Quote:
Originally Posted by fotze
Cranston get $500MM in roads, Sunnyside gets a chinese finger trap. Its settled.
Market value is the system because its the easiest, not sure about 'fairest'. Its like income tax, based on an assumption of the ability to pay.
People like me whine because they want it to be based on what you cost the city, which really is impossible to quantify. The thought is the further you are from your employer, the mroe you cost the city which may not be true in a lot of cases).
Ideally, but not practically, taxes are reduced to a minimum to cover operating costs and overhead/fire/police, every other service is fee based and is funded 100% through fees. Road are funded through a tax based on your odometer or gas tax, Calgary transit is funded 100% on fares. Utilities are covered on a usage basis. Planning/land use paid 100% through permitting/fees.
This is never going to happen though so not sure why I moan about it.
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It can also be a giant c$%k trap if you prefer to look at it that way...which I do.
The argument of what you cost the City is a bit of a red herring I think. All the services you have were put there at some point and cost money. Should you pay retroactively? Should every new resident to an area pay a fee to account for all of the services that are already existing? And the fee is adjusted to account for the time value of money? Then new communities pay as stuff is added? Obviously this makes no sense.
Again, Cranston did not get $500mm in roads. The City and the Province and the country developed an interprovincial and international transportation system that Cranston is utilizing. Should we have a dirt road at the city limits in all directions? Obviously not again. A valid counter argument is you have a wonderful transportation corridor from Airdrie to High River (or at least Okotoks) and in order to make that roadway most effficient we should be adding developments all the way along it.
On a fee per use system so many things would either not get built or it would cost $20 for a transit ticket per ride (at least). Who would pay for a fire department or police until they need them? User fee on those as well? I am sure the pure capitalist economists would think this is the best route but as a society we all need things that we don't necessarily want to pay for directly. We can all agree we need an educated workforce but the lifelong childless guy gets his panties in a knot paying for school because "I don't have any kids" but he does get the benefit of an educated work force.
As a 1% CPer I am looking at my taxes that I have paid to the Province and the Feds. It is a crapton. Do I hate that? Yes. Do I think it is generally going to a good cause. Well, mostly. So I can justify paying it. I think if we were to prepare a list of the services and infrastructure paid for by the three levels of government it would be astounding. That Cranston gets to drive on new roads is offset by your ability to walk along the river and be in awe by an internationally renowned c&^k trap.
I think it generally balances out.