Taxing bicyclists is a ludicrous idea

To the editor:

Regarding the March 15 letter 'Bicycle tax could help repair roads”:

The proposal to tax bicyclists $5, presumably per bicycle, annually or at time of sale, is a ludicrous one. Sales tax is paid by individuals purchasing bicycles and an add-on special tax targeting one specific type of product is asinine. By extension, joggers should be taxed for their jogging shoes, walkers for their walking shoes, and stroller owners should pay their fair fare for using roads, sidewalks and multiuse paths. Dogs owners should pay a tax for the booties they buy for their dogs to wear and the leashes they use to control their animals on paths and in the roadway.

The majority of bicyclists own automobiles and pay gasoline tax. Here in Iowa, a portion of road maintenance is paid for by the city and county who derive their funds through property taxes, which most bicyclists pay directly or indirectly. How would Steve Barton's proposed tax affect my off-road bicycles which are primarily used on trails maintained by volunteers? Farmers don't pay the same fuel tax on off-road diesel as diesel intended for on-road vehicles, but I routinely see tractors on the roads during my bicycle rides. I should be granted a waiver on those bicycles whose primary purpose is off-road use, even if I sometimes use them on the city streets or roads. Barton's proposed tax indicates a lack of understanding of transportation funding, a frustration with rising taxes and a frustration with having been inconvenienced by cyclists.

Kevin Donnelly

Coralville