I don't see the debate that way at all. First and foremost it is important to remember that 68% of local road costs come from property taxes - and that the money spent on road expansion (which induces more demand in the long run) largely goes to accommodate what I consider to be a triple-platinum level of service for motorists during peak travel times. Raising the bus fares will reduce bus ridership and increase motor-vehicle travel which could in turn place more of a property tax load on taxpayers than not raising bus fares.
So with the air sucked out of the "fairness" argument, the way I read the remainder of the debate from the so-called fiscal conservatives on the council is that this is about promoting superhighway socialism and the manifest destiny of the automobile while at the same time denying mobility to the "people from Chicago" in order to engineer a more antebellum social order. Ride safely! -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Eric Westhagen Sent: Wednesday, December 10, 2008 6:17 PM To: BikiesSubmissions Subject: [Bikies] Bus fare increases In answer: The debate is about the fairness of passing bus costs to people who both ride the bus (fare increases) and who don't ride the bus (real estate/schools) in Madison. _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [email protected] http://lists.danenet.org/listinfo.cgi/bikies-danenet.org
