12-10-2016, 04:36 PM
(12-10-2016, 04:26 PM)ijmorlan Wrote: ...The requirement to clear snow has a higher value (how much you would have to pay somebody to do it, or how much you would demand to do it for somebody else) than the amount of tax it would take to cover an equivalent service. Therefore, replacing the snow-clearing requirement with a slight increase in the tax requirement is a decrease in the total obligation....
This is true technically, however, perception is what matters. People don't perceive the requirement to clear the sidewalk (even if they do it), as an expense to them, given they already have to clear their driveway. Even more, in reality for most people, they wouldn't otherwise earn money with that time anyway, so it's even more incomparable.
Frankly, our society as a whole doesn't seem to value time nearly as much as money and materials.
The perception of the vast majority of homeowners will be of an increase in cost.
Of course, it doesn't mean we shouldn't do it. And it's not that we shouldn't push this as a point of view. Just be aware that it's an uphill battle in convincing people, and requires clear and concise explanations with real world examples (you'll get to spend more time with your kids, isn't that worth 30 bucks a year).