tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19601020.post574381714182173658..comments2023-11-05T04:34:10.303-05:00Comments on The Naked City: Transit, taxes and TampaUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19601020.post-57615582181068632912010-10-07T02:43:51.193-04:002010-10-07T02:43:51.193-04:00C'mon... We KNOW that the economy, and thus t...C'mon... We KNOW that the economy, and thus the available supply of money, fluctuates. Period. No mater what perceived cornucopia of funding the politicians dream up, it will dry up when times get tough and folks will be discomfited or outright hurt... The "Boys in the Band" buy votes with our money when times are good but have no way of sustaining programs when they get bad. Once dependent or acclimated to a government boon, it is damned near impossible to wean the populace. Keep spending low. Keep programs local as much as possible. Many programs demand that there be no surpluses thus obviating saving for a rainy day. Then when we have a periodic down turn, people get hurt. If any of us ran our personal finances the way Government runs we would all be bankrupt... Oh, wait, THEY ARE!!!Salhttp://www.jerseysal.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19601020.post-40490161115623917362010-10-05T20:21:07.530-04:002010-10-05T20:21:07.530-04:00Two points -
Income taxes and payroll taxes tend ...Two points -<br /><br />Income taxes and payroll taxes tend to be even more volatile (and in sync with) sales taxes. Just look at the example of TriMet in Oregon. Its payroll tax revenue dove as unemployment rose.<br />I wonder if a property tax (possibly variable according to access to transit) would be a better way to stabilize revenues.<br /><br />Also, separate from the tax subsidies that benefit motor vehicle users (noted in this column but almost unknown to the general public)... there is the matter of the different cost structure of transit and roads. Transit costs are largely operational, while road costs are heavily capital.<br /><br />When tax revenues fall during a recession, agencies can delay road construction and maintenance without users noticing it much, because vehicle use drops, lessening both demand and wear-and-tear. <br /><br />However, while transit agencies can (and do) reduce service when revenues are tight, dropping lines drives away customers (perhaps forever) and even if there are 10% fewer workers going to work on a specific line at 8a, it costs just as much to transport that smaller number, because it still takes one bus and one driver. So transit agencies may have less flexibility to reduce spending during dips.<br /><br />And it is worth noting that a big chunk of the federal stimulus spending went to road construction and maintenance, another example of general revenues being used to benefit drivers of cars and trucks with relatively little going to benefit transit users (such as temporary support to mitigate service cuts until revenues come back up).Andrewnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19601020.post-68766489807020531322010-10-05T20:06:40.739-04:002010-10-05T20:06:40.739-04:00>> He points out that one reason
>> f...>> He points out that one reason <br />>> for the problem is over-reliance<br />>> on a very volatile revenue<br />>> stream: sales taxes.<br /><br />This is why FARES should be set to cover 100% of the actual (capital PLUS operating) cost of transit.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com