I was also disappointed in the Wisconsin State Journal's editorial. Before sending them a 200-word or less (in hopes it be published) response, can someone please help me clarify a few things (see below)? Do I have my facts straight?
George Perkins -----Original Message----- >> Editorial in the Wisconsin State Journal, 11/17/02: << >> The happy, healthy holier-than-thou folks who bike to work on the Capital City Trail think they ought to get a free ride. << Rather than vilifying tens of thousands of people who regularly bicycle in Dane County with a disparaging label, perhaps the WSJ would be willing to identify by name or organization the hard-working civil employees, volunteers, and concerned citizens that are the subject of this editorial? >> But let's frame the debate in purely economic terms: << Like almost everything in this world, the controversy can not be decided on so simplistic a basis as "pure economics". Social issues such as health, pollution, sprawl, and social factors must be considered as well. >> * Car drivers are charged a fee every day for using roads: It's called the gasoIine tax. In fact, it was car drivers-not bike riders- who paid for the bike path through the federal gas tax. << False. While true that the gas tax helped fund construction of the Capitol City Trail, it is not used to maintain it, which is the purpose of the proposed user fee. In fact, all county and city road maintenance in Dane County is funded by property and sales taxes. Bicyclists who live in Dane County are already therefore subsidizing automobile infrastructure. Dane Co. Parks' funding sources for maintenance come from property and sales taxes (and user fees). This is a disproportionate burden on bicyclists who otherwise are already subsidizing a huge automobile transportation infrastructure. >> * The $10 fee permits bikers to use all the state's 2,100 miles of bike paths- not just the Capital City Trail << Is this WSJ statement even correct? Is the fee going to be a State DNR fee or a Dane Co. fee? There is no argument that recreational trails in the state can be partially supported by user fees. Most of the largely urban Capitol City Trail, however, is a transportation corridor, not a recreational trail. Unlike the other 2,100 miles of trails, it was funded with a grant from the Federal department of transportation. >> * The Dane County Parks Department budget is stretched as thin as it will get. If the county has to use other money to maintain the trail, it will have to come from taxes or other park user fees. << The county, over a year ago, agreed to join a citizen committee of bicyclists and others to develop alternate sources of funding (such as commit local organizations to do volunteer maintenance, etc.) The Dane Co. Parks department failed to live up to its end of the bargain. Concerned citizens are still interested in pursuing this idea. >> Only hubris makes bikers regard themselves as more worthy than dog walkers, skiers, mountain bikers and horseback riders - all of whose fees are increasing. << It has been a long term position of The Bicycle Transportation Alliance of Dane County that all transportation users should be fairly assessed for the societal impact of their transportation choice. Automobile users do not have any toll roads in the county. Currently only skaters and bicyclists will pay the proposed toll on the Capitol City Trail. It is the WSJ position that is inequitable. (And by the way, horseback riders are not allowed on the Capital City Trail.) _______________________________________________ Bikies mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/bikies
