Mileage-Based Road User Charges Coming Soon?

Mileage-Based Road User Charges Coming Soon?

www.truthnews.us

A mileage charge would allow flexibility in pursuing a variety of public policy objectives. This system could facilitate pursuing other initiatives such as congestion pricing, privately operated tollways, lane-specific user charges to encourage carpooling, pricing to encourage use of environment-friendly vehicles and to reflect road damage imposed by different classes of vehicles improved travel demand analyses and a shift of the financial burden for roads from property owners to road users.

(visit the link for the full news article)

They are testing this out in 6 states, 2,700 drivers from Maryland, Texas, Iowa, North Carolina, Idaho, and California will be participating. The device used records the number of miles driven, then prints out a reciept for the amount of taxes that would be enforce should this become manditory. As if the people don't pay enough taxes these days. Does anyone think they will actually go through with this?

www.truthnews.us
(visit the link for the full news article)

I believe California has been attempting/looking into this for several years now. If left up to the government(fed or state) it will most certainly be implemented. In my personal opinion, if it does go through and the people dont fight against this then they deserve it.

Everyday some new story like this pops up and makes me wish I had a boat so I could disappear over the horizon.

[edit on 2/10/07 by Pfeil]

Seems like they're hedging their bets against hybrids and electric cars.
Drivers of conventional vehicles already pay a mileage-based tax of sorts... gas tax.

This is the only way I can fathom wanting to do this rather than simply increasing gas tax.

I posted a thread on a draft proposal from a Michigan congressman and his legislation is about Carbon Tax

Uh oh, Carbon Tax Legislation Draft Proposal Unveiled

It went fairly unnoticed but it does have the link to the draft there.

I wonder if this congressman based his figures on the program discussed here?


(No need to post on my thread, check it out if interested and comment here if you think it is related.)

it is an unlawfull tax in that it impinges against peoples right of freedom.
stupid taxation like this is what got king george kicked out of the colonies.
people will be limiting how far they travel because they won't be able to pay taxes. say good by to open travel next they will havecheck points and travel papers. its unamerican. most people in this country are poor my neighbors would rather travel 20 miles to do their shopping in a smaller town than travel 25 miles to shop in a bigger town because it cost more gas then they spend all day complaining because they can't find what they are looking for.

reply to post by BitRaiser


Wow, good angle!

I was just thinking this was a good idea to reduce pollution and encourage car-pooling or public transport usage, until you brought that possibility up. I guess I was giving the powers that be too much credit.

Cool, does this mean that soon I won’t have to pay to put everyone else’s kids through school too?

Really though, many states already run toll roads that pretty much do the same thing. There are ridicules amounts of toll roads here in Florida. They keep building them, telling the public that they will become free roads once the construction cost is paid off, which of course never happens.

Makes me wonder exactly what my tax money goes to, considering that the roads are about the only public service I ever use.

well it goes into other things than road up keep. they already have a tax for road use its added into price of gass and the cost of vechicle tags.
this is being intutited to keep the poor masses from traveling plain and simple

In Great Britain, they are using it to get you to spread out more.

If you drive in congested areas at rush hour, you get much more road tax. So you won't go through downtown London just after quitting time if you can go around. Also to make you walk more and drive less in congested city areas.

Of course, theirs uses GPS and the cell phone system, and also reports speeding and location. Can't have people unaccountable for their whereabouts, donchaknow.

Originally posted by defcon5
Makes me wonder exactly what my tax money goes to, considering that the roads are about the only public service I ever use.

It goes towards paying off the interest on the national debt.
Nothing else.
The government funds it's programs by borrowing, which of course increased the national debt, leading to higher interest, which translates into increased taxes... like the one proposed here.

It's an absurd system, but that's how it works (or utterly fails to work as the case may be).



reply to post by Beachcoma

The thing is, the public is becoming increasingly interested in alternative fuels/energies and vehicles that take advantage of them. Because of the above point, the government cannot afford to lose any tax base. Since placing taxes on bio-fuels, hydrogen, and electricity becomes a bit of a furball, it's much easier to implement a single basic roadtax and hit all vehicles in one fell swoop.

The US government doesn't care about the environment... they care about keeping their party going. Even at the expense of all else.



[edit on 2-10-2007 by BitRaiser]

I am all for property tax reform, but definitely not this. First of all I doubt this tax would change any other tax that is already being paid. Then any savings that can be made from driving more fuel efficient cars or alternate fuels has just been lost. This totally sucks rocks and I would encourage everyone that when this is put up for a vote call your representative and tell them what you think.

Originally posted by BitRaiser
It goes towards paying off the interest on the national debt.
Nothing else.
The government funds it's programs by borrowing, which of course increased the national debt, leading to higher interest, which translates into increased taxes... like the one proposed here.

It's an absurd system, but that's how it works (or utterly fails to work as the case may be).

Yeah I already knew that, but I as being sarcastic.
Thanks for the answer anyway.

Remember now, this comes from the same federal government who brought you warrantless wiretapping, illegal information gathering, a no-fly list, rendition and torture, so do you really want this equipment in your car?

Yea, right.

Using GPS to "track" your vehicle for taxation purposes!?!

Definitely not a good idea to get this one passed.

Another question not answered in this article... is this going to replace the current fuel taxes used to pay for roads? Or is this going to be in addition to? That would lead us into an argument on double taxation.... not to mention the debate on if it's a direct tax or an indirect tax.

Sheesh.

This system could facilitate pursuing other initiatives such as congestion pricing, privately operated tollways, lane-specific user charges to encourage carpooling...

It's starting to sound like ex-Enron personnel have been hired to figure out a system to increase taxes on the average person.

I wonder if the 'cheats' for the system is already on the designing board.

this is nuckin futz!!!

i know plenty of people who drive 70 miles a day to work.. and then 70 miles home... we live in a small town and the nearest FAST FOOD retaraunt.. (they seem to even have them in small towns) is still 30 miles away...

i mean honestly... because of the area i cannot become employed (too many kids to few employers) ... the school is 15 miles away.. and we dont have enough people in my area for a bus route... how am i to pay this tax? if i have to borrow money from my parents to pay for gas?....

this is LUDICRIOUS!!!

i give up... lets overthrow these dictartors and beat them with clubs!!!!!! ..... sorry ... but they deserve it

What a bunch of BS. Drivers already pay road use tax with drivers license fees, auto registration fees, tire fees, gas tax fees, diesel fees, ton mile fees, toll road fees, property tax, street tax, and probably other hidden tax charges..

Who's in on this, that ted kennedy selling off america bunch. Weasels, all of dem.

Originally posted by BitRaiser
Seems like they're hedging their bets against hybrids and electric cars.
Drivers of conventional vehicles already pay a mileage-based tax of sorts... gas tax.

Good thought. Maybe its possible that they are planning on gasoline fueled cars not being around much longer, hence a tax on mileage.