Congestion taxing to rear its ugly head once more - if Bloomberg is not stopped - Here's what we're in for
As if trampling New York citizens' right to chose by referendum (re: term limits) isn't enough, this out-of-touch billionaire's pet congestion pricing tax is again looming now that the Bloomberg is Mayor once again.
The below is extracted from Bloomberg's own news website. Bloomberg will ensure that New York will be a mirror of London and the divide between the middle-class and rich will widen due to congestion pricing. How many more small businesses will Bloomberg kiss goodbye to? Congestion taxing is COSTING London businesses almost $500-million dollars a year, and we can bet it's the small businesses that are most affected.
[Bloomberg News] The London Chamber of Commerce and Industry says it all - as they have said in the past (accents are mine):
| [ London's Mayor to Increase Underground, Bus Fares Bloomberg The city's traffic-congestion charge also increases next year, to as much as 10 pounds a day from 8 pounds, the mayor said. “We are in desperate need of ... ] |
The higher congestion charge “will mean less money in businesses’ bank accounts and fewer customers in the capital’s shops,” Helen Hill, director of policy at the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said in an e-mailed statement. The higher fares will place “even more financial pressure on London’s businesses and their employees as we try and make the jump from recession to recovery.”
Cost of Decline
The economic decline will cost Transport for London, the city’s transportation agency, a total of 300 million pounds this year [ that's $ 479,171,235 U.S. dollars!! ], mostly through lost ticket and advertising revenue, an aide to the mayor said. Passenger traffic is expected to fall by as much 6 percent in 2010 and won’t pick up before 2012, said Peter Hendy, London transport commissioner.
http://www.londonchamber.co.
London Chamber of Commerce and Industry in 2005.
Bloomberg touts London as fine example of the benefits of congestion pricing. (New Yorkers, you have to be crazy to go for this, please read the numbers below - And, I've not news for you, it does not get better in 2006)
[Impact of the scheme on business
Our Findings
The LCCI firmly believes that any system to address congestion within London should
not have an adverse effect on London's businesses.
In order to ascertain the impact of the scheme on the capital’s key retail sector, we carried out three surveys of retailers, after
six, twelve and eighteen months of the scheme’s operation. Our results have shown that
congestion charging has created many problems for businesses.
The findings of our most(12)
recent survey show that:
• 84.2% of retail businesses have reported that their takings are down year on year
• 62.7% of retailers recorded a fall in customer numbers since the introduction of the charge
• 37% of respondents stated they had laid off staff specifically because of the
effects of the charge
• 33% of retail businesses within the zone say they are planning to re-locate because of reduced takings while 28% said they were considering closing their business
• 92% of retail businesses do not believe the congestion charge has benefited their business
The London Chamber is very concerned that the current congestion charging scheme is
damaging businesses, and is, therefore, extremely worried that to increase the charge by
60% will only serve to increase the difficulties encountered by business. - From the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry - "Response to the Consultation on the Proposed Cost Increase to the Congestion Charging Scheme"Campaigns Team
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