Washington Faces Car Tax Reckoning
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Washington State could risk losing $4 billion in transportation funds if voters pass a ballot measure to slash a vehicle fee this November, a new report shows.
Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Tax Policy
Oregon’s Transportation Funding Deal Might Make Bikes More Expensive
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On Monday, the Oregon state legislature released a plan to raise about $8.1 billion over the next 10 years by increasing gas taxes, registration fees, and payroll taxes to spend on roads, transit, walking, and bicycling. It also includes a new excise tax on bicycle sales.
Why the Mortgage Interest Tax Deduction Has Got to Go
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The mortgage interest deduction costs the federal government more than all rental subsidies combined. All that money promotes sprawl by encouraging people to buy more house, while transferring wealth to the upper tiers of the income ladder.
The Big Beneficiaries of Rhode Island’s Plan to Cut Car Taxes Would Be Rich People
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The "regressive" label often gets trotted out by proponents of cheap motoring, whether they're opposing a gas tax, tolls, or car fees. The problem with this argument is that many poor people don't own cars and are harmed by a transportation system that prioritizes driving instead of transit.
American Roads Depend on Handouts From Bus Riders, Cyclists, Pedestrians
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Once upon a time in America, the road system was largely funded by the gas tax. But that was many Highway Trust Fund bailouts ago. Today, only about half the money spent on the U.S. road system comes from fuel taxes, tolls, or other fees paid by drivers, according to a new report [PDF] by the U.S. Public Interest […]
Congress Gives Itself More Free Parking Than Its Own Rules Allow
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As TransitCenter and the Frontier Group reported last week, the federal government pays a huge $7.3 billion subsidy to people who drive to work by making commuter parking expenses tax exempt. There are countless reasons for Congress to scrap this poorly-conceived, congestion-inducing subsidy. While policymakers consider the big picture, they also ought to examine how […]