Orphan Road

British Columbia knows how to make investments in infrastructure:

[T]he plan will likely see significant investment in rapid transit and dedicated bus lanes, such as the ones proposed for the centre of Douglas Street. On the Lower Mainland, it will likely see funding and a final route plan for the Evergreen SkyTrain Line to the northeast suburbs, rapid transit to the Fraser Valley, and the Millennium Line extension in Vancouver to the University of B.C., according to Global BC. It's not known if the rapid transit plans will include the Island - transit advocates have long been pulling for light rail to connect downtown Victoria with the rapidly growing West Shore.

In December, Finance Minister Carole Taylor predicted B.C. will have a surplus of $2.1 billion for the 2007-08 fiscal year. She has remained quiet on what will be in her budget due out Feb. 19, though last week spoke about the possibility of a provincial carbon tax or a levy at the gas pumps.

It sure is nice that the province is willing to fund Vancouver's SkyTrain. Meanwhile, here in Washington, The legislature is convening today to... hide the budget surplus in a sock drawer or something.