Officials propose per-mile tax for gas sippers

[redneck]

Here it comes...

Oregon officials propose per-mile tax for gas sippers | Local & Regional News | KPIC CBS 4 - News, Weather and Sports - Roseburg, OR

Oregon state officials are proposing an alternative tax for drivers who have bought efficient or electric vehicles that seldom or never stop at the gasoline pump, where government has traditionally collected money to build and fix roads.

"Everybody uses the road, and if some pay and some don't, then that's an unfair situation that's got to be resolved," said Jim Whitty of the Department of Transportation.

(My favorite comment from the comment section )

gardenergardener7 pts

Yeah, and let us tax bikes. All bikes. Because bikers use the roads and they don't pay gas taxes. The more people ride bikes instead of cars, the worse off we will all be as the roads are reduced to goat paths. And, how could I forget, telecommuting needs to be taxed. People who work one day at home are "privileged" and they don't use the roads that the less fortunate retail workers, and nurses and teachers need to use. These poor workers need to pay the gas tax, and well, the telecommuter should have to pay a I-don't-need-to-drive-neener-neener tax. To make it all fair and square. And stay at home moms need to be taxed because they don't drive to daycare. In fact, they should be taxed on the daycare they provide at home for their own children. Gotta tax stay at home moms. And, ugh, cooking at home tax. When you eat out, you pay a restaurant tax and if you eat at home you don't. So saving money by cooking at home is just decimating the tax take, we need to tax eating at home to make up for the lost tax not collected by not eating at restaurants. There are soo so so many taxes we need to implement. Good on Oregon for really wrestling with this difficult issue.

(he should have added people who use the sidewalks also)


The way I see it...

If the money collected from fuel taxes would stay with the DOT instead of going into a general slush fund for the state and used for what it was originally intended for (building and repair of roads and bridges). There wouldn't be a problem in the first place.

It's just like Social Security. Politicans see that big nest egg of money just sitting there and feel that they're entitled to spend it as they see fit.

The problem isn't money. It's management...




>

[radioranger]

The real issue is how could these people think they have so much power, who elected them !! tax laws are job of the elected legislature, and somehow regulations are not, same diff the way i see it .

[Vman455]

I read an article yesterday on Washington state's tax on electric cars, going into effect Feb. 1--$100 on top of the regular registration.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

It sounds similar to New Zealand's tax system for any vehicle not powered by gasoline or LPG, including Diesel. Back there, only gasoline and LPG are road-taxed at the refuelling pump while other fuels aren't.

[larrybuck]

Wa. state is famous for nailing your wallet to register your vehicle.
Oregon kills you with high income taxes, usually is fairly easy on vehicle prices.
At least they allow a tag (sticker) good for 4-5 years.
In WA. state, you have to get a new sticker EVERY year, and then they claim the the
reflectorization of license plates goes down over time, so insists that you get a new plate every 5 years. Can anybody say: " Ca Ching, CA Ching"??? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[radioranger]

all the more reason to hypermile a Crown Vicky !

[Fat Charlie]

The amount of fuel a vehicle uses would seem to be proportional to the amount of abuse that vehicle dishes out to the road. Geos don't pound highways into gravel, you know?

[Vman455]

Originally Posted by larrybuck

Wa. state is famous for nailing your wallet to register your vehicle.
Oregon kills you with high income taxes, usually is fairly easy on vehicle prices.
At least they allow a tag (sticker) good for 4-5 years.
In WA. state, you have to get a new sticker EVERY year, and then they claim the the
reflectorization of license plates goes down over time, so insists that you get a new plate every 5 years. Can anybody say: " Ca Ching, CA Ching"??? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Still cheaper than some states, though. I thought about registering my car in Illinois (here for school, it's registered in Washington), but it would have been more expensive--and that's including the 7-year license plate replacement for $10. If you live in one of the public-transit tax counties, though, that really hurts the wallet.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Fat Charlie

The amount of fuel a vehicle uses would seem to be proportional to the amount of abuse that vehicle dishes out to the road. Geos don't pound highways into gravel, you know?

A Prius generates more damages to the road than a Metro would ever do

[NeilBlanchard]

I agree - there should be a tax per pound on all vehicles that use the roads.