Stop tax breaks to business, restore funds to libraries and parks

 

 

Councillor Ellen Woodsworth
604-873-7240

P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.

 

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From: Correspondence Group, City Clerk's Office
Sent: Thursday, November 26, 2009 5:03 PM
To: Anton, Suzanne; Cadman, David; Deal, Heather; Dobrinskaya, Maria; Mayor's Office (COV); Woodsworth, Ellen
Subject: FW: Stop tax breaks to business, restore funds to libraries and parks

 

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From: Neil Monckton [mailto:hello@thinkcity.ca]
Sent: Thursday, November 26, 2009 4:19 PM
To: Correspondence Group, City Clerk's Office
Subject: Stop tax breaks to business, restore funds to libraries and parks

	Millions to be Cut from City Services While Businesses Get Tax Break Dear Friend, Earlier in November, we told you Mayor Robertson and city council may make deep cuts to public services as part of the 2010 City of Vancouver budget. Last night, the parks and library boards reluctantly adopted $4.4 million in cuts to meet the council's budget targets. Library hours will be cut, the Bloedel Conservatory shutdown, the Stanley Park farm shuttered, community centres will have fewer staff – it's very bad news for Vancouverites. But this decision by Mayor Robertson to bring in major service cuts is unnecessary. City hall has enough money to make sure no frontline service cuts are made in 2010. Council needs to defer a $22-million tax holiday for some businesses to bring city hall that much closer to a no-cuts budget. This multi-million dollar corporate tax break or tax shift was brought in two years ago by Mayor Sam Sullivan when the city's economy was roaring during the boom years. Now, things have changed. The world economy is in recession making it impossible for the city to afford this kind of corporate subsidy. In hard times, everyone needs to pay their fair share – residents, mom-and-pop stores, big businesses and industrial land owners. It's unbelievable that a city council elected to protect and enhance city services would act this way! That's why it is very important we let Mayor Robertson know what citizens' budget priorities are. Think City has already gathered nearly 1,400 surveys as part of our annual Citizen Budget initiative and we will present the results to council next week. (If you have not already taken the survey, please click here.) In addition to our survey, Think City wants to fight back in another way, and we urgently need your help to make it happen. We're placing ads before city council makes its final decision on the budget to advocate for no service cuts and an end to this out-dated business tax break. Will you help us? Simply click here to make a contribution to help pay for the placement of these ads. We know the city is facing hard times, but the cupboard is not bare at 12th and Cambie. No other major Lower Mainland municipality is cutting their operating budget the way City of Vancouver is. Our mayor and council have choices – they can protect public services by ending the needless business subsidy. If just 100 citizens donated $100 each, we can do it. With your support today, Think City will make sure Mayor Robertson hears the public's budget priorities before the final 2010 budget is passed on Dec. 18. Thank you, Neil Monckton, Think City Chair P.S. for more information about attending our Dec. 1 City Budget Debate, click here.
	This Think City Take Action message was brought to you by the Think City Society. If you would like to be removed from our distribution lists, just reply to this email with NO THANKS in the subject line. Most photos by Joshua Berson, www.bersonphoto.com and Think City.

!DSPAM:1262,4b1440b525621179546462!

Please forward this survey. There is a question on it about the importance of the Four Pillars Drug Strategy so it would be great if we were to signal through this survey that it shouldn't be abandoned. Forward to other lists if you can. Donald

Begin forwarded message:

From: ewoods@vcn.bc.ca

Date: November 30, 2009 2:47:17 PM PST

To: ewoods-announce@vancouvercommunity.net

Subject: [ewoods-announce] Stop tax breaks to business, restore funds to libraries and parks

Millions to be Cut from City Services While Businesses Get Tax Break

The public will have only two more chances to voice their concerns about
$28.1 million in proposed cuts to libraries, community centres, parks
and other city services.

First, complete Think City's 2010 Citizen Budget survey by Dec. 1.

Second, speak at city council's special pubic hearing on the budget on
Dec. 3 where Think City will also present the results of the Citizen
Budget survey. – to forward this survey to a friend, please send them to
http://www.thinkcity.ca/citizen_budget_2010_survey.

To speak to Council you must register by emailing
mayorandcouncil@vancouver.ca or calling 604.873.7276.

Fewer then 350 citizens took part in the city's own budget survey. Make
sure city council knows what your priorities are for the 2010 budget.

P.S. To learn more about why the mayor is proposing tax cuts for
businesses and service cuts for citizen, please attend Think City's City
Budget Debate on Tuesday,
Dec. 1. Details are here http://www.thinkcity.ca/citizen_budget_debate.

The parks and library boards reluctantly adopted $4.4
million in cuts to meet the council's budget targets. Library hours will
be cut, the Bloedel Conservatory shutdown, the Stanley Park farm
shuttered, community centres will have fewer staff - it's very bad news
for Vancouverites.

But this decision to bring in major service cuts is
unnecessary. City hall has enough money to make sure no frontline
service cuts are made in 2010. Council needs to defer a $22-million tax
holiday for some businesses to bring city hall that much closer to a
no-cuts budget.

This multi-million dollar corporate tax break or tax shift was brought
in two years ago by Mayor Sam Sullivan when the city's economy was
roaring during the boom years. Now, things have changed. The world
economy is in recession making it impossible for the city to afford this
kind of corporate subsidy. In hard times, everyone needs to pay their
fair share - residents, mom-and-pop stores, big businesses and
industrial land owners.
Think City has already gathered nearly 1,400 surveys as part of our annual
Citizen Budget initiative and we will present the results to council this
week.

We know the city is facing hard times, but the cupboard is not bare at
12th and Cambie. No other major Lower Mainland municipality is cutting
their operating budget the way City of Vancouver is. Our mayor and
council have choices - they can protect public services by ending the
needless business subsidy.

With your support today, Think City will make sure Mayor Robertson hears
the public's budget priorities before the final 2010 budget is passed on
Dec. 18.


P.S. for more information about attending the Think City Dec. 1 City
Budget Debate,
click here
<http://publicsolutions.ca/maillist/lt/t_go.php?i=243&e=Mjg3Mzcz&l=-http
--thinkcity.ca/budget_debate_register> .