07-03-2018, 01:00 PM
Agreed, for all the reasons stated, this should not be a direct ballot vote. If it were though, the better ballot question might be, “do you support snow clearing in the City of Kitchener?”
If it is “no” then we should immediately sell the snow plows and salters, and everyone, no matter their mode, can struggle this winter. If it is “yes”, then we decide how to best plow for all modes of transport in a reasonable time frame. Not plowing all sidewalks is like building an elevator that only goes half-way up a building or that only stops on every other floor. Sure it works for some, and even then it is not efficient or convenient, but for others it does not work at all. Privilege is invisible to those who have it.
It is just another version of the age-old argument about, “why should I pay education taxes when I don’t have kids in the system?” Whether you benefit directly (cleared sidewalks to use, less time spent shovelling, etc.) or indirectly (lower social costs, medical costs, crime, or increased economic efficiency), in the end, whether you walked 0km or 1000km on the cleared sidewalks, you benefited.
I wonder if any additional efficiency in cost could be achieved if Waterloo, Cambridge, the region, and Kitchener all went for sidewalk clearing for all; they already co-ordinate plowing the regional/city roads.
If it is “no” then we should immediately sell the snow plows and salters, and everyone, no matter their mode, can struggle this winter. If it is “yes”, then we decide how to best plow for all modes of transport in a reasonable time frame. Not plowing all sidewalks is like building an elevator that only goes half-way up a building or that only stops on every other floor. Sure it works for some, and even then it is not efficient or convenient, but for others it does not work at all. Privilege is invisible to those who have it.
It is just another version of the age-old argument about, “why should I pay education taxes when I don’t have kids in the system?” Whether you benefit directly (cleared sidewalks to use, less time spent shovelling, etc.) or indirectly (lower social costs, medical costs, crime, or increased economic efficiency), in the end, whether you walked 0km or 1000km on the cleared sidewalks, you benefited.
I wonder if any additional efficiency in cost could be achieved if Waterloo, Cambridge, the region, and Kitchener all went for sidewalk clearing for all; they already co-ordinate plowing the regional/city roads.
Everyone move to the back of the bus and we all get home faster.