Washington state Senate Democrats recently produced a $10 billion transportation package which supports a raise on gas taxes, car tabs, and even a $25 tax on bicycles that cost more than $500.
In an email to Dale Carlson, owner of Bike Tech in Tacoma, Washington Rep. Ed Orcutt (R), a member of the State Transportation Committee, defended the idea of a bike tax by saying, Sorry, but I do think that bicyclists need to start paying for the roads they ride on rather than make motorists pay.
When you are riding your bicycle, tell me what taxes are being generated by the act of riding your bicycle, Orcutt said to the Seattle Bike Blog.
Yet Orcutts main support for the tax comes from his belief that riding a bicycle is worse than driving a car for the environment.
A cyclists [sic] has an increased heart rate and respiration. That means that the act of riding a bike results in greater emissions of carbon dioxide from the rider. Since CO2 is deemed to be a greenhouse gas and a pollutant, bicyclists are actually polluting when they ride, he said.
And these are the people we elect?
We arent sure, but we would bet the taxing of bikes with a price of $500.00 or more is based on the idea that a person that can afford a $500.00 bike can afford $25.
Besides the moronic thinking that Americans cannot work to purchase something nice, anyone who is serious about cycling knows that a good bike will last longer than a $100 $200 throw away or beater bike. That means the life of a good quality bike will outlast the cheaper bike, which means the resources in making a bike quality bike will be less than the resources used to make multiple cheap bikes.
It isnt about the actual harm to the environment. It is about the money. Nothing more less.
Even if one buys into the idea that bikes have to pay for the roadways, where is the cry for electric cars owners who do not pay gas taxes to pony up their fair share? They are on the roads too, arent they?
Or because cities build sidewalks upon which people walk and run for exercise, shouldnt there be a tax on shoes to help pay for the sidewalks?
Nah. (And if anyone proposed such a tax, people would call the proposal ridiculous.)
We have to watch out for taxing people because they are involved in an activity that the majority of people may not care about.
We also have to stop electing people to positions where a lack of thinking and stupid ideas can affect us all.