Guest Editorial: A Fair Road Tax
Editor's note: Earlier this week, the L.A. Times published an article by usually no-nonsense columnist George Skelton, who, after being "tortured" by a road closure for a triathlon, called for California cyclists to pay a registration fee to support road infrastructure. Skelton asserted that "[cyclists] have been freeloading off motorists who pay gas taxes." Numerous analyses have shown that gas taxes fall short of paying for automotive infrastructure; car facilities, from freeways to parking, are subsidized by general purpose fees and taxes paid for by motorists and non-motorists alike. Friend of the blog Richard Risemberg submitted the following guest editorial that addresses these issues.
September 25, 2015