Florida lawmakers have lost their minds

Originally posted by N3kr0m4nc3r
So I am watching the news last night and they came across with this little gem, it seems that Florida lawmakers are considering doing away with the Gas tax at the pump. Great news except they want to replace it with taxing the amount of miles you drive per year, now according to the article Florida driver pay up to $.59 per gallon in taxes. While in theory this idea sounds good at first it is nothing more than a ploy to cut taxes for upper class and tax the hell out of the working person.
I live in Jacksonville and it is not uncommon to put 20-30 miles per day on my truck just in driving around to stores close to me and work. What about people that can put upwards of 100 per day? Maybe I am wrong but just some numbers I have played with: I have a 21 gallon tank .59x21=12.39 in tax per tank that will take me around 341 miles per tank. Lets say they use 5% per mile tax, 341x.05=17.05 in tax per tank when done per mile. How is that fair?

source

$12.39 x 365 = $4522.35. 21 x .05c =$1.05 x 356 = $383.25.

For those proclaiming they will find a way around it, the state is considering two ways of implementing this proposal. One is the most obvious which is to have a GPS tracker to record the miles in your vehicle for taxation purposes. The other way is to record the miles on your vehicle each time you go in for new sticker for your tag or what have you. Either way I think the idea is rather ridiculous to be honest with you. Like the OP, I live in the Jacksonville area and can testify to the fact that our area is not exactly known for everything being nearby. The city of Jacksonville alone is nearly 900 sq. mi. This would inevitably lead to de-suburbanization whereby the populace begin to crawl back towards the urban areas away from the white picket fence, 30+ mile commute in the suburbs.

Originally posted by N3kr0m4nc3r
So I am watching the news last night and they came across with this little gem, it seems that Florida lawmakers are considering doing away with the Gas tax at the pump. Great news except they want to replace it with taxing the amount of miles you drive per year, now according to the article Florida driver pay up to $.59 per gallon in taxes. While in theory this idea sounds good at first it is nothing more than a ploy to cut taxes for upper class and tax the hell out of the working person.
I live in Jacksonville and it is not uncommon to put 20-30 miles per day on my truck just in driving around to stores close to me and work. What about people that can put upwards of 100 per day? Maybe I am wrong but just some numbers I have played with: I have a 21 gallon tank .59x21=12.39 in tax per tank that will take me around 341 miles per tank. Lets say they use 5% per mile tax, 341x.05=17.05 in tax per tank when done per mile. How is that fair?

source

$12.39 x 365 = $4522.35. 21permile x .05c =$1.05 x 356 = $383.25.

reply to post by Misoir

The other way is to record the miles on your vehicle each time you go in for new sticker for your tag or what have you.

But either way would only apply to residents of the state, while a large chunk of gas tax money is spent by tourists. I have dual state residency with Missouri and I own real estate in Georgia. I could easily license my vehicles in those states and not pay the tax at all.