Who exactly are "Motorists"??

Pottler

Every time there is a price hike or new tax, we see headlines along the lines of "Motorists to be hit with..". Who exactly are these "motorists"? Considering almost every man, woman and child travvels in a car, has a parent who owns a car, or owns one themselves, who exactly are these persecuted minority? Is this just a way for the government to somehow remove the idea of "people in general to be hit with a new charge/tax" and replace it with the nebulous idea that some sort of "toad of toad hall" class are to be hit with more charges?
On a similar vein, how is it that "Motorists" organisations such as the AA, etc, appear to have very little effect whatsoever when it comes to defending this "group", ie, everyone? The cost of driving goes relentlessy upwards, for everyone, yet groups and organisations, who by default represent pretty much everyone, seem powerless. Is the term "motorist" disengenuous?

I would say they are the people who pay for/own the car. It's a bit easier to use "Motorists to be hit with.." rather than the headline "Every man, woman and child who travels in a car, has a parent who owns a car, or owns one themselves to be hit with.."

There are lazy definitions for everything.

Jimbob 83

The Irish tax system is very very reliant on motor tax revenues in all there forms, if we all changed to electric cars in the morning the whole tax system would implode.

Emissions is the latest excuse, but they just ramp it up as much as they do because it's easy, irish tax system should be more reliant on paye instead of motor taxes/fuel taxes

Pottler

Dónal wrote: »

I would say they are the people who pay for/own the car. It's a bit easier to use "Motorists to be hit with.." rather than the headline "Every man, woman and child who travels in a car, has a parent who owns a car, or owns one themselves to be hit with.."

There are lazy definitions for everything.

Too simplistic. If fuel goes up, everyone is affected. The headlines scream "Motorists to be affected". I believe it is a term invented to disassociate the fact the everyone is affected by creating a minority mindset. I also believe "Motorists" organisations are a dilution of their true constituency - people who have a car are the majority, not a minority, yet they are represented as some sort of crazed minority, to be taxed and persecuted appropriatly. Unless a mindset of "everyone" being affected by punitive tariffs and charges is adopted, I feel this group of "motorists" will continue to be an overtaxed and underrepresented majority.

Pottler

Pottler wrote: »

Too simplistic. If fuel goes up, everyone is affected. The headlines scream "Motorists to be affected". I believe it is a term invented to disassociate the fact the everyone is affected by creating a minority mindset. I also believe "Motorists" organisations are a dilution of their true constituency - people who have a car are the majority, not a minority, yet they are represented as some sort of crazed minority, to be taxed and persecuted appropriatly. Unless a mindset of "everyone" being affected by punitive tariffs and charges is adopted, I feel this group of "motorists" will continue to be an overtaxed and underrepresented majority.

Yes but everyone is affected by everything! Honestly, if you're looking for improvements on how items are reported that related to car users, how about getting everyone to use the phrase 'Motor Tax' instead of the fictitious 'Road Tax'.

Chuck Stone

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

The Irish tax system is very very reliant on motor tax revenues in all there forms, if we all changed to electric cars in the morning the whole tax system would ... be augmented to collect the same amount by other means.

FYP.

Pottler

Dónal wrote: »

Yes but everyone is affected by everything! Honestly, if you're looking for improvements on how items are reported that related to car users, how about getting everyone to use the phrase 'Motor Tax' instead of the fictitious 'Road Tax'.

How about "Vehicle Tax"? That would be a start.

L1011

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

The Irish tax system is very very reliant on motor tax revenues in all there forms, if we all changed to electric cars in the morning the whole tax system would implode.

They'd stop giving rebates and reduced motor tax on electric cars and put taxes on electricity used for car charging (rather than the ESB giving it away free on public charging points at the moment) in that case.

Pottler

I sincerely believe that the term "motorist" is used to demonise the majority with a minority sobriquet. It's a deliberate strategy employed to dissassociate a tax on the majority by disseminating it as a tax on some ficticious minority. There really is no priviledged group of "motorists" out there, the government, and pretty much all western governments are just overtaxing people on the basis of a modern necessity - a car.

Jimbob 83

Jimbob 83 wrote: »

...

Emissions is the latest excuse, but they just ramp it up as much as they do because it's easy, irish tax system should be more reliant on paye instead of motor taxes/fuel taxes

Paye and the usc are high enough imo.
Someone on the average industrial wage pays lots more income tax than fuel tax even if they travel multiples of average mileage.

Anan1

Pottler wrote: »

I sincerely believe that the term "motorist" is used to demonise the majority with a minority sobriquet. It's a deliberate strategy employed to dissassociate a tax on the majority by disseminating it as a tax on some ficticious minority. There really is no priviledged group of "motorists" out there, the government, and pretty much all western governments are just overtaxing people on the basis of a modern necessity - a car.

Being a motorist isn't something you are, it's something you do. I'm a motorist but i'm also many other things, which is why I mightn't want lower taxes on cars.

Pottler

I may also lay off the red wine on a saturday night in future, as it appears to induce some sort of intellectual spasm within my head previously undiscovered(and best left that way) which leads to waay overthought crap threads on boards:o:D

dgt

Pottler wrote: »

I may also lay off the red wine on a saturday night in future, as it appears to induce some sort of intellectual spasm within my head previously undiscovered(and best left that way) which leads to waay overthought crap threads on boards:o:D

White wine spritzer, spritzer, spritzer.....

Pottler

dgt wrote: »

White wine spritzer, spritzer, spritzer.....

In fairness, I'm well impressed with my vocabulary when half-cut, some of those words I struggled to read, never mind spell, sober.:D