Quote:
Originally Posted by adamuptownsj
That's psychotic and dangerous. They can't expropriate just because they want to. They need a valid civic reason to do so- road construction, public works like schools and museums, and so on. They try to avoid expropriation at all costs, preferring to negotiate a purchase above FMV. The only contentious one around here lately was one of the half-dozen homes on St James being demolished for the new school. All the other St James and Douglas owners seem to have accepted their lot and taken the deal offered.
Saying 'hey you know that land you own, that we considered for years to be worthless? We actually are going to take it from you and sell it to someone else to build on, or perhaps create a homeless camp," is not functional or civilized.
The goal is to get lot owners to develop or sell to developers, not for the city to steal stuff and dole it out. Fix assessments and rates on vacant land and make it more expensive to hold onto. I've been saying this for years. I own vacant land I am in no hurry to build on, because it costs next to nothing to own. If the government starts confiscating land because they can't be arsed to fix taxation, you'll never see developers invest here.
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It would hardly be psychotic
I’ve seen you mention the issue of vacant land many times here on the forum, yet when it’s pointed out how little Higgs and the PCs have done to change this, and that they would rather do nothing than do something about, you don’t seem to have much to say. Like it or not, they are the current government, and while other past Liberal and PC governments are to blame too, it’s ultimately the current PCs that should take the blame for continued inaction on tax reform which prevents cities from properly taxing vacant land that is an impediment to economic growth and development. Some major changes have to happen regarding vacant land that could be used more productively. The province is the only actor with the tower to bring about this change.
I think you’re completely misrepresenting what I’m suggesting here. I get that you’re a very conservative guy who probably loves Ronald Reagan, and probably think any sort of government involvement in housing development is socialist, but I think you’re letting your ardent support for the PCs get in the way of seeing the bigger picture here.
I also think you’re completely misrepresenting or misunderstanding what I’m suggesting here. I’m not suggesting the government expropriate valuable vacant land in the middle of our cities to allow the erection of tent cities to exist as infinitum. I’m suggesting quite the contrary actually: that the government pay land owners fair market rate for this land, and then allow temporary green zones which will absolutely turn into red zones once a residential development has been completed. The eventual goal is to have no green-zones whatsoever.
As for a valid civic reason, I think it speaks volumes that you don’t think housing is a valid civic reason for expropriation, but think a museum parking lots to save a memorial to the freaking Boer War is reason enough to bulldoze 4 houses on Douglas Avenue.
I don’t think it would send the wrong message to developers at all, if the government started expropriating vacant, underdeveloped land and allowed some encampments to exist very temporarily until the completion of construction, it could be an effective, very short term solution, and not disrupt existing residential communities. What really sends the wrong message to developers is that there’s all this vacant land that the NB government allows individuals and private interests to just sit on, while paying a pittance in taxes.
The government should devise a two pronged approach: expropriation of vacant property to be sold off to property developers, and substantially raise taxes on undeveloped vacant land to incentivize private entities to sell their land if they don’t intend to develop it in the short term. A third prong could be tax incentives for residential development that are proportionate to the scale of the development, i.e, the larger the development the more lucrative the tax incentive.
If you want to call intervention to incentivize or force the sale of vacant land psychotic that’s your prerogative, but I think it’s an incredibly hyperbolic way to react to what I’m suggesting. Tax breaks to developers who want to invest in larger scale projects could help bigger projects actually get built here. It’s not socialism to expropriate land or raise taxes on vacant land to get speculators to sell to developers, it’s rather quite democratic, pragmatic, and logical.
Logic seems to go out the window when it comes to you discussing the failings of the party you support, which has done next to nothing to actually bring about comprehensive tax reform. Hickey might sound bad in that 9 second sound byte, but Higgs and the PCs have had 6 years in power, and have done almost nothing to improve the tax system. The Liberals at least have a plan to bring about tax reform.
Tax reform should be the defining issue of this election, and it should be the one that voters and the media hold parties and their candidates accountable for and take them to task for giving unclear answers. You seem to be a lot more informed than the average poster here about the NB PC party… what is their plan for tax reform exactly, and why should we believe it?
If Hickey can clarify this comment, and if the Liberals can support tax reforms and more ambitious solutions to deal with the housing crisis, while also clamping down on the disruptive drug users and crime associated with these two related issues… I see no reason he can’t win the seat. The Liberals can absolutely make the case that their solutions will be more effective than the PCs, and Higgs is making it pretty damn easy for them. Will Uptown residents really believe the PCs have better solutions for the homelessness, addictions, and crime crises than the Liberals? Susan Holt and David Hickey literally just needs to ask Uptown voters, “do you feel safer and more secure now than you did 4 years ago?” and it will be incredibly simple to just blame the current situation on inaction from Higgs and the PC’s. It’ll be incredibly easy and effective, because it’s true.
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