Posted on 03/03/2013 9:51:00 AM PST by DaveinOK54
WA Legislator: Cyclists increased respiration leads to air pollution" $25 Carbon TAX. Rep. Ed Orcutt thinks that "bicyclists are actually polluting when they ride" because, "the act of riding a bike results in greater emissions of carbon dioxide from the rider." A high-ranking Washington legislator has added insult to injury in his support for a bike tax by claiming that bicycling is not environmentally friendly because people who ride bikes pollute the air when they breathe. (snip)
Here's the entire text of Orcutt's email:
"I am not a fan of the House Transportation tax proposal, nor of many tax proposals, but I have to admit I think there are valid reasons to tax bicycles. Think about this for a moment: Currently motorists are paying to use their cars on the roads while they are actually driving their cars. At the same time they are paying for bike lanes because there is no gas tax — or any transportation tax — generated by the act of riding on the roadways. So, if cars pay for the roads they are using, it only makes sense that bicyclists would also be required to 'pay' for the roads they use when they are actually biking on them.
Also, you claim that is is environmentally friendly to ride a bike. But if I am not mistaken a cyclists [sic] has an increased heart rate and respiration. That means the act of riding a bike results in greater emissions of carbon dioxide from the rider. Since CO2 is deemed a greenhouse gas and a pollutant, bicyclists are actually polluting when they ride.
I know, you own a car and drive so you are paying gas tax — but not while you are riding your bike. When you are driving your car and generating gas tax you are also driving on the roads so are only really paying for the roads while driving — not while biking.
Sorry, but I do think that bicyclists need to start paying for the roads they ride on rather than make motorists pay.
Ed
Hat Tip to:http://www.timebomb2000.com/vb/showthread.php?424030-PAY-TO-BREATHE-CYCLISTS-POLLUTE-BY-BREATHING-more-CO2-25-Carbon-Tax.-Runners-next
“Let’s NOT move”....and save the world !!
He owns stock in a company that manufactures re-breathers
We have miles and miles of paved bike paths....but I’ve only seen two bikes in 2 years.
They are need to consume more calories due to the exercising, straining the world’s food supply and driving up prices for the 3rd world populations who are barely getting by.
I hope he’s just using sarcasm to prove a point.
I think we should tax ALL exercise. Tennis, jogging, swimming, people who go to health clubs, etc. Even larger taxes for NFL and NBA. I was going to say MLB and golf but they don’t move very much.
All of these people breath TOO MUCH!
It’s hard to believe people are this stupid....harder to believe they get elected. ..
Politicians do not suggest more taxes to make a sarcastic point.
Next they will have a sex tax for the reason that it raises your breathing rate.
I wish they would put a tax on political speeches...that REALLY raises the hot air index.
Around here they now call them "multi-purpose" paths since walkers, dog walkers, joggers, and baby strollers have taken them over, they've become too dangerous for bike riding.
The bikes have moved back into the streets.
Another one of those great ideas that didn't work out in a lot of places.
It is not entirely true that cycleists don’t pay for roads. Most of them own a car and drive on occasion. There are taxes paid on those vehicles that are not being used. Bikes also apply less road wear than cars.
There was a time when many cities had bike licensing and taxes. Mainly at times when the bicycle was a more important mode of transportation.
I ride quite a bit (4000 miles in the last year). My car is parked for most of the summer.
Would the application of a tax or license really be worth it. I would imagine that it would be costly to try to implement with so few people actually riding. I would not necessarily be opposed to it but I don’t know what true benefit would be gained.
Especially Jumping to Conclusions. Its the worst exercise of all../sarc
How long can you hold your breath?
Heart rate and respiration goes up when having sex - tax that too.
We have bike licenses here. Some years ago, a girl and her mom accused our daughter of stealing her bike. My wife went home (while friends of ours stayed behind), got the papers, came back, and showed the girl and mom the number on the papers that matched the sticker on the bottom of the bike. We told them to call the cops if that wasn’t enough proof. They left.
Sure, you can scrape the sticker off, but then there’s the stamped on serial number that’s also recorded on the papers. Worked out well for us.
A dark look into the in-f*****g-sanity of the liberal mindset. These flaming liberal POS bastards actually want to tax the air that you breathe, solely because of the money you short them by not driving! I bet any mafia member or gangbanger dreams of the kind of bullsh!t shakedown rackets that the government can get away with.
Wow. I thought people would recognize sarcasm without being told. /s /s
Don't forget that all that exercise usually translates into a longer life spent consuming more resources.
So tax politicians 100% of their salaries, for all the hot air they emit.
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