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Can we start charging car owners 2.5% when they leave their personal property on public streets
by teeeg 4y ago
Can we start charging car owners 2.5% when they leave their personal property on public streets
- postalrat 4y agoSounds like a deal. I'm pretty sure I'm paying a lot more than that every year.
- hackernewds 4y agoAnd if you leave it longer, someone might hijack it and hold it hostage for towing fees. Why shouldn't commercial scooters be subject to the same?
- arthurcolle 4y agobecause electric scooters have a better carbon footprint compared to ICE vehicles and most cities have failed to implement reasonable public transportation therefore solutions like the scooters should be encouraged, not discouraged.
- tomcam 4y agoWhat’s your thought about the random distribution of scooters in sidewalks that visually impaired or wheelchair-bound people are trying to navigate?
- rad_gruchalski 4y agoOr the one that knocked me out right onto the street, in front of oncoming traffic and caused six stitches on my face?
- tomcam 4y agoDon’t get me started on that! When I grew up bikes had to observe traffic rules and had to stay off the sidewalk. I would prefer that practice be restored, and for scooters to follow those rules too.
- mirntyfirty 4y agoThese scooters are not part of any solution, but rather the result of a successful brainstorming session to determine what money-losing idea can receive investment money. In theory, they are a practical way to travel 0-3 miles while overpaying, not being able to bring much, and introducing high risk of personal injury. Bicycles fit these use-cases much better.
- bagels 4y ago2.5% of the value of the vehicle? Last time I checked, I paid 9.x% sales tax + >1% per year in registration taxes, and who knows how much in fuel or electricity taxes.
- thawaya3113 4y agoI’m pretty sure anyone buying a scooter would also be paying sales tax, plus taxes on fuel and electricity. The only difference is a property tax of 2.5% assessed every year. That being said, I would be surprised if this 2.5% property tax didn’t apply to car rental companies cars as well.
- colechristensen 4y agoFuel is taxed explicitly to fund roads. Property tax likewise to pay for roads and how they're used. Electricity taxes don't go to fund roads or sidewalks, sales tax is likewise not for that.
- SllX 4y agoY’know, could probably replace metered parking, public (municipal-owned) garage fees and parking permits with this. I think we might have a deal.
- corrral 4y agoI don't get why these aren't free-for-all. You abandon property on the sidewalk, seems like littering to me at best (something worse if you're doing it as part of some coordinated effort or plan). In most jurisdictions, you lose your claim to trash once it's discarded. So....
- henryfjordan 4y agoThe scooters were never abandoned. They had GPS and a whole network of people to service them. At best they were "mislaid". See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost,_mislaid,_and_abandoned_property https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost,_mislaid,_and_abandoned_p... Dumping scooters in the street is much more akin to a public nuisance if you want to get litigious.
- s0rce 4y agoI'd argue its a public good, its an alternate mode of transport that is very useful and reduces the number of car trips and their associated negative externalities. Certainly scooters take up less space than parked cars which seem to have been grandfathered in and getting rid of parking is fiercely opposed.
- dangus 4y agoBicycles are safer: https://newatlas.com/urban-transport/study-e-scooters-injury-rates-motorcycles/ https://newatlas.com/urban-transport/study-e-scooters-injury... Bicycles and even some buses are more environmentally friendly: https://news.ncsu.edu/2019/08/impact-of-e-scooters/ https://news.ncsu.edu/2019/08/impact-of-e-scooters/ Almost half of the trips are replacing healthier and safer walking trips: https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2021-07-31/e-scooters-replacing-more-walking-and-cycling-trips-than-car-journeys https://www.itv.com/news/westcountry/2021-07-31/e-scooters-r... I haven’t even mentioned the rental prices, which are crazy high compared to a public bus ride. On top of that, scooters left on sidewalks are ugly and invade public space. I’m fine with people using scooters but they should have to own and take care of them, and if scooter sharing companies are operating they should be required to ensure they are left in proper places or perhaps in designated docks. They shouldn’t be effectively stealing public land for their for-profit service.
- hexo 4y agoCar owners are already way too over-charged with various taxes. At least here, in our country.
- milkytron 4y agoWhat makes you think that? Are the fees excessive for the amount of infrastructure they require and negative externalities they cause?
- hexo 4y agoYes, the fees are way too excessive. Most of them also disappear no one knows where.
- namecheapTA 4y agoThe fact that they are basically taxes not tied to income is pretty annoying. If you're barely scraping by, the state should not be taxing you as heavily on a gallon of gasoline as a doctor that barely blinks as they fill up their Sclass.
- jacobolus 4y agoThe way to fix this is to give extra cash directly to everyone without strings and then let people make rational choices about how to spend it, not artificially reduce the price of activities which are already priced far below their costs.
- selectodude 4y agoYou'll need to elaborate so I can refute that point by point.
- aranchelk 4y agoI want that written on a t-shirt.
- onlyrealcuzzo 4y ago
- kccqzy 4y agoIn California the registration fees you pay every year already includes personal personal taxes. (That's the reason why you can deduct that portion of registration fees in SALT.)
- colechristensen 4y agoMy car is according to the state worth $0, but I still pay a sizable registration fee and gas taxes.
- grouchomarx 4y agoassuming you're in ca, $200/year for a tag and $0.50/gallon is not sizable
- colechristensen 4y agoIf you're driving in CA with an average car and average number of miles, gas taxes will be another $400 per year (and it's $0.68 per gallon not $0.5) On top of that if you bought an average priced car, the 7.5% sales tax would be another one time $4000 charge Is $4000 + $600 per year on average not sizable?
- grouchomarx 4y ago$7000 for five years of unlimited access to californian roadways and vehicle infrastructure? Ignoring the damage done to the environment and community health, the state is on the hook for $70b in maintenance in the same amount of time. So no, not really
- colechristensen 4y ago30 million vehicles registered in a recent year, about half of which are “automobiles” and commercial vehicles which are heavier get taxed a lot more So yeah i think it’s an adequate tax
- Gibbon1 4y agoIf you ever priced out how much is costs to store a vehicle on private property, the states taxes and fees are a good deal.
- grouchomarx 4y ago
- rozap 4y agoYou got yourself a deal. That's way cheaper than it is currently.
- dahfizz 4y agoMany/most counties do charge an excise tax on vehicles every year. That said, TFA is about a property tax which only applies to businesses.
- Markoff 4y agothey don't say in article it's property tax for spots taken by scooters, so it's unrelated, could be as well their office buildings or whatever, this is equivalent of you not paying property tax for your house and gov seizing your car