Citing Western Massachusetts drivers, Gov. Charlie Baker vetoes vehicle miles traveled tax

Massachusetts Live ^ | August 10, 2016 | Shira Schoenberg

[Clintonfatigued]

Citing concerns about the impact on drivers in Western Massachusetts, Gov. Charlie Baker on Wednesday vetoed a pilot program to test a mileage-based tax on drivers.

"I worry a lot about the consequences of this for everybody from Worcester west," Baker said. "It feels to me like it falls into a category of something people really ought to know a lot more about before they head down this road."

The Massachusetts Legislature sent Baker a road and bridge funding bill with a provision directing the administration to apply for federal funding to test a new tax on drivers based on miles traveled. Baker signed the bill on Wednesday, but, as expected, vetoed the pilot program.

The Legislature cannot override his veto because formal legislative sessions have concluded for the year.

[Clintonfatigued]

Great news in Massachusetts. Governor Baker has his faults, but the Democrat nominee would have signed this vehicle miles tax and it would have gone national, like gay marriage.

[Gay State Conservative]

Great news in Massachusetts.

Psst...I've got news for ya.Both the Massachusetts House and Senate are about 90% Rat.IOW,the chances of this veto being overridden is about 99%.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

But wait for it - in the next session, the libs will send Baker a "compromise" bill, that he'll sign and then say it "received bipartisan support" and it won't affect "the poor."

Dems never give up, I guarantee this bill or a version of it will be back in the next session.

[monkeyshine]

They already have a “mileage tax” in the form of gasoline tax. Why does the state need to go any further into this realm, recording mileage and/or tracking your every move? Its a power play not a revenue game. If they wanted more revenues per mile, they could just raise the gasoline tax.

[ColdOne]

This will be the law of the land at some point. This will really hurt me. I live 40 miles away from a store.

[Gay State Conservative]

Why does the state need to go any further into this realm...

C'mon...you've gotta stop these softball questions! Why? Because it's Massachusetts...aka: "The Gay State"...aka: "Taxachusetts"...aka: the state where the last three House Speakers (all Rats,of course),have gone to Federal prison.

[Kickass Conservative]

If it moves, tax it.

[Clintonfatigued]

http://www.jukebo.com/the-beatles/music-clip,taxman,uv8fx.html

[hoosierham]

If it EXISTS,they tax it.

[Wyrd bið ful aræd]

Their ability to imagine new ways to tax and screw the citizens is amazing.

[SierraWasp]

“Don’t tas you, don’t tax me... Tax that man behind that tree!!!” (can’t recall who said it first)

[USNBandit]

The unintended consequence of a mileage tax is to undermine decades of the government trying to encourage higher gas mileage through higher gas prices.

Somebody needs to make a corollary curve to the Laffer curve which charts out the point where the government says "screw it, tax everybody!"

[rigelkentaurus]

I just completed a 3400 mile, 20 state road trip. Nearly every road I was on was under construction and I drive on State and US highways when I can as well as Interstates. City and rural, toll and non-toll - didn’t matter. Everything was under construction from bridges, resurfacing, patching and taking entire 20 mile stretches of Interstate all the way down to dirt and rebuilding.

There is NO SHORTAGE of money being spend on roads and bridges in this country. NONE. We do not need to spend any more than we are on roads.

[Vermont Lt]

We Western MA folks are finally a good excuse for something.

[mongo141]

.....If you take a walk I will tax your feet.....

[libertarian27]

They already have a “mileage tax” in the form of gasoline tax. Why does the state need to go any further into this realm, recording mileage and/or tracking your every move?

Too many Prius' and Hybrids in the state, the high MPG vehicles aren't paying their fair-share of highway tax.

Fuel tax is based on mileage...a 'sin' tax to gas guzzlers. When the low MPG cars change to high MPG cars, the state lose their revenue.

MA should propose a Prius Tax :)

[Mears]

“
C’mon...you’ve gotta stop these softball questions! Why? Because it’s Massachusetts...aka: “The Gay State”...aka: “Taxachusetts”...aka: the state where the last three House Speakers (all Rats,of course),have gone to Federal prison. “

---

Stop reminding me that I’ve been living in a den of iniquity for my entire long life. :-)

.

[LongWayHome]

The New Hampshire GOP was tossing around this same idea in the NH House last year....almost all these political parties are corrupted on every level in this country.

[LostInBayport]

This will be the law of the land at some point. This will really hurt me. I live 40 miles away from a store.

But you're a FReeper, and if it is at all possible to lessen the impact on you, you'll find that way.

Back when gas was over four bucks a gallon many of us, if we could, modified our driving habits. For some of us those habits stuck, and the greediest legislature money can buy (hello, pigs on Bacon Hill!) felt the pinch. For personal reasons, I still "plan" my routes the days I am on the road and do most of my errands in one day. Today was one of those days. It can be a grind, but if I am going by those places anyway...and it is not easy for me to "run to the store", which is miles away over back roads...

If they implement this Orwellian scheme, people will find ways to work from home more often and be more judicious with their driving. It is a loss of freedom, to be sure, but when money's tight it is better in our pocket than the hands of lousy legislators.