CBO: Taxing mileage a 'practical option' for revenue enhancement

CBO: Taxing mileage a 'practical option' for revenue enhancement

thehill.com...

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) this week released a report that said taxing people based on how many miles they drive is a possible option for raising new revenues and that these taxes could be used to offset the costs of highway maintenance at a time when federal funds are short.

The report discussed the proposal in great detail, including the development of technology that would allow total vehicle miles traveled (VMT) to be tracked, reported and taxed, as well as the pros and cons of mandating the installation of this technology in all vehicles.

(visit the link for the full news article)

While a Carbons Emission Tax many feared is still a long way from becoming reality, meet the next best thing…

The mileage tax!

The Congressional Budget Office has now figured out that technology actually exists that would allow the government to monitor the actual mileage vehicles on the highway are travelling and to tax them per mile, since well, evidently they figured out that they can!

While many Americans are reeling from the high cost of Gasoline evidently some in Government believe people should pay even more to not so freely get from point A to point B.

Despite fuel taxes that are designed to offset the cost and pay for Highways the legislation would attempt to sell the new tax for Road upkeep. Even presumably on Highways such as Turnpikes and Toll Roads where people are already paying an additional fee to use and maintain the highway to begin with.

Yet another thought has occurred to me, since the technology also exists for everyone to vote on every issue themselves through electronic media instead of having 1 congressional representative for every 666,666 people, maybe it might be a good idea to use our enhanced technology to revamp an old dysfunctional draconian tax, borrow and spend system like the US Congress with the actual people themselves, and have something called real democracy.


[url=http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/151765-cbo-says-taxing-drivers-based-on-miles-driven-a-real-option-for-raising-revenues]thehill.com[ /url]
(visit the link for the full news article)

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Someone already hit this topic.

Mileage tax? I thought that states collect taxes from gas at the pump, mvd registrations, and other automobile related charges and that money is supposed to be used for road maintenance. Oh thats right, now I remember. Each state was given bailout money that was supposed to used on improving our infrastructure. Guess that obviously didn't happen and now they want to tax the life out of us.

reply to post by Illusionsaregrander


I sure wish people would stop posting stuff in breaking political news that makes for a good conspiracy conversation.

It never gets the attention it deserves there.

Originally posted by fatherj
Mileage tax? I thought that states collect taxes from gas at the pump, mvd registrations, and other automobile related charges and that money is supposed to be used for road maintenance. Oh thats right, now I remember. Each state was given bailout money that was supposed to used on improving our infrastructure. Guess that obviously didn't happen and now they want to tax the life out of us.

Yeah evidently wanting to micro-manage every other nation on earth with gifts of cash or military intervention is costly.

They pretty much want to tax the life out of everyone and everything.

Here is a "fixed" link for your original article.
It's too easy to go 404 using copy/paste in its original form.

This proposal is not doing much for my blood pressure, except to raise it! We need to start discussing pay cuts for elected officials, not adding this unreasonable tax-grab to make up for a shortfall & to continue with the gravy train for those who come up with ideas like this one.

reply to post by ProtoplasmicTraveler


Starred and Flagged Proto.

Thank you Democrat from N.D Kent Conrad for prompting this F'ing idiocy!

So great, people who must use their cars here in "Fly Over" territory - ie rural areas where we don't HAVE the option of public transportation - get screwed up the wazzoo with another tax that also busts our privacy!

While at the same time, our urban citizens in the cities where public trans is available don't drive as much (or at all) and so don't get taxed nearly as much!

Good idea let the people who use the roads pay for them. Dont like it move to the city and ride a bike.

reply to post by lokdog


You're new here so I'll be as polite as possible, but what the heck is wrong with you? You do realize that most of the goods located in a city, the things that you buy, come in on trucks that traveled those highways you want the lowly country folk to pay for, right? Here is an idea, why not charge all you city folks an extra tax for every item that has to be brought in by truck? Seems fair to me since that semi does a lot more damage than my mini-van to the highway system.

Here is an even better idea, lets tell the government that enough is enough.... Dropping yet another tax on the taxpayers when so many of them are on the brink of loosing everything will do no favors to the economy.

Originally posted by lokdog
Good idea let the people who use the roads pay for them. Dont like it move to the city and ride a bike.

I do live in a city, and ride a bike, don't own or drive a car but I still don't like it.

A. Commerce has a greater need for the roads and corporations pay little or no taxes for their upkeep even though they are vital to bringing goods to market.

B. Taxes that exist already on gasoline are designed to pay for the roads.

C. Many roads are/were in fact built by farmers and early residents/settlers and sometimes still maintained in such a fashion because the Government is not always reliable to fixing a axle breaking pot hole when convenient to the masses.

General Electric the world's largest corporation, one that uses the roads constantly to deliver products to market paid ZERO in taxes to the United States last year, yet people struggling to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads should pay more?

So do you have a remedy for not liking it still after someone like me has already chosen that remedy and still doesn't like it?

Everyone relax.
Stay calm.

Obama said he wouldn't raise taxes on anyone making under 250,000 a year. And as everyone knows, only greedy billionaires drive cars.

We are soooo scroomed!

reply to post by beezzer


Well wow! Thanks I feel better already knowing those two things.

I thought greedy billionaires had chaufers that drove their cars for them though?

Oh and race car drivers.

How long til they start taxing me for walking on the city sidewalk as well? Will I have to get a pedometer surgically installed in my buttocks? When will it stop?

Originally posted by jjkenobi
How long til they start taxing me for walking on the city sidewalk as well? Will I have to get a pedometer surgically installed in my buttocks? When will it stop?

Seems like when they hit the bone!

Thankfully we are all free here in the United States, free to be taxed into poverty and to obey 600,000 laws that regulate every aspect of existence.

I sure do feel lucky!