House Representatives Panetta & Blumenauer introduce "e-bike Act" federal tax credit

[Readytoride]

Time to decide what new model ebike will be my +1.

 

[john peck]

Frankly, I’d like to get a grandfathered payment for the shitty we went through in ‘20!

Be nice, but I wouldn´t hold my breath. You must remember, whatever party they belong to.
they are still politicians, & the wheels of progress are still agonizingly slow to turn.

 

[Dewey]

 

[Dewey]

Noa Banayan, the Federal Affairs Manager at People for Bikes, reports the E-Bike Act now has bill number H.R. 1019 and progress can be tracked through Congress here:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1019/text?q={"search":["jimmy+panetta"]}&r=1&s=3

 

[Readytoride]

Woo-hoo!! Thanks for the link!

 

[bones774]

some positive action in NYS, NY'ers can go online and see more. at this point bill has 2 years to move forward or die in committee
Assembly Bill A516 has been assigned a "Same As" bill in the Senate: S3080
S3080 has been referred to the Senate Energy And Telecommunications Committee.

 

[Chris Nolte]

Hope everyone is doing well. We did a video on this topic and just published it today for those who might be interested in learning more.

 

[EMGX]

what a sad commentary on the current state of our country and its leadership. anyone bother to check that the US deficit now stands at 28 trillion? We borrow money to pay interest on that debt and sooner or later we won't be able to cover the debt with more borrowing. More govt giveaways aren't an answer. How about a federal VAT on everything including ebikes until we get to a balanced budget, then continue the tax until the deficit is paid down? How about a $3-4/gal fed gasoline tax like European countries. That would incentivize people to bike/ebike/walk more and drive less, pay down the deficit, reduce green house gasses, reduce dependency on fossil fuels and more. Giving stuff away almost always isn't a constructive approach to solving a problem. Will the govt be expected to subsidize bike maintenance and repairs too, given that a good number of people on this site say they can't or won't even fix a flat tire? Seeing bills like this being advanced is proof that there is no long term financial hope for our country.

 

[bones774]

what a sad commentary on the current state of our country and its leadership. anyone bother to check that the US deficit now stands at 28 trillion? We borrow money to pay interest on that debt and sooner or later we won't be able to cover the debt with more borrowing. More govt giveaways aren't an answer. How about a federal VAT on everything including ebikes until we get to a balanced budget, then continue the tax until the deficit is paid down? How about a $3-4/gal fed gasoline tax like European countries. That would incentivize people to bike/ebike/walk more and drive less, pay down the deficit, reduce green house gasses, reduce dependency on fossil fuels and more. Giving stuff away almost always isn't a constructive approach to solving a problem. Will the govt be expected to subsidize bike maintenance and repairs too, given that a good number of people on this site say they can't or won't even fix a flat tire? Seeing bills like this being advanced is proof that there is no long term financial hope for our country.

I feel much like you do, so where do you put your assets to feel comfortable? That's what worries me.

 

[EMGX]

I try to be diversified and otherwise don't worry about it, but that doesn't make me blind to what is happening and the likely historic outcomes. By the way, 2020 deficit to GDP of ~17% is over twice that of 2009 during the great recession and greater than during the great depression '29-'33. Not a great time for the government to offer to pay for up to $1500 subsidizing a discretionary purchase for a product largely to entirely produced by our country's greatest competitor and threat.
Destined for War: Can America and China Escape Thucydides' Trap

 

[Asher]

what a sad commentary on the current state of our country and its leadership. anyone bother to check that the US deficit now stands at 28 trillion? We borrow money to pay interest on that debt and sooner or later we won't be able to cover the debt with more borrowing. More govt giveaways aren't an answer. How about a federal VAT on everything including ebikes until we get to a balanced budget, then continue the tax until the deficit is paid down? How about a $3-4/gal fed gasoline tax like European countries. That would incentivize people to bike/ebike/walk more and drive less, pay down the deficit, reduce green house gasses, reduce dependency on fossil fuels and more. Giving stuff away almost always isn't a constructive approach to solving a problem. Will the govt be expected to subsidize bike maintenance and repairs too, given that a good number of people on this site say they can't or won't even fix a flat tire? Seeing bills like this being advanced is proof that there is no long term financial hope for our country.

The government pays people $8 billion a year to drive to work via tax deductions on parking. That same amount could subsidize 5m ebikes by $1500 each.

The Parking Tax Benefit: A $7.3 Billion Subsidy for Traffic Congestion — Streetsblog USA

The federal government spends billions of dollars a year on tax subsidies that make traffic congestion worse, according to a first-of-its-kind analysis by TransitCenter and the Frontier Group. The culprit is the parking commuter tax benefit, which costs taxpayers $7.3 billion in foregone revenue...

usa.streetsblog.org

 

[EMGX]

The government pays people $8 billion a year to drive to work via tax deductions on parking. That same amount could subsidize 5m ebikes by $1500 each.

The Parking Tax Benefit: A $7.3 Billion Subsidy for Traffic Congestion — Streetsblog USA

The federal government spends billions of dollars a year on tax subsidies that make traffic congestion worse, according to a first-of-its-kind analysis by TransitCenter and the Frontier Group. The culprit is the parking commuter tax benefit, which costs taxpayers $7.3 billion in foregone revenue...

usa.streetsblog.org

The answer for that is to eliminate the deduction on parking and other counterproductive deductions and subsidies. That is what helped get us to an unmanageable deficit/debt in the first place. A few billion here, a few billion there, pretty soon it adds up to real money.

 

[Art Deco]

The answer for that is to eliminate the deduction on parking and other counterproductive deductions and subsidies. That is what helped get us to an unmanageable deficit/debt in the first place. A few billion here, a few billion there, pretty soon it adds up to real money.

Start with the fossil fuel depletion allowance for the oil companies and I might be with you ...

 

[Dallant]

Most insulting...

Feds to give tobacco farmers up to $100 million in COVID-19 aid

The feds are planning to dole out up to $100 million in government aid to tobacco farmers affected by the coronavirus pandemic, a new report says. The US Department of Agriculture will distribute t…

nypost.com

 

[EMGX]

Most insulting...

Feds to give tobacco farmers up to $100 million in COVID-19 aid

The feds are planning to dole out up to $100 million in government aid to tobacco farmers affected by the coronavirus pandemic, a new report says. The US Department of Agriculture will distribute t…

nypost.com

that's plain nuts. Comforting to know that our borrowed deficit dollars are being put to such good use. Smoking will help keep all of those covid ventilators in use.

 

[bones774]

A lot of talk about re-introducing big rebates for EV cars the past few days. Anyone in the know if any movement on ebike rebates?

 

[Asher]

A lot of talk about re-introducing big rebates for EV cars the past few days. Anyone in the know if any movement on ebike rebates?

Nope. Only thing happening is more Democrat sponsors.

 

[RGVCycling]

Update: Representatives Panetta and perennial congressional cyclist ally Blumenauer today introduced the "Electric Bicycle Incentive Kickstart for the Environment (E-BIKE) Act" in the House of Representatives to:

• Cover 30% of the cost of the electric bicycle, up to a $1,500 credit
• Apply to new electric bicycles that cost less than $8,000
• Is refundable, allowing lower-income workers to claim the credit

The E-BIKE Act is supported by:
PeopleForBikes
League of American Bicyclists
California Bicycle Coalition
Bike Santa Cruz County
Bicycling Monterey
Mike's Bikes
Ecology Action
CALSTART
U.S. PIRG
The National Resources Defense Council
Gazelle Bikes
Current eBikes

Hmm, I don’t see my name on the list. Must have been an oversight.

 

[tomjasz]

this subsidy and subsequent articles are from September 23, 2020. During you now who's reign.

 

[PedalUma]

this subsidy and subsequent articles are from September 23, 2020. During you now who's reign.

He who must not be named?
@tomdutchie posted this video with his introduction to EBR about the Netherlands' infrastructure. Caltrans is building an underpass on a freeway by my workshop. The amount of money is astronomical. We should be investing in getting cars off the road and using more bikes, not as sporting goods toys or Pelotons with wheels but for transportation.