California replacing gas tax with mileage fees

Well, California is full of crap policy and totalitarianism. The liberals out here are ruining this state.

With gas STILL at 3$ a gallon and rental and food cos one has to wonder (pun intended) what the hell is wrong with people here?

abc7.com...

LOS ANGELES -- The California Department of Transportation is recruiting motorists to test ways of reporting how far they drive to study the feasibility of replacing the state gas tax with mileage fees. The California Road Charge Pilot Program created by the Legislature in 2014 will need 5,000 volunteers.

Yup! Time to leave this madness!

Id rather spend what little money I actually have left enjoying what little we actually have left to enjoy since our $$ is practically worthless.

a reply to: onequestion

California is a liberal cesspool and has been for years. They are always finding new and creative ways to make their population pay far too much for far too little. The cost of living in California is ridiculous and the people their have their legislators to thank for that fact.

How do they plan on doing that, "Smart Odometers"?

Hmmm. How do you feel about the fact that people who drive electric cars (a group that likely skews liberal you must admit) and use the same roads you do are paying no taxes towards the maintenance of said roads? California is at the top of the list for electric cars per capita. And it seems that according to this article road maintenance and upkeep comes from the gas tax.

a reply to: intrptr

Well... Since half the state is on welfare they should just have all the people collecting follow around the rich other half?

a reply to: okrian

I feel like it's so expensive to live here because of the bloated government and the fact that they have more rules than any other state I've ever lived in.

California used to be one of the best states in the nation, where it was self sufficient, they generated soo much state income that the Federal government used to take loans from them.

I think the state government and leaders are forgotten that California no longer hold the status of wealthy state, they need a reality check, as more and more of the wealthy land owners has been moving to NY.

I guess they need to scrape that cash to pay for social services and to sustain their government one way or the other.

a reply to: onequestion
Rich people will go through the exempt line at the toll station.

Or just fly overhead in their Lears and jet helicopters like they do now.

a reply to: onequestion

Ok... but that's not what I asked. If a group finds a way to skirt paying taxes (again, likely a more liberal group) to pay for something that they use (in this instance our roads, which driving around my Los Angeles neighborhood are in pretty bad shape), then you are ok with that?

originally posted by: okrian
Hmmm. How do you feel about the fact that people who drive electric cars (a group that likely skews liberal you must admit) and use the same roads you do are paying no taxes towards the maintenance of said roads? California is at the top of the list for electric cars per capita. And it seems that according to this article road maintenance and upkeep comes from the gas tax.

So apply the mileage tax to electric cars and leave gas with the gas tax.

a reply to: Wardaddy454

I could understand that.

originally posted by: okrian
Hmmm. How do you feel about the fact that people who drive electric cars (a group that likely skews liberal you must admit) and use the same roads you do are paying no taxes towards the maintenance of said roads? California is at the top of the list for electric cars per capita. And it seems that according to this article road maintenance and upkeep comes from the gas tax.

...the impact of those electric cars on both the federal and state level roadway trust funds is far, far less than the negative impact of using those funds for non-vehicular infrastructure improvements. The trust funds were robust and thriving until they started being gutted to pay for crap like pedestrian amenities, ADA facilities, multimodal transport, local bus and ride share programs and facilities, and light rail. NONE of these users pay into to gas tax system, but they're directly tapping the funds to even exist.

originally posted by: intrptr
How do they plan on doing that, "Smart Odometers"?

Most new cars have a "black box" thats gps enabled aready installed.

Soon insurance companies will force everyone to put the device in their vehicles like progressive offers at the moment for a discounted rate on insurance. This will not in the future be offered to "ensure accountability or fault" but will act as another means to make more money and regulate the common guy. My prediction at least.

I'd rather pay tax for the miles I drive as opposed to the gas I burn. This may not be a problem in rural America, but in big cities, Dallas in my case, I burn just as much gas sitting in traffic as I do actually moving in a forward direction.

If it's an issue of revenue, some good old fashion policing around Los Angeles would be bring in plenty. As someone who's lived in multiple big cities and multiple states, I gotta say California (particularly Los Angeles - unless you live in the richy rich areas) on the other hand feels completely lawless to me. I see blatant moving violations every single day and no one ever gets pulled over! It's out of hand. They even do it right in front of cops and the cops don't care (and will commit the same crimes as well). No one gets ticketed. It's all just me me me here in old LA. Park in front of your driveway, sure, that's ok. Recklessly cut you off because I wanted to use the exit lane until it isn't even a lane anymore to get ahead of everyone else, no problem. Keep dealer plates on your car for years and years (because I don't have insurance anyway so hopefully I won't hit you), all cool. Throw trash out the window while sitting at a stoplight, why not, no one is going to ticket me. Blow stop lights, run stop signs, hit and run a parked car, it's all ok around here.

Not trying to send the thread off in a different direction or anything, but this lazy policing bothers me every single day. And would not only would that bring in income, but also perhaps we can get some more respectable driving habits around here.

originally posted by: intrptr
How do they plan on doing that, "Smart Odometers"?

More than likely they will use a OBD ll style GPS. Fleet tracking on a mass scale with road checks to see if one is installed. Just saying hypothetically.

a reply to: hillbilly4rent

More totalitarianism from Cali.

I can't even park in front of my house without city permit what kind of # is that?

Just remember folks... how often does the Government get rid of a tax?

Ill believe California will remove the pump tax when I see it... I am sure the pump tax is a gold mine for some lobbyist group.

Kinda reminds me of the first time I heard about the luxury tax idea getting floated for the USA... they didnt want to re work our current Fubared tax system they wanted to layer this on top of it.

The irony here is that gas taxes ARE mileage fees where low MPG cars are taxed at a higher rate than high MPG vehicles. You need X amount of gas to go Y miles. What they are really worried about is battery driven vehicles cutting into their prodigious gas tax revenue.