Winter Walking and Cycling

[Viewfromthe42]

Having said all this, you’re fundamentally right. Politicians are rightly afraid of being seen as tax-increasers, no matter how meritorious the proposed spending.

Indeed. If the cost to the city of clearing sidewalks was more than offset by the reduction in slip-and-fall suit payments that the city pays out, people would still see it as a tax increase (even as math proves otherwise). We already experience this by having a lot of research showing that the costs associated with one homeless person (police, medical, etc) are greater than the costs associated with a housed homeless person (police, medical, etc., have been shown to be reduced by more than the cost of housing provided), yet we will gladly pay the higher, former cost, claiming it was "unavoidable", and complain about paying the lower, latter cost, because it "wasn't necessary, it was a choice to spend money."