Raise the Hammer

It's obvious that there are a number of factors affecting Hamilton's property values.

Those factors include commuting distance to a white-collar jobs centre (Toronto, Kitchener).

It also includes older infrastructure, a heritage association with dirty industry, and an older demographic. It also includes a high percentage of residents living on government assistance.

Being honest, yes, high taxes are a disincentive for businesses to invest in Hamilton. They are not a significant factor in whether or not residents are willing to pay to live in the city. It is the secondary impact of businesses deciding not to locate in the city that reduces opportunities for residents, and makes it less attractive to live in the city.

If you have access to the same opportunities living in Hamilton that you do elsewhere, you'd easily choose a $250K home in Hamilton with $3K/year taxes over say a $400K home in Mississauga with $3K/year taxes

The question is, how do we make it so that someone will view the opportunities as similar here in Hamilton?

I see bike lanes as a big benefit. They allow opportunities for individuals to have more flexibility in how they travel. For every cyclist on the road, the city spends less on wear and tear, traffic enforcement, road building, etc...Diverting high traffic out of cars onto bikes opens up space for others who must drive to have more reasonable commutes without putting a drain on families. It opens up more opportunities for those too young or unable to afford cars to work instead of collecting government assistance. Less people on social assistance leads to...bing bing bing...even lower taxes! I still can't see how, if one is for lower taxes, they can be for maintaining high government subsidization for cars and against increasing cycling rates.

While bike lanes are not the be-all and end-all, a coherent cycling network is definitely a step in the right direction. So is making better use of former industrial land, needed to rebuild the industrial tax base so rates can come down without having to pay the costs to develop and service new greenfield business parks on the outskirts of the city.

In the long-term, having infrastructure that is dedicated to cars is expensive. It manifests itself in unaffordable tax increases when maintenance has to be done, and often we can't even afford routine maintenance needed to keep things in a state of good repair. Hamilton has already learned this lesson, and Mississauga is inevitably following in Hamilton's footsteps.