Quote:
Originally Posted by Hersbird
No the fairest thing to do is just completely pay for the roads out of the general fund 100% and get the money from all the standard income taxes, property taxes, and sales taxes, and stop acting like in this one area of public service the roads somehow need to be self supported. They serve all the people equally.
|
Exactly this.
Statistically, lower income people must drive further for employment and are subjected to a greater share of fuel taxes. Any form of use tax such as this is regressive and hits lower income people harder.
We don't tax people more for using the library, for calling the police, for having children in school. Roads, just like other commons and services, are public domain with free access, so to implement use taxes as we have allowed to happen in so many ways is simply contrary to the public good.
Registration fees make sense on a basic level until they turn into taxes that differentiate on how our roads are used by otherwise legal vehicles, and increased rates for EVs etc. just continues to work against lower income people having any kind equalizing force.