Public Transportation Encouragement Bill [On President's Desk]

[Marokai Backbeat]

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Sponsor: Senator Franzl

[Franzl]

This needn't be the final bill if fellow senators have alternative suggestions, but I think most will like the principle of this.

In the form of a tax rebate, this provides not only an economic stimulus, but also has the potential to reduce pollution and get cars off the streets.

People living in suburban and urban areas often could leave their car at home, and I would hope that this might give them the motivation.

[Hash]

While I'm a bit cautious with handing tax credits to every imaginable group in times of recession where government needs revenue of some sort, I think this is a reasonable piece of legislation. One issue though:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

How do you prove this? Not everybody buys a train or bus pass (though most who regularly use public transit do, obviously), so it's hard to prove how you're eligible for a tax rebate and easy to lie ("Oh, I swear, I take the bus to work" and the kind of bs).

Ontario has a tax credit (I think that's it, might be wrong) on bus and train passes if you keep your old passes to prove it, so I propose this amendment:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

[Hash]

Aha, found it. More information on Canada's system can be found here: http://www.transitpass.ca/

It also works at a 15% rate.

[Franzl]

accepted as friendly

[Marokai Backbeat]

Senators have 24 hours to object.

And I absolutely support this, by the way.

[tmthforu94]

I can't think of any reason not to support this. It should provide a bit of help to some households, while encouraging them to "Go Green!" When I read this earlier, I planned on introducing an amendment to address how to prove someone is using public transportation, but Hashemite beat me to it.

[Ebowed]

Financial incentives for catching the bus?  Hmm.

Walking is good.  Riding a bike is good.  Carpooling is good.  I suspect it would be difficult to create tax credits for these activities however.

[Franzl]

Financial incentives for catching the bus?  Hmm.

Walking is good.  Riding a bike is good.  Carpooling is good.  I suspect it would be difficult to create tax credits for these activities however.

True, I suppose, but someone living close enough to work that he would be able to walk or ride a bike is already saving lots of money compared to driving or using public transporation, right?

Even with the 15% tax incentive, it's not likely to get walkers to catch the bus, but I think it does have the potential to get some cars off the road.

[Hans-im-Glück]

I like this Act, but I see two problems.

1) How it is possible to control it? I think it gives to many bureaucracy.

2) For people they walk or have no chance without the car go to work this is unfair.

When we want to promote public transporting, then it's easier to cut the tax for the public transportation companies or subsidize the public transporting.

Also, we could also support all people witch go to work, doesn't matter what kind of transport you use, but this very expensive.

[Hash]

I like this Act, but I see two problems.

1) How it is possible to control it? I think it gives to many bureaucracy.

2) For people they walk or have no chance without the car go to work this is unfair.

When we want to promote public transporting, then it's easier to cut the tax for the public transportation companies or subsidize the public transporting.

Also, we could also support all people witch go to work, doesn't matter what kind of transport you use, but this very expensive.

Look at my amendment. That's how it currently stands.

[Hans-im-Glück]

Look at my amendment. That's how it currently stands.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

How could I miss that . I think that is clear and simple enough. I think that I can support it for the environment.

Only one problem remains. It only helps people in the metropolitan areas. Who lives in a rural area did not benefit.

[tmthforu94]

Look at my amendment. That's how it currently stands.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

How could I miss that . I think that is clear and simple enough. I think that I can support it for the environment.

Only one problem remains. It only helps people in the metropolitan areas. Who lives in a rural area did not benefit.

But, the main focus of this bill is to hopefully help the environment. The cities are the places where the enviornment is being hurt the most, not rural areas.

[Franzl]

Look at my amendment. That's how it currently stands.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

How could I miss that . I think that is clear and simple enough. I think that I can support it for the environment.

Only one problem remains. It only helps people in the metropolitan areas. Who lives in a rural area did not benefit.

Well too bad for them

I'm not about to subsidize automobile usage more than we already do.

[Hash]

Only one problem remains. It only helps people in the metropolitan areas. Who lives in a rural area did not benefit.

This legislation can't do everything.

Somebody who knows about agricultural and farming policy ought to write something up to provide 'green' incentives for agriculture, something which would be very good. But I can't even bullsh**t about agriculture.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

You would be better off just subsidising tickets, though I suppose you'll create a few thousand jobs this way...

But, the main focus of this bill is to hopefully help the environment. The cities are the places where the enviornment is being hurt the most, not rural areas.

lol

Poor agricultural practices can cause a hell of a lot of environmental damage, to say nothing of the mining industry or power generation.

[tmthforu94]

You would be better off just subsidising tickets, though I suppose you'll create a few thousand jobs this way...

But, the main focus of this bill is to hopefully help the environment. The cities are the places where the enviornment is being hurt the most, not rural areas.

lol

Poor agricultural practices can cause a hell of a lot of environmental damage, to say nothing of the mining industry or power generation.

Yeah, well I was thinking more transportation-wise. I should have clarified.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Senators have 24 hours to object.

And I absolutely support this, by the way.

Bill has been amended. Debate resumes.

[Hash]

Motion for a final vote. I don't think there's much more that seems likely to be done.

[Marokai Backbeat]

Motion for a final vote. I don't think there's much more that seems likely to be done.

Are we really in that much of a hurry?

[Marokai Backbeat]

The following bill is now open for a final vote. Please vote Aye, Nay, or Abstain.

You must be logged in to read this quote.

Aye, happily.

[Franzl]

Aye

[Hash]

Aye

[afleitch]

Just a small comment before I vote (and apologises for being MIA for a few days)

This bill gives a tax credit of 15% for people who purchase a travel pass. The simpler, less bureaucratic way would be to simply reduce the cost of purchasing a travel pass by 15%. Instead it stays the same, yet now we have the added costs of administering and running a small tax credit which in all will cost more to implement than just a simple flat cut would have. It's a convoluted piece of legislation.

For that reason and in part because the cut was not accordingly costed. I vote Nay

[Hans-im-Glück]

Aye