Raise the Hammer

Jason, the residential loan program is a great example of how lower tax rates stimulate investment. However, if we know it works, why not roll it out city wide? All that would happen would be that Hamilton would see a massive influx of investment and growth. Is that so bad?

As for LRT, take a look at this...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas_Monorail

Ryan >> we advocate it as the centrepiece of a comprehensive strategy to revitalize the downtown, including: two-way street conversions, pedestrian improvements

Yet no mention of lowering tax rates. You talk about how people respond to incentives and yet when it comes to taxes, you selectively forget this lesson. But somehow pedestrian improvements are more important to stimulating investment than tax reductions. Let me repeat, Ryan McGreal believes that PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN LOWER TAX RATES for stimulating investment. Wow.

Ryan >> it is also proven to attract investors in droves

Proof, really? This is from one of Jason's links...

To realize the development benefits, Cervero said, other things must be in place. Those include land-use policies supporting transit; a strong economy; a population that's inclined to use transit; and a transit system that's effective and inviting in both service and design.

So without a good economy and a population willing to embrace giving up their cars, development won't succeed. Currently Hamilton has a poor economy and a love affair with cars, so according to Robert Cervero, chairman of the city and regional planning department at the University of California, Berkeley, it won't do much to help this Hamilton's development.

A quote from the same article...

But not all light rail projects have been economic development success stories.

"One thing that can happen is nothing," said Robert Dunphy, of the Urban Land Institute. "Transit advocates will claim if you put rail in, all of a sudden you'll have this money flowing. It's just not true.

That doesn't sound good.

Ryan >> The city's 'BRT-Lite' B-Line buses are operating way over capacity

And yet we still have high tax rates. If we get LRT and lots of ridership, will that lower tax rates? It didn't in Boston. Only a hard cap on spending did that. Furthermore, population only started increasing after this cap was enacted. Rail transit by itself did NOTHING to slow the exodus of people form Boston during the 50's to the 70's. That's a fact.