Oregon prepares nation's first per-mile road tax
 

Looks like Oregonians are leading the way again. While I really don't like the idea of paying more taxes, at least this will be an equitable way to share the costs with the new, more fuel efficient vehicles. I also think that as a general rule, larger, heavier, less efficient vehicles do more damage to the roads than lighter vehicles, so I think that per gallon taxes are still viable in that aspect. Would be nice to see them incorporate some sort of fee for people who use studs and bicyclists also. I understand bicycles don't do much harm to the roads, but they still use them, and there are costs involved in creating and maintaining bike lanes.

http://www.autonews.com/article/2015...-mile-road-tax

I don't like it.

It's punishing people for driving smaller more fuel efficient vehicles.

That's ass backwards of what we need to be doing IMO.

As an ex-part time resident of Oregon for the past 15 years or so (till 2014), what is the state supposed to do? Area wise it is a fairly large state with a total population of less than 4 million. The roads are very well maintained despite the fact that the state is fairly mountainous.

As to Marc's point of studded tires, each spring the road surface gets beat up by studded tires and needs to be resurfaced. I think it is a great idea for drivers to pay a use tax that is fair to everyone.

Also note that they do not have sales tax, state income tax is just about the same as CA, so their sources for tax revenue is fairly limited. In a lot of ways it is a very progressive state.

We had the same complaint here in Maryland but dammit if y'all want roads someone must pay for them. Gas tax or mileage tax would be fair for me. I went to the dentist yesterday and had to use the booster cables from Florence's Impala to mine. Stopped to think about it and my car has sat on the garage since December. Even though I had eye appointments and would go shopping with her sometimes it was in her Impala.

Raise the gas tax per gallon.

That will put more of the burden on the owners of these big gas guzzlers as it should be.

The gas tax in the US goes nowhere near funding all the infrastructure and negative impacts of driving. We need to be more like Europe in that regard.

Then people would get by with smaller vehicles and we could fund more mass transit.

In reality we should probably be paying what they are. About six bucks a gallon. Yeah, it would hurt, but we could phase it in gradually and get used to it. We'd be better off in the long run.

But for Christ sake why should someone driving a Prius pay the same amount of tax per mile driven as someone with a 4X4 Dodge Ram with a 5.7 Litre V-8 Hemi?

^^^Don't forget diesel fuel those big rigs do more damage than a Prius ever will (quite apart from being butt ugly and hard on the eyes), We subsidize trucking and airlines and let freight rail suck eggs.

I'm opposed to anything that disincentivizes fuel efficient and zero emission vehicles. Yes, there's a problem but this is the wrong solution.

John

I think I would rather just pay a higher per gallon tax. Unfortunately that subsidizes electric vehicles.

What electric vehicles?

We could use some incentives to encourage their use.

Yes, it does. I think that making high fuel efficiency and zero emission vehicles financially attractive as well as environmentally responsible is worthwhile. I also recognize that any sort of direct or indirect subsidy is ultimately borne by the taxpayer.

That being said, there's something pretty unappealing about a system that "penalizes" the drivers of gasoline powered vehicles, even high efficiency ones and hybrids, in the service of promoting zero emission vehicles. Folks will almost certainly resent it and feel that they're being "forced" into buying electric cars.

John

We have two imperatives in conflict here. First, in the face of lower gasoline sales, there's the need to find another means of generating the revenue necessary for maintaining highways and related infrastructure. Second, there's the environmental/social necessity of encouraging the move away from fossil fuels.

A government incentive to do that costs money directly and has the consequence of further reducing revenue for highway maintenance. Taken to its ultimate (and perhaps unrealistic) conclusion, and in the absence of new sources of revenue for highways, we'd have nothing but zero emission vehicles operating on roads which we couldn't maintain.

John

Apparently the mfrs leased beaucoup electric cars and now they are all coming off lease and there will b a glut and prices will be very low.

What I hate about the per mile tax is the way the government will be tracking me around to know how many miles I drive.

That, and as an American, I find a driving tax too close to a breathing tax.

And it's regressive as hell....

I'm all for coercive taxation. I suspect MPHolland is too. There outta be a motorcycle tax...:cool:

Tax the hell out of studded tire sales?

Oh hell no!

They ended up getting banned back home.

Where did I suggest that? I was pointing out to the damage they cause to the road surfaces. Since it is a safety issue, I would leave it to the experts.

The only equitable answer I see is by both gasoline tax and mileage tax. If it's strictly gasoline tax, as people migrate to more fuel efficient vehicles or better yet the EV's, road maintenance revenue decreases which is precisely the difficulty OR is facing.

Usage tax on commercial vehicles, highest on the heaviest. They are most of what causes wear and tear. Base on fuel use and mileage.

No usage tax on individuals, on any basis. Make up what you don't get from the commercial usage tax with income tax revenue.

If you need studded tires to drive in the winter than you don't know how to drive and your driver's license should be marked Spring, Summer and Fall only.

Studded tires give you a little extra margin in icy conditions, a bit better than chains. In snow, studs are basically useless.

Rob, what happens in Portland is that overnight condensation in the winter forms a very thin sheet of ice that is almost invisible. Even with all wheel drive, one can spin at start if you are not careful. But does every one need it? Probably not, but would still be considered a safety issue by a lot of people, especially during the morning commute.

See bolded.

I never said you did suggest that.:rolleyes: I merely suggested a possible way to help pay for the damage the studs cause.

They can use the savings from less gas consumption to pay the tax? ;)

Dave

We have a yearly safety inspection, here in Virginia. They could simply require the inspectors to report your mileage at the time of inspection...........

Rajoo I have driven icy roads with all-weather tires (Goodyear Aquatread) and had no problems. You learn to drive as if there was a raw egg between your foot and the gas pedal. Oh and another thing, it was an 81 Buick Century - disc front drum rear, so when you were stopped you kept high pressure on the brake pedal else the rear wheel would turn - and dig you a nice rut that would hold you back. NoVa in winter can suck.

Exactly and here in MD I am exempt from yearly emissions inspection due to age and yearly mileage, but I do have to report my odometer reading.

New taxes are usually a bad thing.

Of course, how could we ever consider that? Let the highways crumble and pin the blame on BHO. :rolleyes:

In that vein, simply raise the existing Federal excise tax on motor fuels.

I propose a tax on drones.

A tax on inane drones would generate more income.

A tax upon remote controlled heliocopters is in order. They should also tax nacho Doritos.

All tax payments to be voluntary.

I like that. The government could interrupt normal service for pledge drives a couple of times a year.

Hahhah

Now this sounds even better. No taxes to cut so the GOP members of congress and senate can work from home.:)

Work? Wow what a concept.

We have plenty of existing taxes. What we need to do is collect them. Perhaps you've buried your head in the sand this last week, but all I've seen in my news feed and on the web are the very long lists of US companies that have dodged billions in taxes.

Do you require a meme to illustrate the point?

Which would work. Then people in EVs aren't being penalized.