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First bicycle tax in nation leaves bike-crazy Oregon riders deflated

Democratic Gov. Kate Brown expected to sign $15 excise tax on bikes over $200


Bicycles stand at the ready for use in a bike-sharing program in Portland, Ore., Tuesday, July 19, 2016. One-thousand bikes will be available for a fee after the system goes online Tuesday with bikes located at orange-colored racks throughout much of the city. The Nike-sponsored program, called Biketown, is taking off three years later than what city leaders originally envisioned. (AP Photo/Don Ryan)

By Valerie Richardson
The Washington Times
Monday, July 17, 2017

In Oregon, a state known for its avid bicycling culture, the state legislature’s approval of the first bike tax in the nation has fallen flat with riders.

Democratic Gov. Kate Brown is expected to sign the sweeping $5.3 billion transportation package, which includes a $15 excise tax on the sale of bicycles costing more than $200 with a wheel diameter of at least 26 inches.

Even though the funding has been earmarked for improvements that will benefit cyclists, the tax has managed to irk both anti-tax Republicans and environmentally conscious bikers alike.

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.”

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2017/jul/17/first-bicycle-tax-nation-deflates-oregon-riders/