Logical reason for taxing mileage driven rather than gasoline tax we have now.

Presently most states get money to supposedly keep roads safe and pothole free by applying a set tax to each gallon of gasoline a vehicle takes at refueling. This system ignores and gives a free ride to those driving electric vehicles or utilizing another fuel other than gasoline. In order to make all drivers contribute to their states funds equitably vehicles should taxed based on miles driven, rather than just fuel consumed. Washington state legislature just passed a law, not yet signed by the governor, making it illegal to sell gasoline cars in Washington effective 2030.

 

How about taxing electric cars at charging stations? And tax people who ride bicycles by the mile too. Everybody needs to pay their fair share.

 

The whole mileage tax proposal is nothing more than an attempt to transfer the expenses from urban residents who use mass transit or many drivers clog freeways for short distances to rural residents where jobs, getting food other shopping, and going to kids sports or whatever requires residents to drive further to achieve basic functions of life. Our rural roads and freeways have much less wear and tear on them and require less maintenance and repair than big urban streets and freeways.

 

Logical reason for taxing mileage driven rather than gasoline tax we have now.

I think means "in addition to" and not "rather." "Rather" fails to understand how government works in the U.S.

 

And don't forget taxing people who walk too! By the way, where do you reckon people get the weird idea that taxation involves any degree of "logic"?

 

i like the tax per gallon idea. the tax needs to be high enough to incentivize more efficient vehicles and alternate transportation. exempt public transportation from the tax, and, of course, bicycles and walking should be tax exempt.

such a huge portion of the national budget is used to subsidize defense and the petroleum industry, that the tax should be high enough to cover that bill as well, at least the portion spent on middle east wars and foreign aid.

 

So, you think rural folk should get a tax payer handout for maintaining their low-use roads they rely on? Good to know where you stand on socialism.

 

Don't forget those who walk on sidewalks or jog across a bridge.

 

I am retired and on a fixed income, please tell me what my fair share is.

 

We pay ample gas tax already to keep the roads in our areas maintained.

 

Everyone I know with an electric charges them at home while they are sleeping.

 

Just send the politicians all your money.

 

A tax system based on fuel consumption does not have equality for all as some vehicles use more fuel than others although traveling the same distance .

Quite rightly , road users who travel more often and greater distances than others should pay more tax than others .

Perhaps a fair system may be to introduce a local tax and an out of town tax system with a model that allows flexibility .

Example : A mother uses her car for the sole purpose of school runs , she declares this and gives specific times .

The mother pays x amount of road tax based on time and has a colored tax disc on display making the system easy to police .


Different colors for different classes and perhaps a number to represent area code and state .

 

That system would require a new department of executives, clerks, pencil pushers, inspectors, enforcers, and auditors. Plus a new building with maintenance workers and guards. You would have to file a return each year. The new department's annual budget would be $50 million and grow every year as the politicians continued to add new rules to make it more equal. The taxes collected would not support the department so they would have to siphon off money from the general fund.

 

The system would only require the DMV and a prequel declaration on application .

If we were to create a new department , the system would be self sufficiently funded by law breakers in the way of fines .

The system could be incorporated with the police system that would allow instant data for officers .

There is several benefits to this , there would be less carbon emissions and electric vehicle users would also have to put their hands in their pockets , erosion of roadways by use being applicable .


This is of course a briefing of an idea , not a full report and complete model .

We could base the model on a similarity to mobile data packages , offering a range of use and pricing accordingly .

Unlimited use of roadways and HGV's having the maximum tax class .

Scientifically the heavier the vehicle , the more force is being applied on the roadways .

 

Are you a democrat?

 

I'm an objective scientist who understands various topics , I remain unbiased to democrats or republicans as both believe in democracy .

The only difference is democrats want to be more liberal than the conservative republican view !

 

This will certainly be about as effective as the legislative initiatives to ban incandescent lighting proved to be.

 

Basing it on miles driven also has it's obvious drawbacks because even to dy weare plaxgued by people who know how to roll thef odometer backwards reducing the mileage.

 

I was curious. I understand your ability to plan and organize. I like your plan for an individual to carry out for personal reason or a company to administer -- but heaven help us if the government attempted to set up such a system. Just take a look at both the fiscal growth and the personnel growth of our Energy Dept. Washington is Red Tape City.

 

The annual registration fee for a EV is higher in my state than it is for a traditional powered vehicle. It is $30.50-35.50 per year depending on weight for passenger vehicles and $88 and some change for EV's, so technically there is no free ride as far as the state goes. It was done this way expressly to account for the lack of gas tax revenue generated by the EV's. Other alternative fuels than electric are taxed at an equivalent rate to gas.

 

As it is now, electric vehicles are small. Their impact on the road is negligible compared to things like big trucks and muscle cars. A mileage tax would have a Prius driver paying the same tax rate as an F350 driver pulling a 30 foot trailer. When we start getting more electric trucks, this mileage tax might make more sense. In WA, we tax gasoline at the pump and vehicle weight at registration. I think this a reasonably accurate way of getting drivers to pay their fair share relative to their actual impact on the roads.

 

It's whatever Pelosi and Schumer say it is. Don't question their authority.

 

Sidewalks are expensive as are bike lanes. You should be required to have an electronic auto-payment card to use bike lanes and sidewalks.

 

While this is only being proposed right now, should it ever become reality, it would be very difficult to administer and police. Short of getting in your vehicle and reading your mileage, how would they know if the numbers you were feeding them are accurate?? It would be an administrative nightmare.