Tax by the mile and not by the gallon?

uscitizen

uscitizen

Villified User
AP Interview: Transportation secretary says taxing how much we drive may replace gasoline tax

By JOAN LOWY

Associated Press Writer

7:17 AM EST, February 20, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) — Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says he wants to consider taxing motorists based on how many miles they drive rather than how much gasoline they burn — an idea that has angered drivers in some states where it has been proposed.

Gasoline taxes that for nearly half a century have paid for the federal share of highway and bridge construction can no longer be counted on to raise enough money to keep the nation's transportation system moving, LaHood said in an interview with The Associated Press.

"We should look at the vehicular miles program where people are actually clocked on the number of miles that they traveled," the former Illinois Republican lawmaker said.

Most transportation experts see a vehicle miles traveled tax as a long-term solution, but Congress is being urged to move in that direction now by funding pilot projects.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-lahood-vehicle-mileage-tax,0,6754105,print.story
 
And fuck this:

The system would require all cars and trucks be equipped with global satellite positioning technology, a transponder, a clock and other equipment to record how many miles a vehicle was driven, whether it was driven on highways or secondary roads, and even whether it was driven during peak traffic periods or off-peak hours.

The device would tally how much tax motorists owed depending upon their road use. Motorists would pay the amount owed when it was downloaded, probably at gas stations at first, but an alternative eventually would be needed.
Click to expand...
 
uscitizen said:
I think a combination of vehicle weight and miles should be the fairest formula.
Click to expand...


The cost of keeping track of all that outweighs any "fairness" benefits. First, you have the big brother aspect. Second, the cost of outfitting all vehicles with GPS transponders of some sort. Third, wince weight is a factor you have to figure out the weight of trucks and such when loaded, unloaded, tare half load, load of feathers, load of tvs and the like.

Gas consumption is a reasonable proxy and it has the benefit of punishing gas guzzlers and rewarding fuel efficiency.
 
evince said:
But bigger vehicles stress the system more and by the gallon taxes seem to track that better.
Click to expand...

The downside is that government will be actively opposed to more efficient engines, or electric vehicles, because it will hit them in our pocketbook to actually create policy which incentives efficiency or alternative fuels.
 
AssHatZombie said:
The downside is that government will be actively opposed to more efficient engines, or electric vehicles, because it will hit them in our pocketbook to actually create policy which incentives efficiency or alternative fuels.
Click to expand...


It will? So if I have a gas guzzler and I pay tax by the mile I save no money by going to a more efficient vehicle??
 
uscitizen said:
It will? So if I have a gas guzzler and I pay tax by the mile I save no money by going to a more efficient vehicle??
Click to expand...


Of course you save money, but where the government has a vested interest in not only raising revenues through taxation but also an interest in promoting certain types of behavior by providing an increased incentive for individuals to engage in if the government should use the tax code to promote that behavior.

Here, the government is aggressively pursuing alternative energy solutions. Through a gas tax the government can not only raise revenues but also encourage individuals to use more fuel efficient vehicles or, better yet, vehicles that do not require fossil fuels. Instead, by taxing by the mile and limiting the benefit to use fuel efficient vehicles, the policies are competing rather than working together.
 
AssHatZombie said:
True, but government policy will not incentivize efficiency, because it will collect less money if it actually succeeds.
Click to expand...

The govt shoots it's own foot for highway maintenance by mandating higher efficiency vehicles. Which reduced per gallon taxes by reducing gas demand. Now a mileage/weight tax on the other hand...

you actually pay for how much of the road you use.
 
Definitely a hit on rural folks who drive 20-100 miles to work. Heck, I drove 120 miles one way to college.......no way I could afford to pay a tax like this then.
 
uscitizen said:
The govt shoots it's own foot for highway maintenance by mandating higher efficiency vehicles. Which reduced per gallon taxes by reducing gas demand. Now a mileage/weight tax on the other hand...

you actually pay for how much of the road you use.
Click to expand...


But looking at taxes exclusively as a means of revenue generation is silly I think, particularly where, as with the highways, the taxes collected do not even come close to paying for the road. It's basically a question of what we want to subsidize: inefficient driving or efficient driving.
 
Dungheap said:
Of course you save money, but where the government has a vested interest in not only raising revenues through taxation but also an interest in promoting certain types of behavior by providing an increased incentive for individuals to engage in if the government should use the tax code to promote that behavior.

Here, the government is aggressively pursuing alternative energy solutions. Through a gas tax the government can not only raise revenues but also encourage individuals to use more fuel efficient vehicles or, better yet, vehicles that do not require fossil fuels. Instead, by taxing by the mile and limiting the benefit to use fuel efficient vehicles, the policies are competing rather than working together.
Click to expand...

But this is about funding roads. Your mileage has little to do with the costs of your road usage.

I seriously doubt anyone is suggesting replacing the gas tax. They are more likely considering this in addition.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top