Columnists
Visas and toll gates, oh my
Did you vote? Well, did you? I voted. My kids voted. LOML voted. Some of my friends voted online for the very first time. Some of my young friends are excited because this election was the first time they could vote, and they did. If you were eligible and didn’t vote, you won’t have anything to celebrate or grouse about over the next four years, will you? During the weeks leading up to this municipal election, several candidates dropped by our house to chat and drop off their literature. I’m not the person the candidates would have dealt with at our door. However, LOML looks forward to people with an opinion knocking on the door to deliver their promises. I definitely lack the self-control and the internal dialogue it takes to speak with people in public or on my front porch. I do research the candidates, their promises and platforms.
LOML is the person who is even-tempered and level-headed when it comes to the politics of living in a community. He’s the fellow who isn’t afraid to ask the baited questions. Don’t get me wrong, I have an opinion. I’m just not the kind of person who answers the telephone or the door, unless I really have to do so. This year the cutto- the-chase question LOML asked each candidate was about property taxes. We all love to hear that taxes will be slashed, but we all want the same or improved services. Unfortunately, most candidates made the mistake of thinking LOML is one of those people who wanted to hear about how municipal council will lower property taxes in the County. Lowering taxes is a great big mistake. Prince Edward County has seriously suffered because many years ago some politician acted on the promise of lower property taxes. Consequently, we have a multi-million dollar funding need for the repair and replacement of our arthritic infrastructure. While the pledge to keep taxes low is appealing in the short run, long-term residents aren’t in this community just for the good times. We live here year round. Our wastewater and sewage treatment systems should be in good nick, all of the time. Our roads should be in better shape. We should be able to hear ourselves think when we head out in the Rolls-can-hardly. We shouldn’t have to worry about losing teeth—or the car bottoming out—on the way to the grocery store. Our water supply, electrical grid, telecommunications grids, health services, police services, educational supports and recreational facilities need to be more than just adequate. We don’t accomplish improvements, repairs and replacements without a healthy tax base. Which brings me to my next concern. The effect increasing tourism has on our infrastructure.
Let’s be honest and realistic about the economic impact and importance of tourism in this community. We can’t really survive without tourists. If taxes need to be levied, how about finding a way to squeeze a few more dollars out of the tourists.Tourists place a significant pressure on local resources and infrastructure, and we need to recognize and deal with this in some way. This community relies on those thousands of holidayers showing up and plumping-up the coffers of County businesses. Time to get serious about a tourist tax. A Value Added Tax, of sorts. Value Added Tax isn’t something new. When we went to Europe in the 1990s, a VAT was added to the bill in just about every country we visited. A “tourist tax” was added to food, accommodation and attractions. I know, it could be a pain-in-thebehind to roll out, but think of all the fun it would be to staff the toll gates and stamp the visas.
Comments (0)