The deeply flawed TransLink board structure is becoming questionable even faster than I thought it would.
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It’s definitely a pickle, but is a property tax really that bad? At least a broad tax, taxes individuals and businesses equally (sort of) rather than just businesses (as the parking stall tax did) —- and the last time I looked, I saw many more individuals than busineses using Transit.
There is no question that the parking stall tax was ill conceived, poorly thought out. poorly delivered and simply inequitable for all involved. Its good that its dead — so the question becomes: h0w does Translink replace those funds it should never have received in the first place?
Proportionate property taxes on businesses far exceed property taxes on individuals (in Vancouver moreso than elsewhere in the GVA). Why would anyone want to burden businesses with even higher costs than they currently face? They do, after all, employ us.
All they are doing is considering options – it would be irresponsible to dismiss an option out of hand without doing an analysis based on political perceptions.
Any taxes still need the approval of the Mayors’ Council.
WRT the skew between business property taxes and residential property taxes, here’s an article from the Vancouver Sun last year.
http://www.lestwarog.com/newsArticle-2974.html
The need to shift taxes to residential properties is a natural consequence of the City reducing the commercial and industrial tax base in the City of Vancouver.
The lack of accountability of the Translink board seems to be of little relevance to Vancouverites. I have previously argued on my blog that Vancouverites have amnesia (does anybody recall the 2001 bus drivers’ strike and how it crippled thousands of lives?) – have Vancouverites lost any ability to be irked and angry at the local institutions and do something about this lack of accountability and credibility and reliability?