We have a massive, controversial, annual car ownership tax to fund public transit. The vote to repeal it was approved, but is now caught up in high level state courts. That's why the expired registration ticket wans't surprising - there are probably quite a few people trying to avoid the tax. It's also why having a more expensive car I drive 2200 miles/year has less of an appeal to me. In that sense, the consumption and ownership taxes work to lower demand... which is cool with me.
ST3’s $53.8 billion in investments would be enabled by: (1) a sales tax of 0.5 percent ($.50 on a $100 purchase) in addition to the 0.9 percent currently collected; (2) a motor vehicle excise tax (MVET) of 0.8 percent ($80 annually per $10,000 of vehicle value) in addition to the 0.3 percent MVET Sound Transit is collecting through 2028; and (3) a property tax of 25 cents for each $1,000 of assessed valuation.
Note the tax valuation is based off an archane MSRP depreciation calculation, not actual market value. It ends up being somewhat regressive, based on the age of car. I think congestion tolling of the downtown core is next. I don't mind taking transit everywhere - problem is Seattle does NOT have world class transit. Catch 22.
Our city council is waaaaay left, which also has me wondering if a tech boom city is still right for us. I'm thinking a Google job in Boulder could be chill.
ST3’s $53.8 billion in investments would be enabled by: (1) a sales tax of 0.5 percent ($.50 on a $100 purchase) in addition to the 0.9 percent currently collected; (2) a motor vehicle excise tax (MVET) of 0.8 percent ($80 annually per $10,000 of vehicle value) in addition to the 0.3 percent MVET Sound Transit is collecting through 2028; and (3) a property tax of 25 cents for each $1,000 of assessed valuation.
Note the tax valuation is based off an archane MSRP depreciation calculation, not actual market value. It ends up being somewhat regressive, based on the age of car. I think congestion tolling of the downtown core is next. I don't mind taking transit everywhere - problem is Seattle does NOT have world class transit. Catch 22.
Our city council is waaaaay left, which also has me wondering if a tech boom city is still right for us. I'm thinking a Google job in Boulder could be chill.
'76 911S | '14 328xi | '17 GTI | In memoriam: '08 848, '85 944
"Here, at last, is the cure for texting while driving. The millions of deaths which occur every year due to the iPhone’s ability to stream the Kim K/Ray-J video in 4G could all be avoided, every last one of them, if the government issued everyone a Seventies 911 and made sure they always left the house five minutes later than they’d wanted to. It would help if it could be made to rain as well. Full attention on the road. Guaranteed." -Jack Baruth
"Here, at last, is the cure for texting while driving. The millions of deaths which occur every year due to the iPhone’s ability to stream the Kim K/Ray-J video in 4G could all be avoided, every last one of them, if the government issued everyone a Seventies 911 and made sure they always left the house five minutes later than they’d wanted to. It would help if it could be made to rain as well. Full attention on the road. Guaranteed." -Jack Baruth