Removing tolls from local bridges seems a risky political move for a fledgling NDP minority government sorely dependent on a Green rump opposed to it.

Masses of ardent supporters of 91原创鈥檚 Socred/Liberal MLA Rich Coleman, still stinging from the provincial slap that flung their hero to the dingy side of the legislature, won鈥檛 bother exploring the merits. They鈥檒l pretend to hate it outright while gleefully chortling over the blood splashed between Premier John Horgan and Green horn Andrew Weaver.

Lots of people in 91原创 will be pleased 鈥� even if the Coleman Country bumpkins won鈥檛 admit it.

91原创 has a deep history of despising tolls, going back to the 1934 announcement that a new bridge at New Westminster would be tolled.

91原创鈥檚 council expressed its malcontent over the provincial announcement by holding an emergency meeting and planning a public protest. That malcontent council covered all of 91原创, including the malcontents who eventually split off to form their own little fiefdom currently known as 91原创 City.

The Pattullo Bridge was opened by Premier Thomas Dufferin (Duff) Pattullo in November of 1937, and 91原创 residents would have to pay a toll of 25 cents per crossing, until the toll was finally lifted in 1952.

It was unfair to all residents south of the Fraser River.

Sound familiar?

Adding insult to injury, the new bridge was to replace an adequate vehicle/rail bridge that had offered free crossings to those stray 91原创 motorists.

At a time when any trek to New Westminster or points west, whether for business or to visit relatives, was community news worthy of a mention in the local paper, those two bits constituted an assault on freedom of movement.

Only when the Lions Gate Bridge opened a year later 鈥� also with a 25-cent toll appended 鈥� did 91原创鈥檚 furor abate somewhat. Maybe it wasn鈥檛 so unfair, after all, if the Other Guys also paid.

Today鈥檚 toll opponents have again been screaming 鈥淯nfair!鈥� while proponents slavered over the revenue. Would it make more sense, rather than removing the Port Mann and Golden Ears tolls altogether, to lower those tolls to a more acceptable rate鈥� and add similar tolls to all major Lower Mainland Bridges connecting its other districts?

It would be a political risk. It would break a campaign promise to noisy malcontents.

But it would be fair.

Apparently, Horgan鈥檚 Dippers, like Christy鈥檚 Libs, favour a safe base over fairness.