The voluntary gas tax is a self-imposed and self-collected tax established by a group of Davisites. That is to say, they keep track of the gas they use, decide on a rate at which to tax themselves, and donate the proceeds to one of a few non-profit organizations selected by the group. If you'd like to get involved, contact davisgastax@gmail.com. More info on the idea can be found at voluntarygastax.org and at Davis Enterprise Column on Voluntary Gas Tax.pdf
Origins
The idea for the tax was brought to Davis by a delegation from Harrisonburg, Virginia that was visiting town to look at the local bike infrastructure in the Winter of 2010.
Past Beneficiaries
Each quarter the group chooses a new set of beneficiaries and each member chooses the beneficiaries to which they will donate their "tax money". Previous lucky organizations have included: * The Davis Bike Collective * The Institute for Transportation and Development Policy * No on 23 * The Birch Lane "30 Bikes for 30 Students" program * The Yolo Basin Foundation * The Environmental Law Alliance