Posted on 03/04/2015 6:57:45 PM PST by rickmichaels
A new report is calling on municipal governments to scrap seniors' discounts.
The study, called No Seniors' Specials: Financing Municipal Services in Aging Communities, was commissioned by the national think-tank Institute for Research on Public Policy.
Economist Harry Kitchen Economist Harry Kitchen is the author of a recent study advising cities to get rid of seniors' discounts. (www.transportfutures.ca)
Many municipalities in Canada give discounts to seniors based solely on their age.
Those discounts for citizens aged 55 or older include lower bus fares, cheaper fitness classes and sometimes reduced property taxes.
Harry Kitchen, the report's author, says a lot of the seniors' discounts offered by municipalities are unfair because most seniors don't need them.
"A lot of these discounts and special programs were introduced back in the 1960s, 1970s when a vast percentage of the seniors were poor," said the professor emeritus in the department of economics at Ontario's Trent University.
"Forward that through to 2008 [to] 2010, the percentage of poor in the seniors groups is smaller than any other age group in the country."
Kitchen has no problem with private businesses offering seniors' discounts, such as cheaper restaurant meals or movies.
But he says municipalities giving a break to seniors are creating a situation where poorer younger people are subsidizing wealthier seniors.
"As soon as you start offering a discount, or a perk, based on age, you're inevitably going to be subsidizing some rich people, aren't you?" he said.
Kitchen says a common objection to his study's findings is that seniors are owed some help after spending their lifetimes working and paying taxes.
He refutes that argument, pointing out that the money paid to cities in user fees and property taxes is used to pay for services available to those people that year.
"Why should you ask someone else to pay for a service that you're currently using?" he asked.
Kitchen says income transfer programs are a better way for cities to help poor people, regardless of their age.
In WA they run about $40 plus regular registration. I think my grandad pays like $85 a year. Then they make you get new plates every seven years because they might be damaged or unreadable. My grandad’s plates were pristine and they still made him pay $20 for new ones.
Wow. I wish you had a video of that!
Thanks. I’m sure my words were wasted as she looked at me like “Huh?” but the older I get the less I find myself being able to just be quiet about issues. My grandson said that it’s okay, “Old people are supposed to be crabby”. LOL
“BTW, seniors LOVE cafeterias, why not give them a little incentive? “
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You’re kidding !
I’m a Senior,my friends are seniors,and we despise cafeterias. I haven’t been to one in probably 30 years.
Table service,counter service or nothing.
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Cafeterias (at least here in central Indiana) seem to be in decline. Several prominent ones in our area have closed in the last couple years and one has converted to table service.
Sorry - I don’t do videos. I just voice my opinion - probably too openly, too often and too loudly - but then I move on. Those that agree are generally just part of the choir, those that don’t probably doesn’t phase them anyway.
Nor in MA for veterans plates. Way too expensive for the slim chance it gets you out of a speeding ticket. It’s $100 every 2 years for Vet plates instead of $50 for regular. Rip off.
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