There is now a movement afoot in Vancouver to put toll booths on more bridges and major driving routes. The objective is to tax drivers into driving less, like we don't already pay enough in gas taxes (and in BC a carbon tax). Today's poll question; do you think we need more tolls on Canadian roads and bridges. I think this is crazy, where people like Andrew Coyne want to force low income people off the roads so he can make it home a few minutes faster.
I spend 1.5 hours commuting every day to and from work, where I make $12 an hour. I'm already living paycheque to paycheque unable to pay down the principal on my student loans. I can barely make the interest payments. Taking public transit would double my commute time, and not really save me any money. The cost of living in Vancouver is already insane, and some doorknob wants to add $50 a month to my monthly budget of getting to and from work so he can get home ten minutes faster? If the provincial government wants to make this policy, good luck.
Careful Iceman you are talking like a NDP'er
ReplyDeletesticking up for the working poor.
No to tolls on existing highways and bridges. Yes to tolls on new roads and bridges if, and only if, they are constructed by private entities without any government funding. People already pay taxes for capital works and if they then have to turn around and pay additional fees to use something they have already paid for it's only because politicians are such poor money managers.
ReplyDeleteThink of the tolls as a premium for your scenic location. Your ability to golf or ski without leaving your province.
ReplyDeleteWhat options do the taxpayers have without a credible alternative?
Do you have a Rob Ford (smaller government, less taxes, better customer service) in wings?
Unfortunately it may take more idiocy like this to happen before a Rob Fordian backlash happens. Have faith - it will happen.
ReplyDeleteI don't mind private projects being tolled (but no private-public collaborations, thank you) but I draw the line at new government-built roads and bridges being tolled, and am appalled by the very idea of adding to tolls to already existing roads. I pay THROUGH THE NOSE to drive my vehicle already, and the gasoline taxes alone are more than enough to pay for any new infrastructure we might need if they would only apply them there. I'd be strongly in favor of a law, in fact, that makes it mandatory for governments at all levels to apply any taxes, fees or levies collected for any particular purpose to be applied *only* to that purpose.
ReplyDeleteIn other words...you want an additional fee on tires, batteries, fluorescent lamps or anything else that may have an environmental cost to dispose of? Then you apply ALL proceeds of those fees to the stated problem. NONE goes to 'general revenue'. No more cash grabs. Heavy taxes on alcohol? Same thing...you claim a heavy social cost, you apply ALL those collected fees to alleviating the problem. THAT problem, and that alone.
Translink only has one consistent thought: how to tax drivers. Remember they also wanted to tax cars. That did not fly. I was furious, as I commute by Skytrain and use my car only to do errands and travel out of town. They rarely look at their own budget to make cuts (how much are people paid, including benefits?). Carbon credit fraud is helping only greenie firms who are Liberal buddies.
ReplyDelete