Send note to congress RE: commuter benefits

[LoveTrains]

Easy site to use here:

act.commuterbenefitsworkforus.com

[lasagnasshole]

TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION, BITCHES.

[LoveTrains]

Sorry.

[emisi]

Ugh, I hope this gets passed soon. They need to make the increase permanent, like the parking subsidy.

[Deleted]

Not to stir the pot (okay maybe a little) but this to me is why we need tax code reform (a complete overhaul).

Why are we subsidizing people's commutes on both ends? We subsidize trains with subsidies to keep fares low and then we also subsidize the purchase of those same said already subsidized fares?

And even bigger WTF is why do we subsidize people driving to work?

[y4m]

Jan 9, 2014 6:49:53 GMT -5 @septimus said:

Not to stir the pot (okay maybe a little) but this to me is why we need tax code reform (a complete overhaul).

Why are we subsidizing people's commutes on both ends? We subsidize trains with subsidies to keep fairs low and then we also subsidize the purchase of those same said already subsidized fares?

And even bigger WTF is why do we subsidize people driving to work?

Please note this moment where @septimus is saying the exact same thing I said in the last thread.

[Deleted]

Jan 9, 2014 7:13:33 GMT -5 y4m said:

Jan 9, 2014 6:49:53 GMT -5 @septimus said:

Not to stir the pot (okay maybe a little) but this to me is why we need tax code reform (a complete overhaul).

Why are we subsidizing people's commutes on both ends? We subsidize trains with subsidies to keep fares low and then we also subsidize the purchase of those same said already subsidized fares?

And even bigger WTF is why do we subsidize people driving to work?

Please note this moment where @septimus is saying the exact same thing I said in the last thread.

I missed that the previous post, but this just seems like common sense to me. 

[lasagnasshole]

Jan 9, 2014 6:49:53 GMT -5 @septimus said:

Not to stir the pot (okay maybe a little) but this to me is why we need tax code reform (a complete overhaul).

Why are we subsidizing people's commutes on both ends? We subsidize trains with subsidies to keep fares low and then we also subsidize the purchase of those same said already subsidized fares?

And even bigger WTF is why do we subsidize people driving to work?

It's for the same reason we subsidize health insurance - it lets companies make it part of the overall compensation package. Not saying it should or shouldn't be that way, just that it's the why. But it's ridiculous to reduce the transit benefit but not the parking benefit.

[Deleted]

Jan 9, 2014 7:28:09 GMT -5 lasagnasshole said:

Jan 9, 2014 6:49:53 GMT -5 @septimus said:

Not to stir the pot (okay maybe a little) but this to me is why we need tax code reform (a complete overhaul).

Why are we subsidizing people's commutes on both ends? We subsidize trains with subsidies to keep fares low and then we also subsidize the purchase of those same said already subsidized fares?

And even bigger WTF is why do we subsidize people driving to work?

It's for the same reason we subsidize health insurance - it lets companies make it part of the overall compensation package. Not saying it should or shouldn't be that way, just that it's the why. But it's ridiculous to reduce the transit benefit but not the parking benefit.

I think you are comparing apples to oranges here. Our method of providing health care was based on the employer model. 

We don't subsidize driving on the front end. (Although the gas tax needs to be reformed to in light of cars getting better mileage). The gas tax is earmarked for road maintenance/improvement/expansion as well as public transportation.  The average family pays roughly $300/yr in gas taxes. 

Why should commuting be part of your compensation package? Isn't just part of having a job? What's next Obama cars for every minimum wage workers :-) 

[LoveTrains]

Jan 9, 2014 7:34:29 GMT -5 @septimus said:

Jan 9, 2014 7:28:09 GMT -5 lasagnasshole said:

It's for the same reason we subsidize health insurance - it lets companies make it part of the overall compensation package. Not saying it should or shouldn't be that way, just that it's the why. But it's ridiculous to reduce the transit benefit but not the parking benefit.

I think you are comparing apples to oranges here. Our method of providing health care was based on the employer model. 

We don't subsidize driving on the front end. (Although the gas tax needs to be reformed to in light of cars getting better mileage). The gas tax is earmarked for road maintenance/improvement/expansion as well as public transportation.  The average family pays roughly $300/yr in gas taxes. 

Why should commuting be part of your compensation package? Isn't just part of having a job? What's next Obama cars for every minimum wage workers :-) 

Subsidizing public transit is good for the environment? That is all I've got.

Listen, I don't disagree that it is kind of a give away to upper middle income folks who are most likely to work for companies that offer this benefit. But while this benefit exists, it is patently absurd that the parking benefit is higher than the public transit benefit.

[lys]

IMO there should be no federal tax benefits for either. If the employer wishes to give them to employees fine, but no tax benefits for them.

[lasagnasshole]

Jan 9, 2014 7:34:29 GMT -5 @septimus said:

Jan 9, 2014 7:28:09 GMT -5 lasagnasshole said:

It's for the same reason we subsidize health insurance - it lets companies make it part of the overall compensation package. Not saying it should or shouldn't be that way, just that it's the why. But it's ridiculous to reduce the transit benefit but not the parking benefit.

I think you are comparing apples to oranges here. Our method of providing health care was based on the employer model. 

We don't subsidize driving on the front end. (Although the gas tax needs to be reformed to in light of cars getting better mileage). The gas tax is earmarked for road maintenance/improvement/expansion as well as public transportation.  The average family pays roughly $300/yr in gas taxes. 

Why should commuting be part of your compensation package? Isn't just part of having a job? What's next Obama cars for every minimum wage workers :-) 

I'm not saying it's a GOOD why, just that it's a why.

I bet some large companies lobbied for this so they could make it part of compensation packages. 

And I know the parking benefit has been around way before Obama because I oh-so-vaguely remember that from Fed tax, which I took during the Bush 43 years.

[LoveTrains]

I used to do the parking pre-tax deduction back in 2003, so its been around for a while.