It’s so easy for politicans to say and do.
Need more money? Just raise taxes. As I pointed out before Vancouver’s Vision-dominated council is apparently about to go along with a whopping 8 per cent increase in residential property taxes. No matter that many people’s incomes and savings are down; no matter that many have lost their jobs; no matter that the economy is so bad many thousands can’t find work.
Feed the beast … so it can continue on as if almost nothing has changed in the last year. Feed the beast so they can replace a couple of apparently no-longer-desirable but highly competent top civil servants … with buyouts costing a half-million-dollars EACH. Feed the beast, so they can proceed with social housing costing more than $500,000 per unit.
Reality be damned ..feed the beast!
But Sunday I saw how exactly badly this seemingly prevalent attitude among current council members will HURT small business in Vancouver.
We spent just under three hours in Gastown … enjoying the ambience, taking photos and having lunch.
That small sojourn cost us $6 at city parking meters. (Much safer, we felt, than using those tucked away parking lots a few blocks away.)
But we were struck at how few people there were visiting the area .. despite some really interesting shops and terrific restaurants. And we couldn’t help but wonder whether having to pay $6 for three hours parking, even on a Sunday, is keeping people away.
Sure the summer season, with cruise ships and other tourists will hopefully boost the numbers. But the reality is the peak tourism season at best lasts five months. Small business owners and restaurants need customers year round.
And who knows what impact the current economic tough times will have on tourist visits Vancouver this season!
As I said … businesses in places like Gastown NEED customers year round …. and with parking rates what they now are, even on Sundays, many are clearly going elsewhere … to malls or other areas with free parking, so far still out of the clutches of city and Translink.
And yet, Vancouver’s Vision council has a plan that will make things even worse.!
Apparently the almost 8 per cent increase in residential property taxes is not enough to satisfy their spending plans. So the solution? They incredibly plan to once again boost … even DOUBLE … parking meter rates in the city.
That will do it! Kill visits by locals to Gastown even more. Year round.
If the current council believes people will spend $9 or $12 to just go down to Gastown and walk around, shop and have lunch … they have lost touch with the financial reality most middle class families are now facing.
And I’ll bet Gastown will not be alone. Many other areas where small businesses thrive will no doubt also take the hit. In fact, doubling downtown parking rates, even on weekends, will raise the price to $6 an hour. Can they not understand the impact that will have on especially the independent smaller stores that line our streets?
Perhaps it’s an attempt to force us into the malls or to the Big Box stores that have their own parking lots and parkades. They are the ones that will really benefit from added meter parking charges.
The huge increase in meter rates will also no doubt push more Vancouverites to shop in the suburbs … where even a short Sunday drive can be combined with new shopping adventures, free or low-cost street parking … and savings.
Vision clearly doesn’t see the impact of what they doing.
Or maybe they do. After all, all Vancouver council members and the top civil servants they have advising them, have FREE PARKING stickers.
And pressing ahead with huge parking rate increases will certainly make it easier for all of them to find empty meter parking spaces in Gastown or any other areas where small businesses are struggling to survive.
Until they are gone.
Harv Oberfeld
11 responses so far ↓
1 spartikus // Mar 31, 2009 at 6:49 pm
If the current council believes people will spend $9 or $12 to just go down to Gastown and walk around, shop and have lunch …
Been to San Francisco lately? That same afternoon out will set you back US$20-30. Other U.S. cities are the similar.
Yes, Vision is raising taxes. Just for fun. There certainly isn’t a global economic crisis or anything.
I suppose they could dramatically slash services instead…all those services the laid-off and the families of the laid-off seem to use more of in such times.
Which services do you suggest? Seriously.
It’s fine to chirp and moan about parking meters, but it would be nice to see a substantive alternative offered.
2 spartikus // Mar 31, 2009 at 7:37 pm
And oh….take the bus next time. $5, round trip.
I just slashed your expenses for the Gastown experience by almost 50%
(Response: Not really … because two adults ..by bus ..would cost $10. And what if you have kids too? Face reality ..people WILL stay away … In fact, looks like they’re already doing that. h.o. )
3 Chuck Davis // Mar 31, 2009 at 7:50 pm
I forwarded this to Tourism Vancouver. They’ll know about the problem, but a reminder won’t hurt.
(Response: Great idea, Chuck. I’ll bet many tourists, as well as locals, will cut their Gastown visits short … when they see our meters are almost one-arm bandits.
h.o.)
4 spartikus // Mar 31, 2009 at 9:19 pm
Not really …
Fair point – you and your family could ride your bikes, perhaps? Free! And healthy!
In fact, looks like they’re already doing that
1. Tourism is down world-wide for reasons that have little to do with parking rates. I’m also extremely skeptical that the type of tourist attracted to Gastown arrives via car.
2. Gastown is the proverbial tourist trap. If they want to attract more locals, they need to do a serious rethink.
(I would also like to correct some information I posted above. Parking rates in San Francisco are astounding, but the street meters are $3/hr downtown.)
5 rs // Apr 1, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Those cruise ships you mentioned HO…
It was only a few days ago that the CBC reported that a number of cruise ship lines would not be docking in Vancouver this year.
6 Grant g // Apr 1, 2009 at 2:53 pm
At it again eh Harv, You haven`t been listening to the premier,Campbell`s Gas/carbon tax was supposed to take 400.000 cars off the road each year,like Campbell said,it`s about choice!
Why have our ferry fares gone up 7% today/ Liquor has gone up today,and BC Hydro`s rates have gone up 8% today,and that effects the entire metro Vancouver and the entire province.And Campbell`s gas/carbon tax doubles on july 1 st.
How does that help the province? Why the hell do you think Vancouver is in need of money?
Let me explain it to you, THE OLYMPIC VILLAGE–How much is that billion dollars costing the city? Who`s deal was that? Sam Sullivan and peter ladner,and Ken Dobell ,Jack Poole and Gordon Campbell and Colin Hansen and Vanoc and the IOC.
Man are you getting bad eh, you have a hate on for Gregor Robertson(because he`s a NDP) and you won`t vote for a woman,but give your head a shake Harv,this is NPA`s mess,this is Campbell`s mess,just like Obama in the states,look at the pile of crap the Bush crowd left him!
Last point Harv—-
Gregor is here for 3 years,time to talk provincial election,start pointing out the Campbell mess,time to use your argument (like the one in the above story) and pin it to Campbell,because that`s where the blame lies, but I don`t think it`s in you Harv,your freind Gordoh and Patrick Kinsella are just good ole honest boys,and your incapable of voting for a skirt!
Time to look in the mirror Harv,time to look at the whole story,not just the last page.
(Res;ponse: Quite funny, actually. Anyone who has been reading this blog (go back in the archives GG) or watched my stories on TV knows how tough I’ve been on Gordon Campbell ..so much so that when I retired after 30 years covering him, his staff couldnt get him to drop a note or call with a “Good Luck” etc. (inlike Carole James etc). But do a Blog that criticizes something left, and all of a sudden ideologues start calling me Gordo’s friend or part of some big corporate media plot. I think THEY are the real partisans. h.o.)
7 DMJ // Apr 1, 2009 at 3:56 pm
Having operated a store near Gastown for 22 years, some observations are in order.
Vancouver is a tourist trap, sorry to say and unfortunately our politico’s have rose colored glasses.Why do you think the cruise ships are pulling out!
Parking fees are just a symptom of a wider problem; a complete disconnect between tourism Vancouver, Vancouver’s bureaucracy, Vancouver’s politicians, and what the tourist wants.
In a city, where the current thinking is that to make Vancouver more fun, is open bars to 4 am, I doubt any real change will happen.
8 PortMoodyKid // Apr 1, 2009 at 11:16 pm
Hey Harv, at least there is isn’t a Canada Line wreaking devastion for years in Gastown, but if it were, I am sure Gordon Campbell, as he has previously promised, would have the provincial government (Taxpayers) maintain responsibility : “The offer we’re making will provide for the Province to assume overall responsibility for the RAV project” (government press release, June 10, 2004). Gee, and Kevin Falcon is missing in action yet again.
9 Norman F // Apr 2, 2009 at 8:19 pm
In the seventies, I did a fair bit of municipal auditing. Councilors were not paid high salaries but some of them were sure expert at recovering “expenses” and “lost wages” and cost reporting was spread all over the budget categories.
In one town, I had a friend whose father was a councilor who was pushing for a tax increase. I said to him that I thought that was unnecessary given the strong finances of the municipality. His reply was that taxes must be raised every year whether needed or not because by doing that, citizens expect and accept that. One year without increases could lead to demands for more years without increases. The horror.
(Response: Very interesting. Reminds me of the year end rush by civil servants, especially in Ottawa, to spend ALL that’s left in their budgets. That would ensure no cuts the following year and maybe even an increase. It’s very easy for those in government to spend public $$$ and juast in crease taxes .. they dont realize an increase here (taxes) and an increase there (Translink .. carbon taxes, Hydro, etc etc ) just brings us closer to being slaves for the system, not taxpayers. h.o.)
10 Norman F // Apr 6, 2009 at 10:04 pm
It certainly is the aim of Campbell’s Liberals to outsource tax collections. His administration will claim “low rates of provincial income tax” but enable many institutions to generate revenues desired for public purposes. Thus we have Translink, ICBC, BC Hydro, Liquor Distribution, municipalities, GVRD etc. bringing in revenues that are taxes in reality. Plus, departments of government charge excessive fees to deliver services for everything from incorporations to birth, driving and marriage certificates. Every service that used to be provided as a tax funded service is now a revenue centre. We may have income taxes lower than many provinces but our provincial government has substantial other revenues.
11 Jason B // Jun 5, 2010 at 6:25 am
Keep raising parking meter prices. Keep removing existing car lanes (that can barely hold the volume at this point) to bicycles….keep doing it….
I’m sick of it. I will stop coming, I will tell my friends to stop coming. I have influence, more than you know. No I’m not anybody special, but people listen to my recommendations. I will be recommending that they dishonor
Oh the anti vehicle lobby WILL win….but the cost will be a financially devastated business core because we WILL vote with our lack of presence.
Enjoy your vehicle free downtown – may you choke on the lack of financial liquidity that your stupid vision generates.
Leave a Comment
CAPTCHA Code is needed.