$30/year levy on cars registered in Calgary

[Xtrema]

http://www.metronews.ca/calgary/Local/article/148528

[malcolmk14]

I'm fine with it if it means improved infrastructure. But it probably won't.

[GQBalla]

damnit even more shit to pay

[adam c]

whatever, soon enough people won't live here anymore and maybe the city will get a fucking clue

[Melinda]

Meh, driving is a privilege, not a right It's still a lot cheaper to drive here than it is in most of Europe.

[Tik-Tok]

How about a $30 annual drivers license fee instead? Seeing as how I can drive all 4 of my vehicles at once.

[lint]

“But I’d encourage people to keep an open mind ... If it means we can off-load costs to users directly, it’s probably a good time to do it.”

What costs does the city currently bear for users? Does the city currently subsidize vehicle ownership somehow?

[Crymson]

Yeah -- i'm find with fee's for service. But it seems that the city is only ADDING fees for those who use services, and not actually discounting those who do not.

I'm excited to see how ridiculous the buses are after they add the 3$ a day park and ride fees, because you can ge damned sure that they're not planning on adding any additional busses to the bus routes.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by Tik-Tok
How about a $30 annual drivers license fee instead? Seeing as how I can drive all 4 of my vehicles at once.

You think they in it to save you money?

Actually, I preferred toll road, say the ring road. Or a downtown toll where if you drive through the core during rush hour, you must pay?

[tsi_neal]

Ill be sure to vote against bronco at the next civic election... Hes been in there too long and making to many poor decisions this time around.

[urban.one]

I cant disagree with this point. But does that make a new tax OK?

Originally posted by Melinda
Meh, driving is a privilege, not a right

I cant disagree with this point either. But is that a reason to increase taxes by implementing a cash grab.

Originally posted by Melinda
It's still a lot cheaper to drive here than it is in most of Europe.

This board is full of complaints about speeding tickets being a cash grab and revenue generator. This tax would be no different.

[Xtrema]

Originally posted by tsi_neal
Ill be sure to vote against bronco at the next civic election... Hes been in there too long and making to many poor decisions this time around.

People voted him because he said he'll spend to fix our problems.

Well, everyone who voted for Bronco should have pay for all the increases now.

[Melinda]

Originally posted by urban.one

This board is full of complaints about speeding tickets being a cash grab and revenue generator. This tax would be no different.

What exactly do you propose as an alternative to punishing people for speeding? Or perhaps everyone should just be able to pick their own driving speeds?

Seriously, people need to stop bitching and complaining so much, it makes life a whole lot less stressful instead of getting their panties in a bunch every time some new change happens. Inflation sucks, the city's need for money sucks, but it's a part of life, especially when everyone is complaining about our lack of infrastructure.

[revelations]

Would you guys rather have a local consumption tax on gas like they do in hongcouver?

eg. 1-2c a litre extra?

[benyl]

They should implement it based on a 100 km radius of Calgary.

What about all the commuters from Cochrane, Bearspaw, Airdrie, Okotoks, High River, Canmore Etc.

Many of those people use city services.

Toll road = answer.
I would happily pay to use roads that are well designed and promote the flow of traffic.

As it sits, the City of Calgary engineers make it really hard to justify their salaries.

Crowchild, Westhills, Beacon Hill (only 1 road in and out????) are just some recent examples of poor planning and then updating.

[adam c]

Originally posted by Xtrema


You think they in it to save you money?

Actually, I preferred toll road, say the ring road. Or a downtown toll where if you drive through the core during rush hour, you must pay?

are you tired this morning? that's insane! a toll booth in DT during rush hour..

[lint]

Originally posted by Melinda

What exactly do you propose as an alternative to punishing people for speeding? Or perhaps everyone should just be able to pick their own driving speeds?

Seriously, people need to stop bitching and complaining so much, it makes life a whole lot less stressful instead of getting their panties in a bunch every time some new change happens. Inflation sucks, the city's need for money sucks, but it's a part of life, especially when everyone is complaining about our lack of infrastructure.

So you're ok with paying taxes that fund infrastructure and then getting hit up with user fees to use that infrastructure? You don't see a double taxation problem here?

I'd like to see them for fiscally responsible with the money they've collected before handing over more cash.

[Melinda]

Originally posted by lint


So you're ok with paying taxes that fund infrastructure and then getting hit up with user fees to use that infrastructure? You don't see a double taxation problem here?

I'd like to see them for fiscally responsible with the money they've collected before handing over more cash.

People listen to the media far too much these days. They do a fantastic job at constantly painting the government as some sort of evil force that really just wants to steal all of the tax payer's money, focusing only on the bad and never on the good. $30 a year is hardly anything, $2.50 a month. I'm willing to wager the other suggestion (a toll booth), even on one road in our city, would cost the average driver a hell of a lot more than that.

[adam c]

i think it should be taxed on the amount of km you drive in a year

[clem24]

Originally posted by adam c
i think it should be taxed on the amount of km you drive in a year

Um, so we should punish people for going on road trips? Ya ok.

Anyways, according to that article, it'll bring in $25M... Correct me if I am wrong, but that amounts to 833,333 registered vehicles in Calgary?? That's a helluva lot of cars considering we've only broken 1M not too long ago.

And hey.. Whatever. $30 isn't going to kill me. As long as that money is being put to good use. Sure as hell beats a toll charge for entering the core a la London.