Hey, what the hell is going on up there? (mileage tax)

[skids]

I can't believe this is still going strong:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/02/14/eveningnews/main674120.shtml

You guys haven't shut this bullcrap down yet? Get a move on.

If you need more money for roads, raise the gas tax. On everyone. The SUVs do more damage to the pavement anyway.

Signed,

One grumpy Prius owner from MA.

[punpirate]

1. All research on roads indicates...

... that weight per axle is the contributing cause of road wear, which is why most states levy a use tax for tractor-trailers in addition to fuel taxes.

There are two underlying motives to this proposal. The first is that money to the states from the Feds is decreasing and tax cuts at the federal level have also affected revenues at the state level. Therefore, the states need to raise revenues any way they can.

Second, the oil companies don't benefit from conservation, and a mileage tax discourages fuel conservation by significantly raising the operating costs of people like you, who drive a hybrid. They will be lobbying heavily for such a scheme. Many people I know who have bought hybrids have done so because of the length of their daily commutes. Penalizing conservation is one way to keep demand high.

Of course, I'm belaboring the obvious.

[HuckleB]

2. Blah. Blah. Blah.

This isn't going anywhere. Our legislature just went into session, and this is where all the stuff that never happens finds a hearing and gets a headline. Nothing happens here until May.

Besides, in Oregon a bill like this would be hung on the GOP and its constituency far more than on Dems. The GOP's support comes from spread out areas and suburbs, where people put a lot more mileage on their vehicles than the majority of those in Dem strongholds (especially bike friendly Portland and Corvallis). In that way, I say let 'em hang themselves out for scrutiny as long as possible.

[skids]

3. Nonetheless, it shouldn't be tolerated...

Whether or not it passes up there, the system is being promoted to other states by the developers. The media is good for them. I doubt it would pass here in MA, either, but some legislature is bound to have enough stupid or corrupt people on it to bite.

Even just taking out papers for a statewide opposition petition, if you arranged media coverage, would be a good shot across the bow that might make the prospect look a little less attractive.

[HuckleB]

4. The truth is, we've got bigger problems here.

So I doubt anyone's going to spend the time, energy and resources on such a petition unless it was necessary to send it to the ballot, should the legislature and governor get goofy (Dems control the Governorship and the Senate), espcially since I doubt we'll hear anything else about it from here on out. It'll sit, perhaps in time to get completely gutted so its bill number can be used to push late legislation, but it's dead in the water. School and health care funding will be the topics at the top of the page for the next three or four months.

[0rganism]

5. You can thank Grover Norquist for bringing us down to this level

Thanks to his stooges (Sizemore, that means you) in Oregon, a very effective anti-tax attitude has born fruit and slashed state revenue. Of course, there are plenty of dimbulbs here who still expect the state to provide services like law enforcement and public schools without any funding, enough to tip the vote on the tax measures. Just try to get a progressive income tax measure passed in this state. Try it. I dare you.

We already didn't have a sales tax when Grover got started. We demolished state income and property taxes. Corporate tax has dropped to a ridiculously rock-bottom rate, enough so that money-losing companies relocate their headquarters here just to abuse it. So all that's left is regressive surtaxes and usage fees and dismantling pension funds. That's why you're seeing crappy ideas like the "mileage tax" take shape.

Hey, welcome to our libertarian paradise! Step over the homeless guy for a microbrew and a latte. Don't mind the crazy woman with the shopping cart, if she yells at you it's nothing personal; she thinks you're her attendant at the mental hospital we shut down. Just pretend you don't see the malnourished kids, the schools used to have a meals program for children of poor families, but that got waxed along with PE and music classes. Wouldn't want anyone to think we have a "nanny state" going on here, no sirreebob.

[HuckleB]

6. Certainly the "crazy woman" thinks you're her old landlord...

or boss, or health care provider. None of whom she's seen since her benefits, therapy and medication were cut off. Besides, I thought it was only them durned nanny-state libruls who ignored the homeless dude on the way in for a latte. Are you trying to imply that them libruhterians drink them hyped up brain tasers too? For shame.

:hi:

[depakid]

7. This is nothing particularly new

Kim & Porter down at OSU have been pushing this hare brained scheme for several years- and it's going about as far now as it went the last time it came up in 2003.

[doubleplusgood]

8. so, if everybody drove electric cars

and no revenue came from a fuel tax, then how do you pay for roads ?

I think that some sort of mileage tax MIGHT be a good thing as long as it took into account a couple of points:

1. All miles are not created equal. A mile in a Prius will not damage the road as much as a mile in a huge Ford SUV. The weight of the vehicle should be taken into account.

2. Overall, the mile/weight tax rate should be structured to on a curve favoring lower weight vehicles.