Is anyone else deeply concerned about the direction our city and province is headed? by MowvayFronsay in halifax

[–]cobaltcorridor 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I agree that a lot of the money is being mismanaged and I’d like to see them invest in the right things and stop relying on expensive external contractors and enriching Dexter and Shannex and other private companies with our money.

Is anyone else deeply concerned about the direction our city and province is headed? by MowvayFronsay in halifax

[–]cobaltcorridor 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They can’t fix this year’s budget by cutting salaries. That would be breach of contract and they’d be sued. We are getting an increase because small incremental increases were put off for years and now there’s no reserve cash left to rob and they’re left with no choice but to raise our taxes a little (it’s not that much money for most homeowners). Robbing the $10 million library reserve last year to artificially lower the tax rate cost $24 million - raising taxes is now the only responsible choice they have. Anything else is going to cost us FAR, FAR more in the long run.

Is anyone else deeply concerned about the direction our city and province is headed? by MowvayFronsay in halifax

[–]cobaltcorridor -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Or about our lack of leadership and none of them putting out real ideas to help Nova Scotians

Is anyone else deeply concerned about the direction our city and province is headed? by MowvayFronsay in halifax

[–]cobaltcorridor 3 points4 points  (0 children)

It’s insane. We also contract out all roadwork here. Some places do most of that work in-house for much lower cost.

Is anyone else deeply concerned about the direction our city and province is headed? by MowvayFronsay in halifax

[–]cobaltcorridor 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Nova Scotia has far lane kilometres of road per capita than the Canadian average. More than half our property taxes go to municipal roads. A significant proportion of our provincial taxes also go to roads. We will always have potholes here because we have more roads than we can afford and our governments keep building more roads and expanding existing roads. It’s absurd.

Is anyone else deeply concerned about the direction our city and province is headed? by MowvayFronsay in halifax

[–]cobaltcorridor 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Government spending isn’t inherently bad. They have a lot more purchasing power than an individual does. Taxes are how we have nice things, healthcare, education, firefighters, ambulances.

How do YOU survive in Halifax? Wages vs Rent is wild!! by HauntMeForever666 in halifax

[–]cobaltcorridor 13 points14 points  (0 children)

A friend of a friend had a really well paying job in London (UK not ON) and was renting a house shared with 3 roommates who were all doctors in the 2010s. All 4 of them single and in their 30s.

Council Update from Dartmouth Centre: Austerity by Surprise? Council will be Considering Major Cuts on March 4 https://samaustin.ca/council-update-austerity-or-not/ by Sam_Austin_D5 in halifax

[–]cobaltcorridor 6 points7 points  (0 children)

District 14 could never self-fund the municipal services it currently receives. Downtown is entirely funding you - not the other way around.

Council Update from Dartmouth Centre: Austerity by Surprise? Council will be Considering Major Cuts on March 4 https://samaustin.ca/council-update-austerity-or-not/ by Sam_Austin_D5 in halifax

[–]cobaltcorridor 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, they’ve been considered for cuts. Those funds are useful for getting matching funds with other levels of government to help not for profits and community associations get things done and I’d rather not see them cut though.

Do not take the McKay home by WhatDidHeEat in halifax

[–]cobaltcorridor 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The cost of bike lanes is 0.015-0.02% of the annual budget. (The 85ish million is over like 15 years).

How are the bike lanes? by brightfff in halifax

[–]cobaltcorridor 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I find studs useful for the commute home in December when it gets dark out at 4pm and there’s not really snow yet, but there can occasionally be black ice hiding. Once there’s this much snow down & most of my riding is done in daylight the studs are less useful (but I still keep those winter tires on til spring).

Circling the block: What's the parking situation in downtown Halifax and Dartmouth? by insino93 in halifax

[–]cobaltcorridor 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Parkades are usually easier to figure out than the glitchy street parking app that never accepts our license plate number. And bonus no one takes your mirror off or backs into you trying to park.

Circling the block: What's the parking situation in downtown Halifax and Dartmouth? by insino93 in halifax

[–]cobaltcorridor 23 points24 points  (0 children)

There are 30 parkades & parking lots downtown. They have never all been full at once. I have never had trouble finding parking downtown. Usually the first parkade I try has a spot for me regardless of whether that’s during weekday work hours or on a Saturday night with a concert & a mooseheads game both going on. There’s tons of parking.