[Ebbc-Talk] Sunday Humor - Sadly A True Story: State lawmaker defends bike tax, says bicycling is not good for the environment | Seattle Bike Blog

http://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2013/03/02/state-lawmaker-says-bicycling-is-=
not-good-for-the-environment-should-be-taxed/

State lawmaker defends bike tax, says bicycling is not good for the environ=
ment


Ed Orcutt

Representative Ed Orcutt (R =96 Kalama) does not think bicycling is environ=
mentally friendly because the activity causes cyclists to have =93an increa=
sed heart rate and respiration.=94

This is according to comments he made in an email to a constituent who ques=
tioned the wisdom of a new bike tax the legislature is considering as part =
of a large transportation package.

We spoke with Rep. Orcutt to confirm the email=92s authenticity and to get =
further clarification.

=93You would be giving off more CO2 if you are riding a bike than driving i=
n a car,=94 he said. However, he said he had not =93done any analysis=94 of=
 the difference in CO2 from a person on a bike compared to the engine of a =
car (others have).

=93You can=92t just say that there=92s no pollution as a result of riding a=
 bicycle.=94

He said the email, which he had not reviewed since he is away from from his=
 computer for the day, must have come from a constituent who disagrees with=
 him (UPDATE: Cascade has posted the full exchange, which was with Dale Car=
lson, owner of BikeTech in Tacoma).

=93Somebody doesn=92t like me, and that=92s fine,=94 he said.

He also stands by his opinion that people who bike do not pay for roads whe=
n they ride.

=93When you are riding your bicycle, tell me what taxes are being generated=
 by the act of riding your bicycle,=94 he said. =93Sales tax does not go in=
to roads.=94

That people who bike don=92t pay for roads is demonstrably untrue. Most roa=
ds people bike on are paid for by counties and municipalities. In Seattle, =
gas taxes pay just four percent of the SDOT budget (as of 2009). Most of th=
e rest comes from sources everybody pays, no matter how they get around. On=
 a state level, gas taxes only pay for one quarter of the WSDOT budget.

As for the transportation package, he said the amount of money that would e=
nd up going to bike lanes is higher than the amount raised by the proposed =
bike tax.

=93You=92re asking for a whole lot more back than what you=92re going to pu=
t in,=94 he said (we responded to this point here).

UPDATE: Rep. Orcutt email Seattle Bike Blog Monday morning apologizing for =
his comments. Read his email here.

Here=92s the full email:




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