It seems that Oregon policymakers want to encourage people to buy bicycles at Amazon.com rather than local bike shops. The state has proposed a flat $15 tax on any new adult bikes purchased for $200 or more.
This is a bit odd because, while the funding is earmarked for the Connect Oregon program to make bicycle infrastructure improvements, why not just use the regular sales tax, which would garner around the same amount?
Bike Portland sums it up well:
So there you have it. 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.
Oregon’s ranking as a bike-friendly state has slipped in recent years in part because we have a law that mandates use of a “sidepath” if no bike lane is present. I wonder what the League of American Bicyclists will do to our ranking when they hear about this?
The only way to like this tax is to think 1) it will quell the anger from people who think, “Those bicyclists don’t pay their fair share!” (it won’t) or 2) you think the money it raises for infrastructure outweighs the potential disincentive to new bike buyers, the erosion of profits from bike retailers, and the absurdity of it on principle alone.
It’s laws and amendments like this that give governments a bad name. It will be interesting to hear a little more of the rationale for such meddling as the bill heads to the governor’s desk and will likely take effect around October.
Photo by BikePortland. Read more there.