This entry was inspired by "Southwest light-rail is good for business", Star Tribune, 2012-03-16.
Opponents of light-rail, expanded bus service, and other non-auto transit options claim that we can't afford the taxes to build these. Some of these same people claim that businesses shouldn't be taxed.
Somehow we do have taxes to build more and more roads. Somehow we do have taxes to police and repair these roads. But what do more roads get us? More congestion. How many times do you come to a standstill at rush hour (or in large cities, on rush day)? Do you remember 10 or 20 years ago when the freeways had fewer lanes? Do you remember coming to a standstill maybe less than you do now? So more roads were built and more people used them. A sort of build it and they will come situation.
So people lose time because of traffic congestion and businesses have less ready-to-work employees. And many employees leaving early "to beat the rush".
But for those who don't want to tax businesses, do you realize the automobile culture levies a heavy tax on them? If a company has 1,000 employees at a location working a day shift, how many parking spaces will the company have to provide? What is the cost of those spaces? Who pays for those spaces? Could the land be better used for other purposes?
Look at the suburbanization of our shopping areas. Any business has to provide a certain minimum of parking. And smaller businesses have to allocate so many handicapped spaces, even when the farthest general parking space is closer to the building than the nearest handicapped space in Sprawl Mall is to the main entrance!
How come the anti-government, pro-business party isn't listening to the pro-transit businesses? Especially when that same party claims businesses can do things better than government?
