See item #111 from the agenda..... looks like the resorts are refusing to pay anything towards the costs of the new WWTP. Guess we'll need to triple or quadruple commercial tax rates. Maybe increase business licence rates as well. Maybe increase commercial water and sewer rates as well. While we're going, might as well bump up all short term rentals to commercial rates as well.
10:08 the comments from the tourism sector reveal how out to lunch they are. The town doesn't have to play ball with the tourist sector's desire to have an MRDT. The agreement is under review and does not have to be renewed. It certainly better not be renewed with the current conditions on how the town can spend the money. It is time to say no deal to the taxation, the MRDT if the share is not increased for the town. No just a little increase but enough to put a real dent in the town's infrastructure funding deficit. The town wold be better off not accepting the current gift of funds from the tourism sector and the MRDT. We get stuck with paying for all the maintenance of whatever the gift is used to create. Some gift to the town. Those funds are taxation nooses around the public's necks.
The joke of it is, the tourism business seem to feel it is their money. That money comes from the the travelling public. The tourism sector did not earn it and have no entitlement. Tourism operators are revealing themselves to be neanderthals.
I have heard the speeches before, how the town is beholden to them for making it a success.
This is a power play, plain and simple. Tofino is at a turning point. What ever happened to "Tofino Together". That didn't last very long. Ha Ha. JJ for mayor. Yah, right !!!!
Dodged that bullet. The electorate is sometimes wiser than you might think.
Everyone needs to be reminded once again that without tourism and the tourism operators, Tofino would be like other small Vancouver Island towns where everyone had to leave as there were no longer any jobs, medical clinics, or schools, with the end of the resource-based industries.
10:14 What BS. Most people who left did so because of Tourism, Tourism promotion and the "discovery of Tofino" by an affluent class of opportunists. Few could retire here, too damn expensive. Now we have jobs that don't pay enough to live here. Used to be Tofino was affordable. Now it is affordable to the well off and permanent residents have been replaced by transient workers. Hospital and schools have been here for decades, before tourism took off. You built off that legacy. Now we have trouble getting people to work here in these places cause they can't find anywhere to live. For everything you think tourism is the solution for, it has become the new problem, The long and the short of it is, the community is weaker, lower levels of home ownership, lower relative wage rates, far less stability and weaker community spirit. The worst part is we have to listen to idiots like you tell us all to k... a.. because you are some kind of Tourism Godsend. But don't worry soon there will be so many "seasonals" who qualify to vote under the one month residency requirement, that your own part time employees will vote in a council more to your liking, to do your bidding.
Tourism Tofino has ripped off the legacy of this place, that used to be unique, genuine and historic. I value the people who lived and worked with the ocean and the land. Who created a place out of the jungle. I value the still splendid environment that your predecessors strove to protect, that you promoted the sh.. out of. I value the people who came here in a Volkswagon van with a surfboard on the roof, to try to build an authentic life, a real life. You have ripped them all off. Witness, the Van get's it's own housing, all hail "kitsch," while the people live in the "temporary use" slums and on the back roads, and the tourism operators turn a blind eye. Not your problem eh? Somebody else needs to take care of that sh.. Wonder what the Municipality can do about that?
And now you want to remind us of the benefits of tourism, and the "rights" of tourism operators that this tawdry letter to council opines. Now that all water is used up and allocated and the sewage system is full up and needs treatment. You used it up. You did that. You maxed it out. And now, that is someone else's problem too. Don't look to tourism for any help! You saved this town. Right! Saved it for yourself.
Till then you expect us to be, what? Appeasers? Just don,t ruffle the Gods, eh? An appeaser is someone who hopes the enemy gets to them last. Never a good strategy.
well said 9:45 This town is in a thirsty shitty situation thanks to tourism. I'm guessing the 2000 residents could all chip in and pay for water supplies and a sewer treatment plant designed to support the 2000 people. No way should the residents be paying the costs of tourism created demands. Besides all the tourism operators get to have income tax deductions on their sewer and water expenditures. They have no incentive to reduce their consumption.
Are we at capacity for short-term accommodation? Hell, yes. Should new short-term accommodation developments, whether it's a suite or a motel, be, at least temporarily, halted? Hell, yes!
But let's back track for moment:
Who issues building permits? Who projects the town/village's growth? Who issues business licenses?
To 10:46 So tourism is responsible for the towns success. but somebody else is responsible for it's problems.
"Who projects the town/villages growth?" Doesn't Tourism Tofino promote that. Oh ya big time.
So the Municipality is responsible though, Well yah, they foolishly gave you the reins, but when it proposes to solve the problem, ie generate money from the MRDT, Oh no, you say. They have to just lay off and take it. We know where we are taking it.
Based on your argument, you don't know whether youse bin snake bit, horse whipped, or just drank too much booze. (add your own amusing invective) Get over it, and become a constructive partner or get out of the way. Problems need solving.
Old saying goes. "you are either part of the solution or part of the problem". You made your bed, now you lie in it. Pun intended
See item #111 from the agenda..... looks like the resorts are refusing to pay anything towards the costs of the new WWTP.
ReplyDeleteGuess we'll need to triple or quadruple commercial tax rates. Maybe increase business licence rates as well. Maybe increase commercial water and sewer rates as well.
While we're going, might as well bump up all short term rentals to commercial rates as well.
The tourism sector MUST pay their own way.
10:08 the comments from the tourism sector reveal how out to lunch they are. The town doesn't have to play ball with the tourist sector's desire to have an MRDT. The agreement is under review and does not have to be renewed. It certainly better not be renewed with the current conditions on how the town can spend the money.
ReplyDeleteIt is time to say no deal to the taxation, the MRDT if the share is not increased for the town. No just a little increase but enough to put a real dent in the town's infrastructure funding deficit.
The town wold be better off not accepting the current gift of funds from the tourism sector and the MRDT. We get stuck with paying for all the maintenance of whatever the gift is used to create. Some gift to the town. Those funds are taxation nooses around the public's necks.
The joke of it is, the tourism business seem to feel it is their money. That money comes from the the travelling public. The tourism sector did not earn it and have no entitlement. Tourism operators are revealing themselves to be neanderthals.
ReplyDeleteI have heard the speeches before, how the town is beholden to them for making it a success.
Such narrow little minds.
I can't see how they give the town anything. They are takers and they have been taking too much. Simple.
ReplyDeleteThis is a power play, plain and simple. Tofino is at a turning point. What ever happened to "Tofino Together". That didn't last very long. Ha Ha. JJ for mayor. Yah, right !!!!
ReplyDeleteDodged that bullet. The electorate is sometimes wiser than you might think.
Everyone needs to be reminded once again that without tourism and the tourism operators, Tofino would be like other small Vancouver Island towns where everyone had to leave as there were no longer any jobs, medical clinics, or schools, with the end of the resource-based industries.
ReplyDeleteFish farms provide better jobs than tourism without causing the price of housing to skyrocket.
ReplyDelete10:14 What BS. Most people who left did so because of Tourism, Tourism promotion and the "discovery of Tofino" by an affluent class of opportunists. Few could retire here, too damn expensive. Now we have jobs that don't pay enough to live here. Used to be Tofino was affordable. Now it is affordable to the well off and permanent residents have been replaced by transient workers. Hospital and schools have been here for decades, before tourism took off. You built off that legacy. Now we have trouble getting people to work here in these places cause they can't find anywhere to live. For everything you think tourism is the solution for, it has become the new problem, The long and the short of it is, the community is weaker, lower levels of home ownership, lower relative wage rates, far less stability and weaker community spirit. The worst part is we have to listen to idiots like you tell us all to k... a.. because you are some kind of Tourism Godsend. But don't worry soon there will be so many "seasonals" who qualify to vote under the one month residency requirement, that your own part time employees will vote in a council more to your liking, to do your bidding.
ReplyDeleteTourism Tofino has ripped off the legacy of this place, that used to be unique, genuine and historic. I value the people who lived and worked with the ocean and the land. Who created a place out of the jungle. I value the still splendid environment that your predecessors strove to protect, that you promoted the sh.. out of. I value the people who came here in a Volkswagon van with a surfboard on the roof, to try to build an authentic life, a real life. You have ripped them all off. Witness, the Van get's it's own housing, all hail "kitsch," while the people live in the "temporary use" slums and on the back roads, and the tourism operators turn a blind eye. Not your problem eh? Somebody else needs to take care of that sh.. Wonder what the Municipality can do about that?
And now you want to remind us of the benefits of tourism, and the "rights" of tourism operators that this tawdry letter to council opines. Now that all water is used up and allocated and the sewage system is full up and needs treatment. You used it up. You did that. You maxed it out. And now, that is someone else's problem too. Don't look to tourism for any help! You saved this town. Right! Saved it for yourself.
Till then you expect us to be, what? Appeasers? Just don,t ruffle the Gods, eh? An appeaser is someone who hopes the enemy gets to them last. Never a good strategy.
well said 9:45
ReplyDeleteThis town is in a thirsty shitty situation thanks to tourism. I'm guessing the 2000 residents could all chip in and pay for water supplies and a sewer treatment plant designed to support the 2000 people.
No way should the residents be paying the costs of tourism created demands.
Besides all the tourism operators get to have income tax deductions on their sewer and water expenditures. They have no incentive to reduce their consumption.
Are we at capacity for short-term accommodation? Hell, yes.
ReplyDeleteShould new short-term accommodation developments, whether it's a suite or a motel, be, at least temporarily, halted? Hell, yes!
But let's back track for moment:
Who issues building permits?
Who projects the town/village's growth?
Who issues business licenses?
It ain't "tourism."
To 10:46 So tourism is responsible for the towns success. but somebody else is responsible for it's problems.
ReplyDelete"Who projects the town/villages growth?" Doesn't Tourism Tofino promote that. Oh ya big time.
So the Municipality is responsible though, Well yah, they foolishly gave you the reins, but when it proposes to solve the problem, ie generate money from the MRDT, Oh no, you say. They have to just lay off and take it. We know where we are taking it.
Based on your argument, you don't know whether youse bin snake bit, horse whipped, or just drank too much booze. (add your own amusing invective) Get over it, and become a constructive partner or get out of the way. Problems need solving.
Old saying goes. "you are either part of the solution or part of the problem". You made your bed, now you lie in it. Pun intended