Editor:
The “housing” density issue is nothing more than a canard to create bigger and bigger profits for land speculators and land developers.
The great political clarion call for “higher density” omits one very important factor: increasing density, increases land values.
As one increases density, one increases land values and when one increases land values, one increases property assessments. When property assessment increases so do taxes and when taxes are increased so do rents and leases.
The big problem for all politicians is that they have become wedded to big budgets, needing ever higher taxes, yet any sort of thrift is ignored as the political thought is taxpayers have very deep pockets to pay for exorbitant tax increases. A good example is TransLink, an out of control bureaucracy, with absolutely no public oversight, spending billions of dollars more on dated transit schemes.
In real terms, increasing density, increases poverty and homelessness, as those on marginal incomes cannot afford to pay for housing. The government’s quest for ever higher densities, is leaving a wake tent cities of despair.
Politicians do not care and never had, as they can hire (on the taxpayer’s dime) communication companies, full of expensive spin doctors to provide media friendly 10-second sound bites, of meaningless drivel crafted for the evening news.
As the land speculators and land developers are the major players for re-electing politicians, don’t expect any real change, ever!
Malcolm Johnston
