Let’s see, riding a bike is healthy, does not burn evil fossil fuels, so, you would think Liberals would not want to tax bicycling right? WRONG!
Chicago is by no means the only place across the U.S. tempted to see bicyclists as a possible new source of revenue, only to run into questions of fairness and enforceability. That is testing the vision of city leaders who are transforming urban expanses with bike lanes and other amenities in a quest for relevance, vitality and livability – with never enough funds.
Two or three states consider legislation each year for some type of cycling registration and tax – complete with decals or mini-license plates, National Conference of State Legislatures policy specialist Douglas Shinkle said. This year, it was Georgia, Oregon, Washington and Vermont. The Oregon legislation, which failed, would even have applied to children.
“I really think that legislators are just trying to be as creative as possible and as open to any sort of possibilities to fill in any funding gaps. Everything is on the table,” he said.
Of course it is, because EVERYTHING ought to be taxed according to Democrats! Funny, they never think of reducing their rate of spending do they?
Of course, to be fair, those riding bikes, or anyone who just wants to contribute to funding city bike paths ought to pony up for such infrastructure. Colorado Springs, hardly a bastion of Liberalism, does it the right way
Hawaii has had a statewide bike registration law for decades, as has the normally tax-hating city of Colorado Springs, Colo., though in both cases, they are one-time fees and all proceeds go toward bicycle infrastructure.
In the case of Colorado Springs, the proposal came from the cycling community itself. The $4 tax on the purchase of new bikes has been in place since 1988, and no one seems to mind. It only raises up to $150,000 a year, but it’s useful as a local match for federal grants. And it gives cycling advocates leverage when pushing for bike projects. For one thing, it has revealed that 25,000 bikes are sold each year, a big number in a city of 430,000.
Now, I do not support federal grants for such local projects. Let those localities, and those who ride bikes, or who wish to contribute, find the needed funds. But the one-time fee is a good idea. Too often, taxes that are supposed to be temporary become permanent, then they are raised, and later raised even more.