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World's First Entirely Tax-Funded Public Transport Nation not free.

by Dowwie 8y ago

teddyh 8y ago
Every. Time. https://satwcomic.com/every-time https://satwcomic.com/every-time
- yani 8y ago
  I absolutely support free medical coverage and free education... but I cannot put transportation in the same wagon. People who say that it is paid by taxes and it is not free are not wrong thou. The article should notnuse free but a different word. The system in nordic countries is wonderful but it is also starting to get abused.
  - icebraining 8y ago
    Nothing, except maybe for sunlight, is costless. Someone is always paying. Free means the users don't pay, not that it doesn't cost anyone anything.
    - yani 8y ago
      Users dont pay directly. But they still pay via some form. It is actually prepaid in this case
      - icebraining 8y ago
        Some users pay, some don't. Not everyone is a net tax payer. And not every tax payer is a user.
        yani 8y ago
        Agreed
liberal_098 8y ago
> World's First Entirely Tax-Funded Public Transport Nation World's First Entirely EU-Tax-Funded Public Transport Nation Estonia gets quite significant subsidies, subventions, grants and whatever other aid from EU so they can afford such experiments. Interestingly, EU officials are also happy because they see the impact as opposed to having money simply disappeared - which is not an exception. Only EU tax payers and donor countries might not be happy because they have to pay for this fun and for their own transportation too - but who asks them :(
- yani 8y ago
  Do you have any proof that links EU funds being used for this?
  - liberal_098 8y ago
    You ask as if it were some criminal activity. Actually, I find using external funds not bad at all whether they are used directly or indirectly (feasibility studies, investments in infrastructure like roads etc.) I just wanted to say that without having significant financial support from EU Estonia would hardly be able to carry out such experiments with "free" services.
    - v2ikesibul 8y ago
      It's a matter of political will, not foreign grants. Additional subsidies that enable free public transport are 25 million EUR per year [1]. State budget for 2018 is 10 308 million EUR [2]. [1] https://www.err.ee/640797/valitsus-pole-veel-tasuta-uhistranspordi-asjus-loplikult-kokku-leppinud https://www.err.ee/640797/valitsus-pole-veel-tasuta-uhistran... [2] https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/129122017031 https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/129122017031
    - yani 8y ago
      I think you are mistaken. That is why I ask. Every euro from EU is given to a country for a specific thing. Regional development, building roads, public parks etc. I am wondering what EU grants can be converted to cover public transportation.

World's First Entirely Tax-Funded Public Transport Nation not free.

by Dowwie 8y ago

World's First Entirely Tax-Funded Public Transport Nation not free.

teddyh 8y ago

Every. Time. https://satwcomic.com/every-time https://satwcomic.com/every-time

yani 8y ago
I absolutely support free medical coverage and free education... but I cannot put transportation in the same wagon. People who say that it is paid by taxes and it is not free are not wrong thou. The article should notnuse free but a different word. The system in nordic countries is wonderful but it is also starting to get abused.
- icebraining 8y ago
  Nothing, except maybe for sunlight, is costless. Someone is always paying. Free means the users don't pay, not that it doesn't cost anyone anything.
  - yani 8y ago
    Users dont pay directly. But they still pay via some form. It is actually prepaid in this case
    - icebraining 8y ago
      Some users pay, some don't. Not everyone is a net tax payer. And not every tax payer is a user.
      - yani 8y ago
        Agreed

liberal_098 8y ago

> World's First Entirely Tax-Funded Public Transport Nation World's First Entirely EU-Tax-Funded Public Transport Nation Estonia gets quite significant subsidies, subventions, grants and whatever other aid from EU so they can afford such experiments. Interestingly, EU officials are also happy because they see the impact as opposed to having money simply disappeared - which is not an exception. Only EU tax payers and donor countries might not be happy because they have to pay for this fun and for their own transportation too - but who asks them :(

yani 8y ago
Do you have any proof that links EU funds being used for this?
- liberal_098 8y ago
  You ask as if it were some criminal activity. Actually, I find using external funds not bad at all whether they are used directly or indirectly (feasibility studies, investments in infrastructure like roads etc.) I just wanted to say that without having significant financial support from EU Estonia would hardly be able to carry out such experiments with "free" services.
  - v2ikesibul 8y ago
    It's a matter of political will, not foreign grants. Additional subsidies that enable free public transport are 25 million EUR per year [1]. State budget for 2018 is 10 308 million EUR [2]. [1] https://www.err.ee/640797/valitsus-pole-veel-tasuta-uhistranspordi-asjus-loplikult-kokku-leppinud https://www.err.ee/640797/valitsus-pole-veel-tasuta-uhistran... [2] https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/129122017031 https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/129122017031
  - yani 8y ago
    I think you are mistaken. That is why I ask. Every euro from EU is given to a country for a specific thing. Regional development, building roads, public parks etc. I am wondering what EU grants can be converted to cover public transportation.