City of Vancouver "street utility"

[Waterbuffalo]

This could be by use or amount of trips or many other ideas?

Please Watch this video at 30 min. mark for Tim Leavitt's Question and Thayer's answer.

http://www.cityofvancouver.us/cvtv/cvtvarchive2/City_Council_Workshops/2008_Events/May_2008/05-19-08/2_Transportation_Performance_Snapshot.wmv

[Chief]

I'll take a look, but these things aways D/L so damned slow...

[Waterbuffalo]

Would you like me to copy this for you on CD? :-) I all ready have it. Thanks Comcast.

Now back to the commentary:

I saw some speculation in the paper that Council may consider trimming the City's Transportation Improvement Plan. During the runup to the last bi-ennium budget fight, I remember pegging the amount to fund the entire TIP at a little over $350 Million or so, and in fact Jeanne Stewart dryly proposed that the City sponsor a bond measure for that amount, and get it over with...

I haven't looked at the TIP lately, but it's got to be well in excess of $300K by now.

As for the street maintenance fees, they need to tread lightly there too. What exactly are we paying for with out taxes if we have to slice Police, Fire, street repairs, et al; while continuing to spend Millions on difficult to develop Downtown projects??

These kinds of questions are what fuel the fires of CAVE, but instead of pursuing real solutions by putting up candidates who have a prayer of winning decisively, CAVE gloms onto these issues so that Larry Patella has another issue to pound on his personal podium about with his shoe...

Since I did not hear that discussion about lower the TIP fee, I cannot comment on it. But I feel and think honestly and earnestly Chief, your taxes and my rent are not going any lower. ESPECIALLY after all that I have heard....

Lowering the TIP fee means what than? Is it going to be lowered and made up where? You can't keep hitting the federal, state and regional transportation grants. Remember, the feds are cutting back???

So guess where the City is going to look?

As to Cave-in, I could care less.. They have not had a clue or a decent proposal in how long? And they carbon copy Clarkblog members ideas as their own?? Sorry but they're not even worth listening to.

[Waterbuffalo]

Ok, Tim..... Your going to hear this from many different sources. What do you think about a "Street Uiltity Tax?"

You asked Thayer about it, now time to pony up your ideas and why?

[Chief]

I take it you are pointing to Tim's "Street Utility Tax", and the difficulty the City would have is selling it to Businesses in the County. ICC would have a stroke if anyone even suggested such a thing...

[Waterbuffalo]

Well your going to see what is going to happen. Tim and several of the council members asked very poiniant questions. Taxes in this city are not going down Chief. From every thing I have heard, Fire and Police are hurting for funding, Transportation is building with coble together funds (think how the Hilton was built) and other things.

If you watch the video, you will understand what I am saying. If ICC has a stroke, watch what happens when the next mayor OR two has to raise their taxes on the development in downtown Vancouver to pay for all the needed street improvements.

Or the Tsunami hits the business community.

Either way, Chief.. Eventually the check is going to come do and ICC is NOT going to be able to wiggle, squirm their way out of it. ESPECIALLY since they have been advocating for LIFT to raise taxes to pay for their pet projects.. (of many kinds..) So its only fair they pay their fair share.