House puts brakes on taxing cars by the mile

Thank all Gods of all Religions that the U.S. House has approved an amendment that stops the Secretary of Transportation from getting $300 million to "study and implement a plan to tax automobile drivers based on how many miles they drive". :shk:

This wild idea was an Obama Administration plan from a year ago.
Obama administration floats draft plan to tax cars by the mile (May 5, 2011 article)

One can only imagine the corruption and graft involved in this Graveytrain Deal had it been overlooked and allowed to get in the hands of Executive Branch crooks.

Always lots of sneaky "gold at the end of the rainbow" things in these big spending bills.


story from The Hill -- 06/27/12

The House has approved an amendment that would prevent the Secretary of Transportation from exploring raising new highway revenues by taxing cars for each mile they drive.

Members are considering the 2013 spending bill for the Transportation Department and other agencies, and late Wednesday, they accepted an amendment from Rep. Chip Cravaack (R-Minn.) that would block any money in the bill from being used to explore a so-called Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) tax system. The House approved the language by voice vote.

"There is an important need to come up with new, better ideas on how to appropriately fund our highway trust fund system," Cravaack said. "However, I'm here to tell you today that the concept of using a Vehicle Miles Traveled fee system is not one of those better ideas."

source


Sorry pal, .........

On Wednesday night, Rep. John Olver (D-Mass.) said he opposes Cravaack's amendment because it would prevent the government from exploring a VMT option.

"The amendment is unfortunate, because we're probably going to have to use different kinds of money-raising mechanism in different parts of the country, and this one makes it even not possible for the administration to think about using a vehicle miles tax, even in the major urban areas of the country," Olver said.

Another impossible idealistic plan that would have been full of "waivers" and loads of "exceptions" for sure !!

reply to post by xuenchen


I swear to God... Do these idiots think we're MADE of money? I had to move 30 miles away from my job to be able to afford rent. I kept the job because jobs don't grow on trees these days--despite the low unemployment numbers the government wants us to believe. And now, even with savings on rent, I can barely afford gas to drive back-and-forth to work. Never mind more wear-and-tear on my vehicle, more frequent tuneups, more frequent front-end alignments, more ruined tires because of the crappy roads....

And they think that because I drive more miles I can afford more taxes? And what do they spend it on: More illegal and immoral wars; more domestic drones to spy on me with; more to throw down the black hole to service the debt; more to stuff into the pockets of criminal bankers?

But we needn't worry, just because that idea got shot down--there'll be plenty more where it came from....

Rahter stupid to being with considering commercial business' uses the most fuel in this country from farmers, to delieveries and all parts in between.

In a depression since we are in one that would have been one of the worst things that could have been done.

Good for the House even those morons would have gone and bought big oil stock if it had passed.

It wasn't an Obama plan. The organization that released the report was established by Congress.

A VMT system is increasingly the policy recommendation favored by most transportation policy experts and transportation organizations. One such organization is the National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission, a body created by Congress to “assess future federal highway and transit investment needs, evaluate the future of the federal Highway Trust Fund, and explore alternative funding and financing mechanisms for surface transportation.”

The guy in charge of the report was appointed by Bush.

I had the pleasure to be appointed to the Commission by the Bush Administration (and then to be elected Chair by the Commission members).

www.innovationfiles.org...

The final report came out after two years of work.

We are pleased to transmit to you the final report of the National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission entitled “Paying Our Way: A New Framework for Transportation Finance.” Over the last two years the Commission has worked to respond to Congress’s charge in Section 11142 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act—A Legacy for Users to assess future federal highway and transit investment needs, evaluate the future of the federal Highway Trust Fund, and explore alternative funding and financing mechanisms for surface transportation.

The source is the fourth one down that says PDF

Sorry about google link.. Can't get the PDF to open up in my browser.

This isn't about Big Oil or taxing us further so much as it is to figure out how to pay for highway taxes when people are changing over to electric cars. If you don't buy gas, you don't pay gas taxes that go to keep the roads in shape and safe. So if we were to switch to miles tax and eliminate gas tax, everyone would help pay for the roads. Right now electric cars that don't use gas still use roads and create wear and tear but don't help pay for it. It makes sense, as long as its kept under control so we don't pay too much tax. If half the people switched to electric and we only got taxes from gas sales, our roads would get far less money for the amount of wear and tear they get from all the cars going over them.

reply to post by xuenchen


Not at all surprised a Mass. Democrat was for this. Then again as we both know he and his family would have never paid the tax.