Philly robot tax could replace revenue lost when taxpaying workers are displaced by technology

From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know! A member of Philadelphia City Council wants to tax companies that use driverless vehicles and delivery robots to perform services traditionally handled by human workers. The reason is simple in the mind of Councilmember Jim Harrity. He contends the tax is basically designed to replace the wage tax revenue the city loses when companies use driverless vehicles or delivery robots instead of human workers. If approved by Council, the legislation would cover sidewalk delivery robots, driverless vehicles, taxi robots, automated shuttles and driverless freight, among other things. Harrity claims the proposal would charge the companies behind the machines, which includes anyone who owns, operates or sells the service, including mobile apps and platforms. Harrity explained during a speech on the floor of Council why the whole idea matters. “If you hire a person you can skip the tax