"Vehicle Levies have zero correlation with usage".. hmm that is anything but fair. It does, however, pander to the ecozealots who are trying hard to grasp the social engineering levers.
The question is, would you willingly agree to give the government the right to electronically monitor everyone's whereabouts 24 hrs per day all times. This is what Mayor Walton wants to do in order to pay for a few translink buses and trains. That is what road pricing means. If you want to drive you must have a GPS installed in your car and it reports your position and movements 24 hrs per day. You are then charged per kilometre moved and you are charged per minute not moving ( parked ). Plus the government knows all your habits, movements, speed, etc. This is insane. Are we terrorists? Further, why are we building billion dollar transit system plus bureaucracy ? Why is it necessary to coerce people into paying for something they dont want enough to pay the fare on if it is really so necessary?
I have to agree that gas tax is the most fair for those that drive gas powered vehicles.
The less fuel efficient the vehicle the more you pay.
Partial/non gas fuelled vehicles fly under the radar.
Hydbrids, electric cars, motorcycles, scooters, and cyclists all use the roads but escape some or all of the fuel taxes and transit taxes associated with fuel.
All road users should pay on a graded scale from cyclists at 16 years old up to the largest vehicles.
If that is through a levy on your license then so be it.
If we're talking about drivers paying more for road maintenance then I'm fine with that.
What I'm NOT fine with is Translink continually looking to drivers - which are both residents and businesses - to subsidize the bus and transit system.
I get mad when I hear about "the honor system" and how some regularly evade their fares though I am glad to see the stored value card coming in 2013 - it has served Hong Kong and London well and hopefully will help something. But in my opinion Translink has no moral authority to ask for more money when they do such an ineffective job collecting the fares they are due.
I am most particularly opposed to any increase in the property tax system for public transit since it penalizes municipalities which have done a good job making themselves "livable" (which is reflected in housing prices relative to the average) to the benefit of those who haven't.
Under the current 10 year Translink plan adopted in 2004, the North Shore is paying $ 1/4 billion and getting at most 20% of that back. Meanwhile the City of Vancouver and Surrey get more than their share.
That's not reasonable, that's not fair and that's not just. I understand the strictures he's working under but I don't think Mayor Walton has done a good job fighting for the North Shore in his role with Translink at all.
Until the day comes that they have all riders paying their full fare don't come around saying you want more money.
Everytime gas tax goes up so does every single thing that we purchase.
All food, drygoods, clothing, fuel has to be transported to the location where we buy it and the additional fuel taxes are passed along to the poor consumer.
11 comments:
Gas tax is the most fair.
Drivers who drive more or have inefficient vehicles pay more into the system.
People who drive less, either with shorter commutes or using alternate forms of transportation, tend to pay less.
Vehicle Levies have zero correlation with usage.
"Vehicle Levies have zero correlation with usage".. hmm that is anything but fair. It does, however, pander to the ecozealots who are trying hard to grasp the social engineering levers.
The question is, would you willingly agree to give the government the right to electronically monitor everyone's whereabouts 24 hrs per day all times. This is what Mayor Walton wants to do in order to pay for a few translink buses and trains. That is what road pricing means. If you want to drive you must have a GPS installed in your car and it reports your position and movements 24 hrs per day. You are then charged per kilometre moved and you are charged per minute not moving ( parked ). Plus the government knows all your habits, movements, speed, etc. This is insane. Are we terrorists? Further, why are we building billion dollar transit system plus bureaucracy ? Why is it necessary to coerce people into paying for something they dont want enough to pay the fare on if it is really so necessary?
I have to agree that gas tax is the most fair for those that drive gas powered vehicles.
The less fuel efficient the vehicle the more you pay.
Partial/non gas fuelled vehicles fly under the radar.
Hydbrids, electric cars, motorcycles, scooters, and cyclists all use the roads but escape some or all of the fuel taxes and transit taxes associated with fuel.
All road users should pay on a graded scale from cyclists at 16 years old up to the largest vehicles.
If that is through a levy on your license then so be it.
GPS tracking our movement - forget it.
TO be fair to Walton, when he says road pricing, I think he means tolling bridges, not gps tracking.
I liken the GPS tracking us to the smart meters tracking us. It's all big brother BS.
The incredible irony about this "tracking" is that our taxes pay for it.
People who are on the road more should pay more. Do the math.
Forget GPS and just record a cars mileage and tax accordingly.
If we're talking about drivers paying more for road maintenance then I'm fine with that.
What I'm NOT fine with is Translink continually looking to drivers - which are both residents and businesses - to subsidize the bus and transit system.
I get mad when I hear about "the honor system" and how some regularly evade their fares though I am glad to see the stored value card coming in 2013 - it has served Hong Kong and London well and hopefully will help something. But in my opinion Translink has no moral authority to ask for more money when they do such an ineffective job collecting the fares they are due.
I am most particularly opposed to any increase in the property tax system for public transit since it penalizes municipalities which have done a good job making themselves "livable" (which is reflected in housing prices relative to the average) to the benefit of those who haven't.
Under the current 10 year Translink plan adopted in 2004, the North Shore is paying $ 1/4 billion and getting at most 20% of that back. Meanwhile the City of Vancouver and Surrey get more than their share.
That's not reasonable, that's not fair and that's not just. I understand the strictures he's working under but I don't think Mayor Walton has done a good job fighting for the North Shore in his role with Translink at all.
Until the day comes that they have all riders paying their full fare don't come around saying you want more money.
Everytime gas tax goes up so does every single thing that we purchase.
All food, drygoods, clothing, fuel has to be transported to the location where we buy it and the additional fuel taxes are passed along to the poor consumer.
The "poor consumer" needs to be nudged to pay attention to politics and get out and vote.
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