The $700 bazillion Wall Street bailout package has just one tiny thing that any cyclist should be pleased about. There is a $20/month tax break for employers for each bike commuter employee as an incentive for companies to reduce petrol consumption and infrastructure demands.
The money is for the employer to reimburse employees “for the purchase of a bicycle and bicycle improvements, repair, and storage, if such bicycle is regularly used for travel between the employee’s residence and place of employment.
To many people, this tax cut is probably like a delectable chocolate left on a pillow while staying at the Bates Motel… a nice gesture in an otherwise horrific nightmare. Within Senate and House of Representatives, many supporters of this tax break actually voted against the bill while otherwise being favorable to the cyclists’ tax break riding the bill. In the past, the tax break had been riding bills for environmental, transportation, or energy issues that failed.