When The Beatles sang Taxman and they said, “If you take a walk, I’ll tax your feet,” who do progressive douchestains think they were singing about? Republicans?
I have to admit, I’m enjoying this tax. I hate all taxes, but this one is tickling me.
“First they came for the Jews… and I did not speak out” comes to mind. Smug bicyclists never thought their progressive comrades would do such a thing. Joke’s on them.
BikePortland publisher Jonathan Maus called it “an unprecedented step in the wrong direction.”
“We are taxing the healthiest, most inexpensive, most environmentally friendly, most efficient and most economically sustainable form of transportation ever devised by the human species,” Mr. Maus said.
Oregon Republican Party Chairman Bill Currier blasted what he described as Ms. Brown’s “endless obsession with finding new and innovative ways to take money out of the pockets of Oregon taxpayers.”
“She just continues to view the people of her state as nothing more than a piggy bank to fund her efforts to impose job-killing policies,” said Mr. Currier in a statement. “Now add anti-healthy, environmentally-unfriendly policies to that list.”
The bike tax is aimed at raising $1.2 million per year in order to improve and expand paths and trails for bicyclists and pedestrians.
Supporters point out that Oregon has no sales tax, which means buyers won’t be dinged twice for their new wheels.
Oregon relies instead on its income tax, among the highest in the nation at 9.9 percent for top marginalized individual filers, according to the Tax Foundation.
Two-wheelers are a big deal in Oregon: Portland was ranked the third-most bike-friendly city in 2016 by Bicycling magazine, citing the 7.2 percent of residents who commute by bicycle.
Bikers cheered last year when Portland passed a four-year, 10-cent-per-gallon tax on gasoline aimed at improving roads, but the measure also fueled complaints that bicycle riders have failed to pay their share for such projects.
Rep. Earl Blumenauer, Oregon Democrat, defended the state bike tax, calling it a “modest fee” that raises the profile of the bicycling community in the transportation debate.
“One of the arguments we hear repeatedly is that cyclists don’t have any skin in the game … so there’s been blowback,” Mr. Blumenauer told BikePortland.
The Street Trust, a Portland pro-bike group, praised the overall transportation package while saying that the bike tax “sends the wrong message to those trying to help.”
“Let’s be frank: This bike tax is very disappointing,” said The Street Trust’s Romain Bonilla. “It’s also well worth the investments in bike safety and accessibility. There are more opportunities ahead for us to stand up for our shared priorities and mitigate the negative impact of the bike tax.”
“Bikers cheered last year when Portland passed a four-year, 10-cent-per-gallon tax on gasoline aimed at improving roads…..”
It’s called Karma you Regressive scum!
But don’t stop there Oregon. Channel deep into your soulless bodies and you can come up with all the craziest things to tax (fee) in your state.
If they want to Bitch, let them Fix the Paths on their Own !
Hypocrite, thy name is Lefty.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHA (deep breath)
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHA (deep breath)
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHA (deep breath)
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHA (deep breath)
Sooner or later it happens to all fools who handle deadly snakes.
Tax their man buns.
License registration and proof of insurance please !
“…and mitigate the negative impact of the bike tax.” Wow, progressives admitting that a tax on goods and services is bad? What’s next, seeking a free market solution?
Now the walkers are getting a free ride! Listen to the Beatles—tax their feet!
Wrong, wrong wrong!
Not nearly enough.
Tax the bicycle, mandate an operator’s license with a fee, require a test (another fee), an identifying license plate, and a road use fee and require safety equipment like reflective vests and helmets be carried and present at all times.
They are occupying space designed for cars.
$15 is a pittance, big deal. They should be required to pay their fair share for maintaining the streets they ride on. When I was 18 and lived in Portland I rode my bike everywhere including to work at Lloyd Center, I had a commute of about 8-10 miles from out in far Western Portland. I even carried groceries in a rack on my bike back then. I rode it until some jerk stole it from me while it was locked up (and I was working) at a bike rack just outside where I worked, my room mate had to come and get me, after that I drove everywhere.
Crying over a one time $15 value added tax on bikes costing over $200? Cry me a river of liberal tears.
Coming next, a shoe tax, maybe? Or a walking tax you have to pay before you can legally use public sidewalks and pedestrian crossings?
The lefties haven’t figured out that this is a regressive tax hitting less expensive bikes the most (therefore hurting the “poor”). Next up, a sliding scale to capture more revenue from the “rich” to subsidize the poor.
I’m waiting for the meddling, carping, busybody tax to be levied.
I want them ticketed for incorrectly inflated tires.
An appropriate tax, at the appropriate time, on the appropriate thing.
Now, they should add taxes on bicycle tires (made from evil petrochemicals), lubricants (made from evil petrochemicals), chromium (heavy metal), steel, chromoly, titanium, aluminum, carbon fiber (contributes to Globaloney Warming), and air (or Nitrogen).
Bicyclists should be more than happy to pay their “fair share” for the streets, the environment, and the general corruption of Oregon.
izlamo delenda est …
Oregon needs to confiscate bicycles from the trendy bikers and redistribute them to illegal aliens…out of faaaairness!
Bike riding assholes around here are taking up the roads for recreation, not transportation. They are pests, like cockroaches.
George Harrison was right!
So bike stores will be moving across the border to WA, ID, NE and CA? Liberal lesson number one coming home to roost – people actually do change their behavior. Businesses move, people buy elsewhere.
15.00 and pass a bicycle etiquette course.
What is the 15.00 for? Bicycle safe areas!
There should be a $100.00 per month nuisance tax placed on every bicycles owners head!
The “fee” will slowly creep up. Then of course, there will be yearly registration “fees” and if you don’t have a sticker on your bike, there will be more “fees.”
This will eventually EXPAND to ALL bikes purchased, not just the limited size and type of this initial legislation.
Watch out dummies. They are after you just like democrats go after hybrid cars b/c they don’t pay as much of that oh so delicious gasoline tax.
Super Patriot, you are correct. At least this tax is “semi-voluntary” in that you know when you are buying a $200 bike at a retail store you know you are going to pay a tax. This is going to make used bikes more valuable. My friend sells used bikes on Ebay and his sales to Oregon are going to skyrocket.
I think we should create a bill that MANDATES everyone pay a bicycle riding tax.
Call it VelocipedeCare. Through this insurance, everyone with a car that can’t afford car insurance will be covered for everything including window glass chips and paint scratches. ……..even if you don’t own a bike.
Flat tax my ass! They should have made it 5% of the sale price PERIOD!
Haha.
If the Left gets pissed enough, maybe we can vote this useless bitch out of office.
She’s an asshat.
The history of the left is full of treachery to it’s useful idiots (UMW comes to mind) yet they continue to believe it won’t happen to them.
There’s a religious fervor that’s rarely seen in Christendom!
17.50 for tricycles, 9.00 for scooters, 8.00 for rollerskates, skateboards 14.00. Walking by permit only.
Roll on Columbia
Schadenfreude, it’s not just for breakfast anymore.
They should be required to register them and display a plate.
With all the traffic violations, should be a way to track them down too.
The chickens are common home to roost.The progs pollute their own nest and then when they can’t stand the stench they move to pollute others.
Not the first to do this. Hawaii has been registering bicycles for a while. A fee to ride. A tax. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://portal.ehawaii.gov/residents/transportation-and-vehicles/bicycle-information/&ved=0ahUKEwjgxMDno5PVAhVkzoMKHZh8CFwQFgg1MAI&usg=AFQjCNHfLz0YynxHolwxnTIeeRXlgYs7EQ
A yearly $1000 tax on these peddlefools should be enough to do the job, just like the early matches that were taxed out of existence.
A %15 charge on a >$200 bike is hardly a draconian hardship. The whiners oought to just shut the hell up. Other posters have it right that this may just be the thin edge of the wedge. I’m sure there is a dog license website in each city or county. How tough would that be to convert to a bike license system. Five bucks a year. For that you ger a metal license you can put on your bike. A family of 5, all with bikes you say? I applaud you love of the environment Sir, that will be $35 please.
$15 is less than the sales tax I paid when I bought my bicycle in California.
Jeffrey Peterman GOOD ONE!
Must register bike with serial number and bill of sale – or without bill of sale just sign a paper.
If bike is sold must notify the state/county with the serial number and $5.