Cyclists have a legitimate right to the road. End of story. The ideas regarding taxation have been accurately debunked by previous responses.

On the other topic of safety and responsibility, there are dangerous drivers and dangerous cyclists. Any anecdote about a cyclist doing something unlawful can easily be matched by a motorist breaking the law.

The engineering proposals out there are extremely well thought out and I, for one, cannot wait for their implementation. While certain design elements are not without controversy, on the whole we're looking to see increased safety and ridership.

The comments that imply that a particular death or injury was based upon cyclist negligence because, "other cyclists ride recklessly therefore this cyclist must also have been doing the same" is in poor taste and hurtful for those impacted by these tragedies. Unless you are a witness, please refrain from such conjecture.