taxing mileage instead of gas?

[bodhi_tree777]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28472161/interesting idea, kind of a kick in the (removed) for hypermilers, though

[03vibedriver]

The thought of this just makes me angry. I drive 100 miles a day to and from work which is a strain on the household budget already.

[northvibe]

well it can work both ways, they do this in like india too. I drive a TON for work so as along as they paid it but taxing gas gallons would get more of those guzzlers as they fill up more anyway.

[tribalman]

isn't that the point of toll roads? maybe just cause i'm from illinois...... i hate toll roads, especially the "if you don't have i-pass you pay double" garbage. i just wish more highways by me weren't tolls.

[ColonelPanic]

Definitely not cool to do to us who make a conscious effort to save fuel and drive appropriately sized vehicles for our needs. It's repulsive to think Suzie Soccermom will pay the same amount in tax for her Hummer as I pay for my little Hyundai that gets at least twice the mileage. And a real kick in the (removed) to hybrid owners who get even better mileage. I know we need more money to help shore up our crumbling infrastructure. I do support an increase in the gas tax, but can't get behind a tax-per-mile scheme. But apparently not many do support the idea of a tax increase. On our local news last night, they had a poll if you supported a tax increase, 94% no and 5% yes!

[prathman]

Yes, I remember when this was first proposed in Oregon a number of years ago. Seemed like a stupid idea then and even worse today. Despite the recent drop in oil prices we should still be doing everything possible to discourage wasteful use of fossil fuels and raising the gas tax to meet our needs for highway funds is a good move in that direction. And it would let us increase the revenues without adding any more bureacracy or unnecessary costs like this proposal would. I'd also be concerned about efforts to evade a mileage-based tax. People have already devised a number of methods to get around the GPS sensors placed in some work vehicles to monitor the movements of employees and those could also be used to escape this new tax. Then there'd probably be an expensive new government enforcement division to reduce such evasion.Eventually we may need to get away from so much reliance on the gas tax when a substantial part of the vehicle fleet has switched to alternative fuel sources. But for the moment we should be encouraging the development and use of such alternatives - not stifling them by adding taxes.

[vhoward1122]

Commercial trucks already pay fuel taxes and in many states they also pay a tax on how many miles driven in that state. Oregon calls it the road use tax which trucks in Oregon are paying.Gas prices almost reaching $5 a gallon got many people to start driving only when they needed to instead of for frivolous things also. So now people are buying less gas which equals less taxes brought in. So they are going to try taxing other things to make up the difference.We have to pay for those roads somehow. I just hope they can make it so only those who use the roads are the one paying for them. Higher gas tax, road use fees, tax per mile, increase licensing fees, higher registration fees and so forth. Really a distasteful thing to think about.

[bodhi_tree777]

I understand that the infrastructure needs to be paid for somehow, and I agree that drivers should obviously foot the bill for road upkeep. I do not, however, like the idea of a GPS in every car recording your mileage and movements. I know that sounds paranoid, but they will have to track your movements because when you move from state to state or region to region, you will be taxed differently according to this plan. Not to mention that this will lead to a rash of drivers tinkering with their odometers, as that will now be directly related to how much money you have to shell out every year for your car. Not good news. I'd rather see them just raise the basic registration fees for your car, or raise the yearly state inspection fees. At least it would be a fair, flat rate for every car.

[Digger]

Just goes to show, Why the US gov. is not helping more to get fuel efficient autos to go mainstream in the us. The less fuel we use means less $$$ for the gov to burn.

[zionzr2]

They have been playing with this idea here in Texas as well.I'm Hate they idea of big brother knowing when and where I am and going!!

[Tubaryan12]

Trust me on this one:The states are doing this th help the feds soften us up for that 50 cent per gallon gas tax hike they want passed. "So you don't want big brother?...Then just pay more at the pump"Hopefully it will work. It's long over due.We have crappy roads in this country. Ask someone to pay a little more for better roads and everyone says "no way". Everyone wants more, but no one wants to pay more. As Americans, we need to make a basic choice: Either we will accept less from government, or we will have to pay more for it. Nothing out there is getting cheaper except TVs and computers. All of us that are working want a raise this year. Where does that money come from? Either raise prices or give less service. The government is no differnt.

[keithvibe]

Instead of putting stupid plans like this to work we as the people who elect this stupid people we should have a bill passed that ALL elected officials can't make more that 59,000 a year. Local officials should not be able to make more than 49,000k a year. State and federal shouldn't be aloud to make more than the 59,000k a year. They should live like the rest of the country and see just how tough it is for people out there who make that kind of money to afford their stupid plans.Just recently federal judges said they want 5%, this comes at the worst time in economic history, pay increases and some of them are making well over200k a year AND FOR WHAT????They all should be lined up and shot so we can start over with a clean slate and it should be legal for any US resident to be able to SHOOT to kill any elected official caught stealing money, or defrauding us out of money for their own personal gain.

[Tubaryan12]

Quote, originally posted by keithvibe »Instead of putting stupid plans like this to work we as the people who elect this stupid people we should have a bill passed that ALL elected officials can't make more that 59,000 a year. Local officials should not be able to make more than 49,000k a year. State and federal shouldn't be aloud to make more than the 59,000k a year. They should live like the rest of the country and see just how tough it is for people out there who make that kind of money to afford their stupid plans.Just recently federal judges said they want 5%, this comes at the worst time in economic history, pay increases and some of them are making well over200k a year AND FOR WHAT????They all should be lined up and shot so we can start over with a clean slate and it should be legal for any US resident to be able to SHOOT to kill any elected official caught stealing money, or defrauding us out of money for their own personal gain.Agreed .....but the problem is not their salaries. Do you think that the crooks that get into government really care about what they are paid above the table when they seek that job? The problem is that we elect crooks, not that we pay them a lot.

[keithvibe]

Quote, originally posted by Tubaryan12 »Agreed .....but the problem is not their salaries. Do you think that the crooks that get into government really care about what they are paid above the table when they seek that job? The problem is that we elect crooks, not that we pay them a lot.this is why i say it should be legal to shoot them. It will make them think twice about stealing.

[5speed4]

I like the idea of a gas tax better. In fact, I would love to see some of the income tax shifted to the gas tax.(That is, lower the income tax and raise the gas tax). Taxes, as much as I hate them, should encourage good behavior (working for an income) and discourage bad behavior (wasteful driving, clogging up the roads, gas hogs). I don't like the big brother aspect of this GPS taxing system, but if they have to, I think it should be based upon the "damage" that your vehicle does to the roadways. There should be a multiplier based upon vehicle weight (that's already true in most states for registration fees). A little 1800 lb Geo Metro shouldn't have to pay as much as a 6500 lb Hummer.

[ned23]

Quote, originally posted by tribalman »isn't that the point of toll roads? maybe just cause i'm from illinois...... i hate toll roads, especially the "if you don't have i-pass you pay double" garbage. i just wish more highways by me weren't tolls.The prevailing winds say we will see more toll roads. Gas taxes are probably actually cheaper than toll roads but people and more importantly, oil companies, do not like gas taxes. See quote below:Quote »More Toll Roads Likely in US FuturePress Release US DOT 11/5/2008The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) on Friday announced the creation of a new office whose primary goal will be to lobby state governments to convert their freeways into toll roads. While some congressional leaders expressed hope that the change represented by FHWA's new Office of Innovative Program Delivery would be reversed by the next administration, there is reason to believe that the incoming administration will continue supporting public private partnership (PPP) initiatives. For now, the toll road promotion office sits at the top of FHWA's organizational chart to emphasize its primary place within the federal transportation department.