Oh I am quite aware on how municipal politics work and can recognize a bad example of local politics when I see it.Quote:
Originally Posted by stragglelake
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Oh I am quite aware on how municipal politics work and can recognize a bad example of local politics when I see it.Quote:
Originally Posted by stragglelake
True Mike. But everyone in the 905 knows ridiculous low it is. Don't forget, the higher the population, the more services are required. Be they fire/police, be it mail delivery (still get to the door) be it road widening or maintenance or A to Z. What did Rob Ford campaign on? They don't pay anywhere near enough.
This isn't really pertinent, and is certainly over simplified but is indicative. The province is 300b in debt. The GTA with 50% of the pop, the rest of Ontario, the other 50%. Do you think the residents of TO pay their fair share? Who do you think has benefitted the most from all that debt? Rural or Northern Ont?
Look at Hospitals. The Prov is currently cutting funding to areas where pop growth is small or reversing, and using that money to fund hospitals in the GTA.....
Lets look at pollution and Carbon Taxes. Who by far is the dirtiest? Yet, we all going to pay the same .04
per litre.
Look at towns like Innesfil.
Just to highlight how user fees are becoming more common place..here's a story that will make you cringe if you want to go boating in some of these lakes;
Quote:
The fee to use a powerboat with a hefty motor in Val-des-Monts lakes with public docks has jumped to a whopping $120 per day — except for residents of the municipality, who are only subject to a $60 fee per year.
The cost used to be $150 per season for non-residents to launch boats with motors that are more than 100 horsepower, while it was free for residents.
Val-des-Monts Coun. Claude Bergeron said the change in fees comes after public consultations.
The new fees, which vary depending on the size of the motor, fall in line with other municipalities, he said.
Bergeron said the move was not meant to keep those who don't live in Val-des-Monts off the municipality's more than 120 lakes. Only Lake McGregor and Lake Saint-Pierre have public docks.
"We're not chasing them away, we're aiming to control boating to protect the water quality of our lakes for future generations," he said, adding that residents complained they could barely use lakes with public docks on weekends because there were too many boats.
Bergeron emphasized that it's free for everyone to use non-motorized boats, and minimal for powerboats that use 10 horsepower or less ($5 annually for residents, $10 per day for non-residents).
Right way to tackle problem?
Brian Hepburn said weekends bring in lots of boaters to Lake McGregor, which can be unsafe. The $60 per year fee is not ideal, but he's willing to pay it for a better boating experience.
"As a cottager on the lake, I'm happy because I think it will reduce some of the traffic," he said.
Val-des-Monts resident Simon Germain supports banning access to big boats with hefty motors but doesn't feel "exorbitant prices" is the right move — especially charging residents.
The municipality had "good intentions" to protect the lakes, added Val-des-Monts resident Luc Lanoix, but he wondered if it would limit the number of tourists and boaters who aren't well-off financially.
People need to realize that the role of government is to provide basic and necessary services. So pointing fingers and blaming the guy from the city really is only self serving. Everybody pays sales taxes and income taxes and more and more user fees. The government can't handle the basic necessities without bankrupting our children. Not sure nice boat launches should be a priority for what is mostly borrowed money. I'm not anti-boat. I have owned one for 25 years. I pay to store it and launch it.
That's true.Quote:
Originally Posted by terrym
People of innisville pay taxes for that park and everyone in Ontario pays taxes and that means they can use provincial parks. People need to know where there tax money goes before they complain how it's used.
I absolutely agree. If there such a serious problem with the boat launch being abused and a huge bone of contention with the locals,the logical solution is to shut it down,bulldoze it and build a park. Problem solved.Quote:
Originally Posted by OUTCAST
Innisfil Beach "Park", is a park!Quote:
Originally Posted by trimmer21
The issue aint the boat launch but the over population abusing the park.
Increasing the cost of parking will help get ride of it or pay for the clean up.
Quote:
Originally Posted by terrym
I just checked "[COLOR=#252525]The route is operated privately under a 99-year lease[COLOR=#252525]agreement with the provincial government. The lease was sold in 1998 for approximately C$[COLOR=#252525]3.1 billion to a consortium of Canadian and Spanish investors operating under the name 407 International Inc."
The extension is owned by the goverment.