Here is the problem. Cars are getting better mileage and thus paying less total tax. The tax at the pump is mostly used to repair roads.
As mileage continue to increase and as electric car use continues to expand, the situation gets worse.
The question is what do you propose as an alternative to the tax on miles driven?
At the federal level it is a bit different situation. However, there is movement towards the miles driven tax federally also.
At the federal level, complaints over the miles driven tax are justified because the new system undoes a very efficient tax system.
The federal excise tax is collected at the refinery and is about 98 percent efficient in tax collection. Meaning it does not take much administrative effort to collect.
The miles driven tax on the other hand costs about 25% of every tax dollar collected for administration. It is a complicated matter to track and tax all the cars vs collecting at the refinery.
So why would an efficient tax be traded for one that so inefficient. The answer is because no member of congress is willing to go on record raising the excise tax on gasoline.
The reason they are afraid to do that is because voters would get made at them. So along comes the complicated and wasteful method that does not require their vote.
Better for them, when they see you at rallies and meet-and-greets they can get your favor by saying they are against the federal miles driven tax and blame the Administration.
they spend it on mass transit and bike trails and eco projects
Well, why don’t Cali mandate people buying gas hogs. I see a market for 1977 Cadillacs and Lincolns.
Like working for a company that charges people for bandaids and then going around cutting peoples fingers with a razor blade because they weren’t making enough money selling bandaids.
Lol!
What do you propose to tax out the kazoo when the miles driven per diem drops dramatically?
It can easily be achieved you should know.