A hike in the federal gasoline tax is likely in a few years...
...The way the tax is levied may change to compensate for the fact that more people are buying cars with higher fuel efficiency. Instead of the existing per-gallon levy, a new tax would be based on miles traveled. Oregon plans to launch such a system in 2007. The tax is added at the pump by remote monitoring of cars' odometers.
Which SUV manufacturer came up with this one?!?!
Has anyone seen any other information about this idiotic tax scheme? I thought Oregon knew better.
Oregon? Know better? I mean, we're talking about a state which still (AFAIK) doesn't allow self-serve gas stations. Which once upon a time (according to an acquaintance who worked for the state government) seriously considered legislation that would have required them to turn off the sun.
I think the whole "tax by miles" thing started as an April Fool's Day joke, but since it was Oregon, everybody thought it was for real.
Please correct me if I am wrong, but my understanding is that the state of Oregon imposes a significantly higher excise tax on hybrid cars, with the justification that they don't pay as much gasoline tax, and therefore aren't paying their fair share of road building and maintenance tax at the gas pumps.
In New England, we pronounce it "Oar-E-Gone".
The vernacular is "Oar-eh-Gun".
Both are correct.
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'gonEfishnt
2001 5S, "Sputnik"; Various Modifications; 76.6 LMPG at 75K miles
I think the whole "tax by miles" thing started as an April Fool's Day joke, but since it was Oregon, everybody thought it was for real.
It's actually worse than that. The whole idea is built on the premise that you would roll your odometer back... so to defeat that they are going to put a transponder in your car so they can see how far you go without having to get access to your car. This allows Oregon to be the biggest Big Brother of all time.
1) See what miles you drive.
2) See where you go.
3) See how fast you go (speeding ticket is in the mail).
4) See when you go (might be a discount if you drive off-peak!).
I could see a lot of people getting un-elected if they raise Fed Tax rate. Taxman already makes more profit on a gallon of gas than the Gasman does.
This taxing scheme doesn't consider the fact that some of a person's miles driven may have been in another state, and Oregon would have no right to tax that portion.
Also, if current gas taxes are based on the price of gas, then States' revenue is already increasing with the price of gas. Surely this far outweighs the loss of revenue due to hybrids, when the average fuel economy of cars on the road is dropping.
You're right, Fenrir, but my concern isn't so much with Oregon, but rather the notion that such a scheme would be implemented federally, as reported in the Kipplinger article.
I have to admit, as much as I hate taxes in general, I think it'd be a damned good idea to raise the gas tax 50 cents per gallon or so, and plow the money back into alternative fuel research, solar home heating... heck, even decent insulation for some of those people in the northeast. But the whiners would never stand for it.
I agree, gas is too cheap in the US. So cheap people take it for granted, and as a result, we're much further behind on alternatives than we need to be.
Quote:
Originally Posted by james
"This taxing scheme doesn't consider..."
But it was an April Fools' joke. Wasn't it?
I have to admit, as much as I hate taxes in general, I think it'd be a damned good idea to raise the gas tax 50 cents per gallon or so, and plow the money back into alternative fuel research, solar home heating... heck, even decent insulation for some of those people in the northeast. But the whiners would never stand for it.
'Road Pricing' is also being piloted / considered here in the UK. See link below. However, if it was introduced it would be quite a sophisticated system and would replace our current high fuel taxes (about $5 a gallon). However note the highest road price of about $2 a mile for using the busiest motorway/highway during peak times . I remember reading somewhere that it could also be based on type of car (in terms of efficiency).
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I was under the impression, as seems logical, that the heavier a car is, the more wear it will put on the road. So the weight of a car, rather than the miles driven, would be a more relevant way to determine the tax burden. Some combination of both might be a good idea.
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Stupid US Federal gasoline tax idea
. I remember reading somewhere that it could also be based on type of car (in terms of efficiency).
