by CPPIB (Canadian Pension Plan) now so I don’t think it being privately owned is as much of an issue. Although it’d be nice if they lowered the fees.

Why the hell did they sell the 407 to begin with? Makes no sense.