Re: TTC Tokens - A sound financial investment
there's no reason the Metropass should have gone from under $60 in the early 1990s to almost $100 ten years later
Sure there is. We couldn't carry any more debt without destroying our credit rating, people with cancer were waiting inordinately long periods for treatment, basic infrastructure was crumbling, etc. We made political choices in the 1990s which were eminently sensible given the economic circumstances in which we found ourselves, but which don't make a lot of sense when viewed from today's perspective.
The city wasn't getting enough money; taxes had already skyrocked; so, they decided to impose a hidden tax on transit users. It sucks. But, I'm hopeful that things will change over the next few years.
Personally, I see the 1990s as a revolution in the way that we view government. For the first time, we expected Ottawa, Queen's Park, and City Hall to act like responsible spenders. They had to balance the books in a way that we haven't required for decades. Yet, as with all revolutions - it went too far. It became an obsession. And, in the fight for economic responsibility, we cut where we shouldn't have.
Things are different now, though. I'm sure we'll see some better transit funding in the coming years. Just be patient - we're still recovering from the mess of 2000-2002.
Also, I have to say, if transit was $1.15, I'd always take it, even for a couple of blocks. Good God, that's a great price!
