[Newsbot]

Title: Mayors consider new Metro Vancouver carbon tax
Category: Misc CDN
Posted By: Hyack
Date: 2012-03-20 00:25:05
Canadian

[dino_bobba_renno]

I honesty don't know how people afford to live in BC any more. I was just checking out the average BC hourly wages and they really havent gone up much in the last year, in some cases they even went down. If you compare the wage trends against all the new taxes BC'ers face its a wonder how anyone chooses to stay there. Must be the weather I guess.

http://www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/labr69k-eng.htm

[Zipperfish]

TransLink has a $30 million shortfall? Tehn get rid of the board. That's irresponsible. These guys gave themselves a 500% percent raise not too long ago. And they all get a car allowance--bitterly ironic for an orgnization trying to promote transit.

[bootlegga]

$1:

At a March 7 meeting, the TransLink mayors' council passed a motion asking the province for the legal right to implement a regional carbon tax; additional fuel tax; and vehicle registration fees based on fuel consumption, engine size and emissions.

I've suggested that myself once or twice in the past - with a caveat being if a business can prove it needs such a vehicle, it would pay normal registration fees. It's just ridiculous how many huge V8-engined pick-ups I see here in Edmonton with only one passenger driving to and from work.

I'm not sure more carbon taxes are needed too though - I'd say one or the other.

[QBall]

$1:

District of North Vancouver Mayor Richard Walton, who chairs the mayors' council, told CTV News that there really isn't an alternative to imposing more costs on taxpayers.

This may sound crazy, but how about imposing the costs onto the people who use the system by raising fares rather than expecting those who don't use the system to make up the shortfall?

[andyt]

bootlegga bootlegga:

$1:

At a March 7 meeting, the TransLink mayors' council passed a motion asking the province for the legal right to implement a regional carbon tax; additional fuel tax; and vehicle registration fees based on fuel consumption, engine size and emissions.

I've suggested that myself once or twice in the past - with a caveat being if a business can prove it needs such a vehicle, it would pay normal registration fees. It's just ridiculous how many huge V8-engined pick-ups I see here in Edmonton with only one passenger driving to and from work.

I'm not sure more carbon taxes are needed too though - I'd say one or the other.

I don't agree with the vehicle levy, tho my vehicle will pay a small one. I barely drive, very few km a year, why should I pay the same levy as somebody in the same vehicle who's using the roads every day? A gas tax is the best solution because it's based on how much you drive as well as how much fuel your vehicle uses. The other idea is road pricing, but that's more difficult to implement.

But Translink definitely needs more revenue - transit is overburdened and under served, especially in the burbs. They've been quite successful in getting people out of their cars, but they need to have a good transit system in place or it's all for naught.

Translink is the usual bullshit entity set up by the province, where the pretense is it's somehow independent. Instead what it is is non-responsive to voters, and has an inadequate funding model. Same bullshit as BC ferries, but the tightie righties just eat that shit up.

[OnTheIce]

bootlegga bootlegga:

$1:

At a March 7 meeting, the TransLink mayors' council passed a motion asking the province for the legal right to implement a regional carbon tax; additional fuel tax; and vehicle registration fees based on fuel consumption, engine size and emissions.

I've suggested that myself once or twice in the past - with a caveat being if a business can prove it needs such a vehicle, it would pay normal registration fees. It's just ridiculous how many huge V8-engined pick-ups I see here in Edmonton with only one passenger driving to and from work.

I'm not sure more carbon taxes are needed too though - I'd say one or the other.

Amazingly enough, some people that drive trucks alone, use them to make a living.

Another retarded idea.

[andyt]

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

Amazingly enough, some people that drive trucks alone, use them to make a living.

Another retarded idea.

If people are using the roads for commercial purposes, shouldn't they pay for that? In fact who is supposed to pay for road usage, exactly? Santa Claus?

[OnTheIce]

andyt andyt:

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

Amazingly enough, some people that drive trucks alone, use them to make a living.

Another retarded idea.

If people are using the roads for commercial purposes, shouldn't they pay for that? In fact who is supposed to pay for road usage, exactly? Santa Claus?

I don't use side-walks, does that mean shouldn't pay to have them built and maintained?

We all pay for infrastructure. That's how it works. Get with it.

[andyt]

So the dump trucks should pay no more than a guy who drives his Honda Fit twice a week?

[OnTheIce]

andyt andyt:

So the dump trucks should pay no more than a guy who drives his Honda Fit twice a week?

They already do. Try and brush up before you to come to the table with nothing.

We're not talking about dump trucks though, we're talking about pickup trucks that people use to get to work, for work and perhaps to move their family around.

[andyt]

I know they already do, and you're whining about it. Or whining for people who use their pickups for transportation - OK, why are they so special?

[OnTheIce]

andyt andyt:

I know they already do, and you're whining about it. Or whining for people who use their pickups for transportation - OK, why are they so special?

Who's whining, besides you having to pay to support infrastructure?

You're the one acting like you're the special one.

[andyt]

You were whining about pickup owners. I'm saying that there's a fairer way to price this, with either gasoline taxes or road use fees. The more your drive, the more you should pay. I believe they mentioned $30 a year, so it's not like it's a big deal either way, and I certainly do want money spent on transit.

If the province doesn't want to approve higher gas taxes, then the province should kick in the money needed.

[OnTheIce]

andyt andyt:

You were whining about pickup owners. I'm saying that there's a fairer way to price this, with either gasoline taxes or road use fees. The more your drive, the more you should pay. I believe they mentioned $30 a year, so it's not like it's a big deal either way, and I certainly do want money spent on transit.

If the province doesn't want to approve higher gas taxes, then the province should kick in the money needed.

Whining?

It was insinuated that people with pick-ups drive alone to commute, which isn't always the case. Just stating a fact.