[frinkprof]

Originally Posted by redforever

So what?

It matters because that is the issue being discussed in this thread. The Park N' Ride fee goes toward the operation of the transit system.

You stated:

Originally Posted by redforever

But we all pay taxes, and as such, don't crap the bed because someone else uses a service that we both have paid for.

I presume you mean this to say that "we both" (being Alberta and Canada taxpayers, but not both Calgary) use a service that the Park N' Ride fee goes to. This is not correct. If that is not what you meant, I apologize for misinterpreting and hope you let me know what you did mean.

Originally Posted by redforever

And when you use the transit in Lethbridge, the driver, the energy used to supply the transit, among other things, is being paid for by the Lethbridge taxpayer, not by the taxpayers of Calgary. The Calgary taxpayers do not share that cost and it is the Lethbridge taxpayer's alone to bear.

Yes. That is exactly what I said, and exactly what I meant.

Originally Posted by redforever

There are countless people who use transit and all kinds of services in municipalities who do not pay for the maintenance of the services. How about all the tourists who come to Calgary during Stampede. Perhaps you should add into your considerations all the other dollars they do bring to your city.

I do, and they are in aggregate not insignificant. As I stated in an earlier post, this is an entirely different set of circumstances than those who depend on Calgary's services for their livelihood, but do not pay for them as Calgarians (let me make this clear, any Calgarian, rich or poor, Pump Hill or Radisson Heights) do.

The reality is that a much higher proportion of Okotoksians, Cochranites or Crossfielders use Calgary's services (primarily transportation) in their day-to-day lives, and indeed depend on them for their livelihoods than the inverse. Calgarians may go to Cochrane for the odd ice cream, but the vastly overwhelming majority aren't going there Monday to Friday, week in, week out. There's a difference between tourism and commuting and it is significant. Surely you can acknowledge this.

Originally Posted by redforever

And no, we don't all pay the same taxes. So I suppose you think transit fares should be adjusted so that those with more income should pay more than those who are needy?

No. That is not at all what I am saying. When I say "same taxes" I don't mean same amount, or same total. I mean tax streams. I don't pay Grande Prairie property taxes, but some people do. That means that I don't pay for the same services that those who pay those taxes do.

Originally Posted by redforever

If you think that at the end of the day, everyone will pay their exact portion of any maintenance bills, you are mistaken, unless you are thinking of the home, condo, or whatever you own and live in.

I do not think that. However, there is a difference between paying some portion (however big or small) and paying no portion. I'll expand on what I mean by that below.

Originally Posted by redforever

Whatever. As you say, most has at least some provincial funding and my taxes have at least bought a seat on one of the C Trains. I will be careful to use that seat only in the future though. You ok with that?

I'm getting the feeling that you have misunderstood me. Using your seat example, there is a cost for the seat, and there is a cost for the use of the seat. All Canadians have paid for some portion of the seat, but the use of the seat is paid for by three groups, Calgary taxpayers, those who pay Calgary Transit fares and those who pay Park N' Ride fees, with there being some obvious overlaps between those groups.

The difference between capital costs (buying the seat) and the operational costs (transporting to and fro with a butt in it, cleaning it, repairing it) is important because different tax streams and fees go into one or the other. The Park N' Ride fee goes to operations.

I can't claim to have paid for the oldest wing of the Rockyview Hospital because I wasn't around when it was built. The 65 year old guy born and raised in Medicine Hat can. However, we can both claim to pay for the ongoing maintenance of, use of and running of the Hospital. I can claim to have paid for a portion of the 6:00 AM train northbound from Somerset tomorrow, both in user fees (if I'm on it) and taxes. The guy from High River has only paid the user fees if he's on it. The guy from Medicine Hat pays nothing unless it's an extremely rare case and he's visiting Calgary and is on the train too. What is being claimed by some in this thread is that they have paid (however much) toward things they have, in fact, not.

The difference is significant in the context of this thread, because if the Park N' Ride fee is eliminated or altered, it affects the burden put on the other two groups. Good, bad or otherwise, that's the fact of the matter.