Plan to tax cars by the mile

[JohnRich 4]

News:

Plan to tax cars by the mile

The Obama administration has floated a transportation authorization bill that would require the study and implementation of a plan to tax automobile drivers based on how many miles they drive..

CBO suggested that a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax could be tracked by installing electronic equipment on each car to determine how many miles were driven; payment could take place electronically at filling stations...

Full story: http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/159397-obama-floats-plan-to-tax-cars-by-the-mile

[rehmwa 2]

any new tax is a bad idea

and who wants our every movement tracked?


You gotta admit though, that this admin's greed is strong enough to overcome their basic platforms - this is a direct response to wanting all that revenue lost from cars that get better mileage.

the only other alternative is that they are now trying to just keep people immobile or on public transit to avoid this sharp poke

either one is despicable - the end game seems to be to keep people poor and trapped in their caste

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Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[idrankwhat 0]

It seems like a reasonable reaction to changing times. People are moving towards more efficient vehicles therefore the taxes collected on a per gallon basis will end up underfunding our transportation infrastructure. It's a draft proposal so I'm pretty sure that they'd be willing to entertain other solutions if anyone has one.

[SkyDekker 1,465]

There is a much easier way to accomplish this, increase the tax on gas.

[idrankwhat 0]

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There is a much easier way to accomplish this, increase the tax on gas.

But that's called a "tax increase" and it's political fodder regardless of how much sense it might make.

An interesting observation though, I've noticed that people don't say anything about $0.20 weekly gas price swings but they'll grab their pitchforks and torches at the mention of adding a $0.02/gal tax.

[SkyDekker 1,465]

Never mind the absolute record profits being made by oil companies, while the price is being kept artificially high.

[shropshire 0]

Ridiculous and unnecessary - why use technology to 'try' solve problem ... just increase the tax on fuel - it's a no brainer ... the mechanism is already in place for collecting the tax and not need to develop/install anything new to ALL vehicles..

Which brainless numpty thought that one up?

(.)Y(.)
Chivalry is not dead; it only sleeps for want of work to do. - Jerome K Jerome

[Amazon 7]

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It seems like a reasonable reaction to changing times. People are moving towards more efficient vehicles therefore the taxes collected on a per gallon basis will end up underfunding our transportation infrastructure. It's a draft proposal so I'm pretty sure that they'd be willing to entertain other solutions if anyone has one.

Ever notice how certain people in certain groups are good with using things we are all paying for to live in a civilized country and yet bitch incessantly when they actually have to pay for that use??


The get something for nothing crowd....why does it always seem to come from those who are supposed to be all about "fiscal responsibility"

[wayneflorida 0]

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There is a much easier way to accomplish this, increase the tax on gas.

Yes that's the simple way but government will miss the chance to tax the electric cars.

A couple years of more aggressive patdowns by the TSA, going into say little league games, starbucks, etc. The public will not care about the mileage tracking.

[quade 4]

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Ridiculous and unnecessary - why use technology to 'try' solve problem ... just increase the tax on fuel - it's a no brainer ... the mechanism is already in place for collecting the tax and not need to develop/install anything new to ALL vehicles..

Which brainless numpty thought that one up?

The problem is the move to cars that don't use gasoline.

By charging per vehicle mile it's more "fair" from the point of view that you're charging the person for road use and not fuel consumption. Although for the sake of balance you probably need to do both.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[Southern_Man 0]

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The problem is the move to cars that don't use gasoline.

By charging per vehicle mile it's more "fair" from the point of view that you're charging the person for road use and not fuel consumption. Although for the sake of balance you probably need to do both.

Yes, the government has to have some way to recoup the subsidies they gave to people to buy electric vehicles.

"What if there were no hypothetical questions?"

[quade 4]

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The problem is the move to cars that don't use gasoline.

By charging per vehicle mile it's more "fair" from the point of view that you're charging the person for road use and not fuel consumption. Although for the sake of balance you probably need to do both.

Yes, the government has to have some way to recoup the subsidies they gave to people to buy electric vehicles.

Do states still have subsidies for high MPG cars? Yeah, I guess they do.

Will they forever? I hope not. That non-sense needs to stop pretty quickly.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[rehmwa 2]

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you probably need to do both.

atta boy!! we should really just turn over 100% of our money - it would be SO much simpler



for the children

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Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[billvon 3,132]

>By charging per vehicle mile it's more "fair" from the point of view that
>you're charging the person for road use and not fuel consumption.

Probably the fairest fee would be miles driven times weight of vehicle.

[rehmwa 2]

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>By charging per vehicle mile it's more "fair" from the point of view that
>you're charging the person for road use and not fuel consumption.

Probably the fairest fee would be miles driven times weight of vehicle.

don't forget to factor in the person's income - "fair" isn't about usage, it's about who has the $$$$$

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Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[quade 4]

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you probably need to do both.

atta boy!! we should really just turn over 100% of our money - it would be SO much simpler

The problem is that if you go to a pure "per mile" tax, then they're not disincentivizing gas hogs.

I'm not saying keep the the fuel tax at its current rate, but rather lower it slightly and create a per mile tax to recoup money lost from high efficiency care.

A person would pay less by driving an electric car, but wouldn't get away with using the roads for free.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[rehmwa 2]

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then they're not disincentivizing gas hogs

sigh - social engineering via the tax code - lovely


"fair", "disincentivizing", etc etc etc ad nauseum
it's such a cluster of subjective crap, I suspect any solution will dissatisfy 100% of all drivers

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Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[quade 4]

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then they're not disincentivizing gas hogs

sigh - social engineering via the tax code - lovely

Do you have a better solution?

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[rehmwa 2]

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but wouldn't get away with using the roads for free.

damn straight - we need to get those freeloading bicyclists and pedestrians and those (gag) joggers to "pay their fair share"

dammit

for the children

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Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[rehmwa 2]

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then they're not disincentivizing gas hogs

sigh - social engineering via the tax code - lovely

Do you have a better solution?

you heard it - since this has nothing to do with fairness or anything other than just the gov looking to tap another line into more wallets - we just dispense with the illusion and have them just take it all up front



cynicism aside (as hard as that is)

what problem exactly are you requesting a solution to?

my problem that I'd like solved is the government 'making' up a bunch of excuses to keep taking our money. Solution: stop spending; stop spending; stop spending

which problem do you want solved - maintaining roads? or just that some people hate seeing others drive bigger cars than them

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Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants

[Bolas 5]

The problem with this is would this be a federal tax or a state tax? There are federal and state roads. Some people use more of one than the other, and some may use very little roads.

A better method would be to just charge tolls to maintain the roads and repeal the gas taxes and the gov't subsidies on all fuel sources.

Stupidity if left untreated is self-correcting
If ya can't be good, look good, if that fails, make 'em laugh.

[quade 4]

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which problem do you want solved - maintaining roads? or just that some people hate seeing others drive bigger cars than them

Your glib comment about "social engineering" suggests you don't find any form of it to be appropriate.

To a certain extent, any government exists in part specifically for the purpose of "social engineering." Laws are created and yes, they do things for the common good.

Among the issues facing the US today are; infrastructure maintenance and the reduction on reliance of foreign oil.

Do YOU have a better solution to maintaining funding levels to provide that maintenance and reduce reliance of foreign oil?

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[billvon 3,132]

>what problem exactly are you requesting a solution to?

The problem of road users paying for the services they receive.

[freethefly 6]

The government already tax us for using the roads we already paid for. I have no problem with some off the taxes in place to maintain those roads. I do have a problem with heaping more hardship on people. This is much like the new fees that the electric company in my county has added on. On top of the per kilowatt charge, there is now an "Service Availability" fee of $20.00. As explained to me by the asshat, without this fee they would not be able to supply electricity to the co-op members. Bullshit. There other fee is the "Power Cost Adjustment. This a fee on the actual amount that you have already been charged for. My use this month was $24.79. The adjustment is $2.48. The availability fee is $20.00. My bill for using $24.79 worth of electricity is adjusted to $47.27. That is outrageous. Even if I were to turn the power off at the pole, I would still have to pay a minimum of $20.00 for power I did not use, a $20.00 availability fee, and a power cost adjustment on the $20.00 of electricity that I did not use. In the end, I would have to pay 40 some dollars for something that I never received. This is robbery.
The people who come up with new ways to add in extra fees are major fucked up people. I wish nothing good for them and only the worst to come their way.

"...And once you're gone, you can't come back
When you're out of the blue and into the black."
Neil Young

[rehmwa 2]

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Do YOU have a better solution to maintaining funding levels to provide that maintenance and reduce reliance of foreign oil?

we do have funding collection means to maintain the roads - this is just an "adder"

we are pretty much stuck on relying on foreign energy because of your social engineering putting a raft of restrictive laws in place - fix that first and then we'll talk about part 2 of your question

good social engineering - laws that require us not to kill each other discriminately

bad social engineering - laws that force people to buy certain things over others rather than letting the free market do the job - laws restricting freedoms of speech, private property ownership, to make personal choices


IMHO - the "fairest" way to fund roads would be directly, pay as you go, without intrusion into our travel plans and movements - but tolls are difficult aren't they. and they would be subject to just as much abuse

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Driving is a one dimensional activity - a monkey can do it - being proud of your driving abilities is like being proud of being able to put on pants