Travel Blog

Cities across the world are all under pressure to reduce their costs. They need to generate new revenue to pay for services that they offer to their residents. The last 3 years has really pushed this issue to the forefront due to the recession. foreclosures and many places are just being boarded up. In locations were the city gets a share of the sales tax, even this has fallen, since people are just not spending the same amount of money. Cities reduce services when the situation gets this bad.

Cities Reduce Services

Now you would think that cities across North America would reduce services to reduce their costs as they go through this painful period. And yes many are doing just that because they have so much pressure on their budgets.

Reduce Garbage Pickup

However I just read an article about a Canadian city that is switching from weekly garbage pickup to biweekly pickups and will save approximately $10m dollars as a result. Sounds good doesn’t it! Well instead of the tax budget going up by $3 per house hold next year, the tax for garbage will only go up $2 instead.

How does this work? You cut services by 50%, but you only reduce the increase that was already planned by $1? Does this make sense at all?  I support going to biweekly pickup’s but I would expect more bang for this cut than this. In fact I would expect and outright reduction in my taxes. And this is in a city that is relatively unscathed from the depression over the past few years.

Cities Reduce Services – Garbage and Maggots

This summer when it was really hot, our garbage was literally crawling with maggots. With no place to put the garbage and it not being picked up for two weeks this is the perfect combination for maggots to grow into flies in the hot weather. And Yes we have a lot more flies now too. They are everywhere.

This is Ottawa Canada, were 90% of the people work for government and are paid disproportionately well for doing almost nothing! Sorry I could not resist the rant. I am sure the majority work very hard at some thing.

Anyway you get my point . Cut services and reduce the tax burden. If that means you need to lay some people off then do it.

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