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TexasTowelie

(116,301 posts)
Thu Jul 27, 2017, 02:11 AM Jul 2017

Republican lawmaker "a little shocked" by the nerve he struck by floating Colorado bike tax

A top Republican state lawmaker who last week floated a controversial proposal to tax bicycles to help pay for the state’s infrastructure needs says he is “a little shocked by the raw nerve I struck.”

“My attempt to start a conversation has been met with hysteria by some and reasonable ideas by others, reflecting a diversity of opinions on the subject that didn’t cut neatly along party or ideological lines,” state Sen. Ray Scott of Grand Junction wrote Monday on Facebook.

Scott, the assistant majority leader, wrote on the same Facebook page last week that he plans to introduce some sort of bicycle tax in the wake of the Oregon legislature voting this month to levy a flat $15 sales tax on bikes worth more than $200.

Whatever form such a bike tax might take, the suggestion inflamed some in the bicycle community, with cycling advocates already promising to fight the proposal.

Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/2017/07/25/colorado-bike-tax-proposal-reaction/

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Republican lawmaker "a little shocked" by the nerve he struck by floating Colorado bike tax (Original Post) TexasTowelie Jul 2017 OP
there a couple of ways I see this. Doreen Jul 2017 #1
However, the state sales tax in Colorado is only 2.9%. TexasTowelie Jul 2017 #2
Yeah, I do see your reasoning. Doreen Jul 2017 #5
No surprise he's a Republican... regnaD kciN Jul 2017 #3
Just another republican dickhead that thinks all bicyclists are liberal democrats tikka Jul 2017 #4
Can't you imagine bootleg bicycles from across state lines? no_hypocrisy Jul 2017 #6
Thus giving a new meaning to TexasTowelie Jul 2017 #7

Doreen

(11,686 posts)
1. there a couple of ways I see this.
Thu Jul 27, 2017, 02:39 AM
Jul 2017

If you only pay the $15 once from a purchase of a bike that is not much. If they were using it for roads there are some things that would make that fair. Roads need to be kept up to not have pot holes and other dangers that can be deadly to bicyclists. If that money was also used to maintain and create more bike lanes on the roads that is fair. If they just took the money and put it towards anything but the roads or just to make more damn round abouts then no I see it as not fair.

TexasTowelie

(116,301 posts)
2. However, the state sales tax in Colorado is only 2.9%.
Thu Jul 27, 2017, 02:57 AM
Jul 2017

So for a $200 bike the tax equates to 7.5%, on a $300 bike it would be 5% and even on a $500 bike it would be 3%. A counter argument is that the tax is discriminatory towards bikers.

What is worse is that the bike purchasers are already probably paying 2.9%--the same as those purchasing cars. Are the bikers going to be double-taxed? I think that the bicyclists have some valid concerns.

regnaD kciN

(26,523 posts)
3. No surprise he's a Republican...
Thu Jul 27, 2017, 03:01 AM
Jul 2017

"...met with hysteria by some and reasonable ideas by others" -- obviously, the former by those who disagree with him and the latter by those who think his idea is brilliant.


tikka

(778 posts)
4. Just another republican dickhead that thinks all bicyclists are liberal democrats
Thu Jul 27, 2017, 03:05 AM
Jul 2017

The amount of road wear cause by bike is minimal compared to cars and trucks. Maybe he could add a similar tax to the sale of cars and trucks. He evidently doesn't believe in share the road.

If the tax went specifically to building trails and bike lanes, he might get some support.

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