State Lawmakers Consider Calif. Mileage Tax

[baldguy]

I didn't know if this was LBN or an early April Fools' joke:

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger thinks that highway construction and repair should be paid for by a tax on the miles Californians drive, not the amount of gas they buy. But, the Schwarzenegger administration seems to be about the only group that likes the idea.

A tax based on how many miles a Californian drives got more attention Monday from the Assembly Transportation Committee.

....

Fuel-efficient cars, including hybrids, can also be blamed for aggravating the problem. Drivers need less gas, therefore the state is collecting less in gas taxes.

All in all, transportation projects have lost $5.4 billion and the department is behind on 6,000 projects.

more:
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=402&e=5&u=/ibsys/20050301/lo_kgtv/2607389

[StopTheMorans]

1. saw this on the CBS evening news last week. while i thought it was

an interesting proposal b/c it would force more people to think about public transportation and ease the amount of cars on the highway, in the end i think it's not a great idea right now b/c the amount of hybrids and fuel-efficient cars on the roads is so low that we need to be encouraging, and not discouraging, people to drive them.

[liberal N proud]

2. This would be over and above the gasoline tax.

That I think is called double taxation?

[BearClaws]

3. Screw That!

I already commute because I can't afford to live in the community where I work.
What's next? A calorie tax?
100% Bullshit.

[ladjf]

4. We must face that fact that Bush and his Republican

henchmen have already ruined life as we have known in in the U.S.
Even if the most wonderful person in the world were elected President in 2008 and remained in office for eight years, it wouldn't be long enough to recover from Bush's disasters.

[StopTheMorans]

5. while i don't agree with this proposal on it's merits, i can't say that i

follow your arguments against it. we tax smokers for their use of a specified quantity of cigarettes, drinkers for their use of a specified quantity alcohol, and people who drive on toll roads for the privilege to drive on a specific portion of that road. what makes this any different?

[liberal N proud]

6. You already pay a highway tax when you fill your tank with gasoline.

Why should you also pay for the miles you put on your car?
And what is to say all those miles are in the state reaping the tax?
I drive across 5 states several times a year, is one state going to be allowed to tax me for the miles I drive in another state?