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Congress Urged to Keep Commuter and Retail Tax Breaks

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PokerGuy said:
You do realize that only a fraction of the oil used is used for gasoline right? Oil companies get billions in tax breaks to subsidize research and development of energy sources (ie, find more oil and ways to refine it). The price of gasoline is not lower as a result of subsidies, in fact it's higher because it's taxed.
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Yes, I do realize its an expensive endeavor to innovate in oil and in the end it might end up being in the publics best interest. However, I consider rail travel very similar...its probably too expensive for one entity to bear the costs but in the end it is in the publics best interests...
 
Why do you need or deserve a tax break just to get to work? You are a jerk! No one pays me to drive to work? Join a car pool!
 
EagleKeeper said:
so a select few get a benefit that the rest of the country is not able to utilize.

How about the problem being Congress itself. Expenses have to be cut - you have been getting a ride (pun intended) off of those that have no use of Amtrak/NJ Transit.

You pay $300 for train usage so you do not have to drive; I pay $600 for fuel usage because there is no train.

suck it up.
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What about mortgage deductions? Why should a select few (or many) get that while the rest dont?
 
cliftonite said:
What about mortgage deductions? Why should a select few (or many) get that while the rest dont?
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Because of the scale of it helping so many and for the economic growth/jobs and additional revenue via taxes that come with home ownership. You can't even begin to compare the two in terms of impact and who it helps, not even close. One is a large majority, the other a tiny minority.

Taking that away would completely kill our economy, not so much when allowing a very small minority to deduct their transportation costs.

How about letting me deduct my transportation costs instead? That way it would be fair. Nobody is stopping you from benefiting the interest deduction, but there is plenty preventing me from deducting getting to and from work. It's highly illegal to deduct transportation cost to/from your official place of business and a source of major tax fraud.
 
piasabird said:
Why do you need or deserve a tax break just to get to work? You are a jerk! No one pays me to drive to work? Join a car pool!
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Like previously said...your auto transportation is highly subisidized by local, state and federal governement.
 
tydas said:
Like previously said...your auto transportation is highly subisidized by local, state and federal governement.
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What subsidy is being done is also available to you when you use the same facilities.

Those that have no trains are paying extra for your use because you do not wish to tax yourselves to have the service.

In the tax laws; one can not deduct the cost of commuting to on their taxes.
Yet you are getting a tax break on the commuting costs because you are using a train.
 
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EagleKeeper said:
What subsidy is being done is also available to you when you use the same facilities.

Those that have no trains are paying extra for your use because you do not wish to tax yourselves to have the service.

In the tax laws; one can not deduct the cost of commuting to on their taxes.
Yet you are getting a tax break on the commuting costs because you are using a train.
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The commuter tax break works when your employer allows you to pay for your ticket with pre-tax dollars.

And there are indirect benefits for people who don't use trains. My train system handles close to 1 million people daily, would you like those people back on the road driving?

Also, I don't see how your gov't supported roads are different from my train? I still end up paying taxes for roads I don't use as nearly as much as you...
 
Actually I'm wondering WHY Amtrak isn't profitable when trains are by far the cheapest way to move materials overland per cents/tons/miles. Maybe they need better designed/multilevel cars that can carry more people? Or the way it's set up as an organization is very inefficient or some other thing I'm not aware of.
 
Joepublic2 said:
Actually I'm wondering WHY Amtrak isn't profitable when trains are by far the cheapest way to move materials overland per cents/tons/miles. Maybe they need better designed/multilevel cars that can carry more people? Or the way it's set up as an organization is very inefficient or some other thing I'm not aware of.
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Congress forces them to maintain unprofitable operations, namely long distance trains. Some of their regional routes operate near break even or at substantial profit (in the case of the NEC).

Passengers are also more time sensitive than freight.
 
Joepublic2 said:
Actually I'm wondering WHY Amtrak isn't profitable when trains are by far the cheapest way to move materials overland per cents/tons/miles. Maybe they need better designed/multilevel cars that can carry more people? Or the way it's set up as an organization is very inefficient or some other thing I'm not aware of.
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None of our transportation systems are profitable, they all require government assistance.
 
K1052 said:
Congress forces them to maintain unprofitable operations, namely long distance trains. Some of their regional routes operate near break even or at substantial profit (in the case of the NEC).

Passengers are also more time sensitive than freight.
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Interesting. I have taken the NY to DC train many times and I could never understand how they were losing money on that route given the prices and how full the trains were.
 
tydas said:
The commuter tax break works when your employer allows you to pay for your ticket with pre-tax dollars.

And there are indirect benefits for people who don't use trains. My train system handles close to 1 million people daily, would you like those people back on the road driving?

Also, I don't see how your gov't supported roads are different from my train? I still end up paying taxes for roads I don't use as nearly as much as you...
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You have the option; most do not. Yet you get a break; many do not have the option
 
EagleKeeper said:
You have the option; most do not. Yet you get a break; many do not have the option
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So then maybe your not opposed to throwing up tolls at every road and have people pay to play? instead of sharing the cost? maybe that would be incentive to use cheaper rails?
 
tydas said:
So then maybe your not opposed to throwing up tolls at every road and have people pay to play? instead of sharing the cost? maybe that would be incentive to use cheaper rails?
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Tolls are used for people to cover what they refuse to have their overall taxes do. It is just a pin point tax to pay for greater efficiency.

With the exception of a few places in the country, everything that has a toll has an alternate. May not be as convenient, but it exists.

Consider rail an alternative to the toll roadway. You chose to use it for the convenience and efficiency and also getting rewarded with a tax break for doing so.

A special roadway with tolls is fine - you have the choice to use it. but to pay the toll and then ask some else to pay you for using the toll road is not correct.
 
EagleKeeper said:
Tolls are used for people to cover what they refuse to have their overall taxes do. It is just a pin point tax to pay for greater efficiency.

With the exception of a few places in the country, everything that has a toll has an alternate. May not be as convenient, but it exists.

Consider rail an alternative to the toll roadway. You chose to use it for the convenience and efficiency and also getting rewarded with a tax break for doing so.

A special roadway with tolls is fine - you have the choice to use it. but to pay the toll and then ask some else to pay you for using the toll road is not correct.
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Some good points, I'll finish by saying that its kind of stupid that we expect some government entities (USPS, Amtrak) to be profitable but then we add numerous rules that undermind that and we wonder why they are not profitable and effecient.
 
EagleKeeper said:
Tax increase vs removing the tax breaks.

Obama was the one that stated no taxes would be raised.

Republicans want no increase on income taxes and to have the government reduce spending.

You are not getting taxed more; you are being asked to pay more as a result of losing a subsidy.

The rail companies are going to have 1 person per car (as an example) whether that car has 10 or 100 riders.
The rail companies are public - reducing the employees reduces the tax costs on the public.

What was your monthly ticket cost previously. you are saying that it is going up to $321 but not what it is presently. Is the difference going to make it more cost effective (time & vehicle costs) to leave the train?
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Certainly not on your income level.... 😀
 
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