http://www.bikebiz.com/news/read/us-state-imposes-sin-tax-of-15-on-new-bicycles/021538
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Cycling News
"US State imposes "sin" tax of $15 on new bicycles"
(7 posts)-
Posted 6 years ago #
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Bleh!
Although, some might quibble with the statement that Oregon is the first state to do this - Hawaii has a $15 bike registration fee on new bikes and a $5 fee to transfer ownership.
Posted 6 years ago # -
What an odd thing to do. Not the oddest thing the Yanks have done of late though.
Posted 6 years ago # -
"What an odd thing to do"
Sort of.
'Tax cyclists and spent money on cycle infrastructure.'
Bit simplistic - not least because of the old complaint from motorists - 'we pay LOTS in tax, and it's not all spent on roads...
Posted 6 years ago # -
It's odd because efficient taxes should;
1) not do any unnecessary harm
2) be hard to evade
3) make people behave in ways that benefit all
4) be perceived as fairThis seems to fail all four tests. Bicycle sales will obviously go on-line in Oregon or bike shops will sell bikes minus one pedal so they aren't bikes for tax purposes. Or people will buy fewer bikes. Or something.
If you want only users to pay for infrastructure you put tolls on it.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Apparently they have no other sales tax on bikes in Oregon says Oregon Live. Would be great if UK bike sales had zero vat, just a £10 flat tax, ringfenced for infra. Our cycle to work schemes are better still, for employees, of course, I suppose.
Posted 6 years ago # -
Meanwhile in California:
California requires solar panels on all homes and windmills on all farms
"Bud Jorgensen of Meadowland Farms is already participating in the windmill program. He said “I used to grow cauliflower on that acreage over there, but once Mrs. Obama started that lunch program nobody wanted our crops anymore. So we put in them damn windmills. All we do all day is pick up dead birds. Cannot get ammo to shoot them anyway with the new laws in California. The only good part of this is Cheryl makes a mean crow stew.”
Posted 6 years ago #
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