A friend and I are having a small debate. Our city just ended a long city workers' strike, which put a halt to garbage pickup.
During the strike most citizens/taxpayers had to take their garbage themselves to a designated site. Living in a condo, the strike did not affect me in that sense as my building has contracted garbage pick-up so I just put mine in an outdoor bin each week during the strike for private collection. It is logistically unfeasible to have city collection in a condo.
Now the city has said that with money it saved during the strike it is issuing each homeowner/taxpayer a rebate of $72.00, their share of tax money not used to pay city employees, as well as a nod for the "inconvenience" of arranging your own garbage disposal.
As a condo/property owner, I pay over $2,000.00 a year property taxes for all city services. The fact that my garbage pickup is privately contracted out (I pay for this service from my condo fees) means that, in reality, I am actually paying for it 2x. Once in my common fees and once with my property taxes, just like all other tax-paying citizens.
My friend is arguing that because I was not "inconvenienced" by the strike I should not be entitled to the rebate. My argument is that I pay taxes for these services to the city just like any other property owner. My feeling is that the excess money the city now has comes from taxes collected from its citizens and money that was not used to pay city employees during the strike. As I believe I pay taxes just like anyone else, "inconvenienced" or not, I believe I am entitled to my share of the rebate.
Thoughts and opinions, please? And thanks.
As well, I should point out that my recycleables (newpapers, glass, cardboard, etc.) fall under city services - not privately collected - and were therefore not collected during the 101 days of the strike.
During the strike most citizens/taxpayers had to take their garbage themselves to a designated site. Living in a condo, the strike did not affect me in that sense as my building has contracted garbage pick-up so I just put mine in an outdoor bin each week during the strike for private collection. It is logistically unfeasible to have city collection in a condo.
Now the city has said that with money it saved during the strike it is issuing each homeowner/taxpayer a rebate of $72.00, their share of tax money not used to pay city employees, as well as a nod for the "inconvenience" of arranging your own garbage disposal.
As a condo/property owner, I pay over $2,000.00 a year property taxes for all city services. The fact that my garbage pickup is privately contracted out (I pay for this service from my condo fees) means that, in reality, I am actually paying for it 2x. Once in my common fees and once with my property taxes, just like all other tax-paying citizens.
My friend is arguing that because I was not "inconvenienced" by the strike I should not be entitled to the rebate. My argument is that I pay taxes for these services to the city just like any other property owner. My feeling is that the excess money the city now has comes from taxes collected from its citizens and money that was not used to pay city employees during the strike. As I believe I pay taxes just like anyone else, "inconvenienced" or not, I believe I am entitled to my share of the rebate.
Thoughts and opinions, please? And thanks.
As well, I should point out that my recycleables (newpapers, glass, cardboard, etc.) fall under city services - not privately collected - and were therefore not collected during the 101 days of the strike.