Rick C Johnson

The way "Taxifornia" does it with off road vehicles:
All licensed dealers (think your LBS) collects the initial annual fee at
time of sale. You are sent an annual notice to pay every year after. If
you do not operate the vehicle you must file a form claiming so. If you
are then caught operating the vehicle you are charged back fees and
penalties. When you sell the vehicle you must file another form stating
to whom it was sold. The process repeats with the new owner. If you fail
to pay without submitting the proper paperwork your case is turned over
to a collection agency. Fun with them is well known.
The funds collected are used for enforcement. Rangers visit trail heads,
checkpoints are established on popular trails and riding areas. Further
penalties are collected. The strategy is to make avoidance so onerous
and expensive that people submit to paying. That strategy works and has
been proved for many years. It would not take much imagination to
duplicate it here with bicycles.

The warning was raised before all that happened there. Not enough people
objected and off-road motorcyclists (this was before 3 and 4 wheelers)
were a small minority. Sort of like bicyclists.

Rick Johnson
Bend, Oregon

"Those who cannot remember the past, are condemned to repeat it" -
George Santayana

Ron and Dorothy Strasser wrote:

> In all reality about the only way they will have of getting any income
> from "a bicycle owner" is on the initial sale of a new bicycle or
> resale shop. Not including bikes that are stolen, so many change
> hands between individuals. Like was stated so many belong to children
> it would be almost impossible to keep track of these bikes. Johnny
> leaves bike in front yard. Bike is stolen. Parents get renewal
> notice of 50 or so dollars for reg. renewal. Parents paid 119 dollars
> for bike. Parents throw renewal notice away or let them know it was
> stolen. Bike is out there tearing up road way with the studded tires
> parents put on it for Johnny and yet no funds coming in for bicycle
> infrastructure. The amount proposed per year would also be way out of
> line with regard to funds needed to support cycling infrastructure.
> If yearly (or whatever timeframe they chose) fees were brought into
> play, I believe they would need to be pretty darn generic. What I
> mean is that I would report I own five bicycles and send them 10
> dollars per bike or some such thing. I believe they would never be
> able to keep track of the bikes except at point of sale from a
> business. The cost of state, county or whatever level staff to keep
> track would eat the income. It will be VERY INTERESTING to see what
> lawmakers come up with as bicycle riders demand more rights to the
> roadways.
> Just my view with mud in my eyes and plaques in my brain.
> ron
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> *From:* Michael O'Hair
> *To:* obra@list.obra.org
> *Sent:* Sunday, March 08, 2009 7:08 PM
> *Subject:* Re: [OBRA Chat] Licensing our bikes?
>
> It will be interesting if not downright entertaining to watch the
> legislature work on the "formula" for taxation of bicycles.
>
> Price? Original sticker price? Or must a receipt be produced on
> demand?
>
> Size? They probably will consider "small" bikes to be kids bikes
> except there are all those BMX people.
>
> Volume Discounts? For those of us with Bike Racer's Disease.
>
> And from bicycles it's only a small step to skis.
>
> I suspect that the license & DEQ fees for cars will go up way sooner.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> *From:* Melissa Boyd
> **
> Those of us with thousand-dollar bikes can afford to pay a
> "luxury" tax for the privelage of riding. However, I really
> believe we are in the minority. Most bikes are owned by kids,
> students who ride them to school, responsible adults who are
> saving gas or exercising for their health, and low-income
> people who can't afford cars. A tax of this sort is going to
> hurt the people who need help the most.
>
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