A fight over congestion pricing

Not happening (yet) in New York or San Francisco. Rather, it's taking place between Ken Livingstone, Mayor of London and the recently appointed U.S. ambassador to Britain, Robert Tuttle.

See, American diplomats never wanted to pay this charge. And true, according to the 1961 Vienna Convention, diplomats are exempt from local taxation. But Livingstone thinks driving a car is an extra service people must pay for in the city, kind of like paying to ride the bus, and it's not a tax.

In the previous Ambassador's term, the U.S. Embassy agreed to be good citizens and pay the congestion charge while negotiating the terms of diplomatic immunity.

Well, no more starting July 2007. The fact that Robert Tuttle (or, if you rather, Richard Tuttle) is a multi-millionaire car dealership owner and Bush family cronie didn't help Livingstone's livid tongue.

So, what is congestion pricing? Tax or service? Seems that when it's set up like that there's only one way to duke it out - a culture war. Oh, we have that going on already.

Thanks kayx!