peter236

$1.2 cad is the total cost ar.....not the increasement.......

Again, even MTR is so cheap, not mean ...
Catpiano 發表於 2011-5-7 00:00

We all know Apple daily's goal is to create news and spin them in such a way that allows them to bash Hong Kong government for no valid reason.

Mr Lik then quotes these silly Apple daily articles/videos as if they are authoritative, and again for the purpose of discrediting HK government.

peter236

The issue is HK Government is the largest shareholder in MTR.  It is like left hand approve right ...
blue20ae 發表於 2011-5-7 10:30

You can take the bus or the MTR.

Here the government makes the Translink looks like it is not government. So it does not get blamed.

If the HK government sells all its shares in MTR to private owners, it will be worse. People can no longer blame the government.
So whether MTR is fully or partly owned by government, people will blame it. The best is to do is HK government sell all the shares, and let the HK people blame the private owners.

peter236

First of all, I never said Translink is any good.  Translink is a cancer in Vancouver and it sucks our tax dollar into an inefficient system.  

But you need to bear in mind Translink is net neutral. They take tax dollars from parking, property tax to subsidize mass transit, whereas MTR is the other way round.  HK Government, as the biggest shareholder, take money out of mass transit and pays for the $6000 per head candy.

Also HK Government being a shareholder approves MTR rate adjustment is a conflict of interest.  They should either fix the rate adjustment to an index or get rid of all the shares.
blue20ae 發表於 2011-5-7 14:39

The parking fee and property taxes that Translink takes could have been used by the city hall on improving local schools. So Translink is not neutral at all.

The money for the $6000 came from many sources, not just the MTR. Most of HK government's money comes from selling expensive lands at auctions and from the stock market trading tax.

peter236

You may know what is going on in China, but you need to learn the politics in Canada before commenting, my friend.  The 21% parking tax is in the legal right of Translink, no one can touch it.
http://www.bclaws.ca/EPLibraries ... 8030_01#section30.1

HST is payable on top of the parking tax and it ends up to be 35.52% of taxes for parking in metro Vancouver.  This is the price for clean air.
blue20ae 發表於 2011-5-7 22:32

You are actually proving my point. Whatever laws that allow Translink to take whatever money, whether property tax or parking tax, those laws are stupid and were created by the stupid government.

They are just a bunch of inept and highly paid Translink officials. The society is stupid enough to allow Translink to skim money from the society.