California Considers Placing A Mileage Tax On Drivers

CBS SF ^ | December 11, 2017 at 6:33 pm | Phil Matier

[Hojczyk]

SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) — California is moving closer to charging drivers for every mile they drive.

The state says it needs more money for road repairs, and the gas tax just isn’t bringing in enough revenue.

The state recently road-tested a mileage monitoring plan.

The California Road Charge Pilot Program is billed as a way for the state to move from its longstanding pump tax to a system where drivers pay based on their mileage.

But it’s not just a question about money, it’s also a question about fairness.

State Senator Scott Wiener and others are saying that when it comes to road taxes, it’s time to start looking at charging you by the mile rather than by the gallon.

“If you own an older vehicle that is fueled by gas, you’re paying gas tax to maintain the roads. Someone who has an electric vehicle or a dramatically more fuel efficient vehicle is paying much less than you are. But they are still using the roads,” Wiener said.

“People are going to use less and less gas in the long run,” according to Wiener.

And less gas means less gas tax, and less money for road repair.

“We want to make sure that all cars are paying to maintain the roads,” Wiener said.

One idea would be installing devices that would clock your mileage every time you pull up to the pump or electric car charging station. Or put a tracker on every car.

“The reality is that if you have a smartphone your data of where you are traveling is already in existence,” Wiener said.

None of this is sitting well with drivers such as Joshua Li, the owner of a hybrid BMW.

Li said he saves around $200 a month by not using gas

[ZOOKER]

Since the revenue problem is caused by electric, hybrid, and high MPG cars, only drivers of those cars should pay by the mile.

I agree. Car titles should be tagged with this information. When you go to renew your tags every year an extra fee should be added to reflect the money lost by the state for your greediness.

Californians should know exactly what it costs them for their environmental awareness. It's only fair...

[Don W]

There is tax on gas, oil, batteries, tires, and all the other sundry items a vehicle needs to remain on the road. Often, the taxed item has taxes already paid on its components at some point of its production, meaning that you are paying taxes ON taxes! The electricity used to charge an electric car is also taxed.

Face it, governments just want ALL of everyone’s money, and keep trying to find new ways to extort it from the public.

[A message]

We are now at 41.7 cents per gallon.

[alexander_busek]

The United States federal excise tax on gasoline is 18.4 cents per gallon and 24.4 cents per gallon for diesel fuel. The federal tax was last raised in 1993 and is not indexed to inflation, which increased by a total of 64.6 percent from 1993 until 2015. On average, as of January 2017, state and local taxes and fees add 31.04 cents to gasoline and 31.01 cents to diesel, for a total US average fuel tax of 49.44 cents per gallon for gas and 55.41 cents per gallon for diesel.

-Wikipedia

NOTE: State fuel taxes are highest in PA, at more than $0.50 per gallon of gasoline and $0.75 per gallon of diesel! (PA is a real outlier!)

Regards,

[butlerweave]

Just take all their money and then give them a weekly allowance like the good old USSR

[BitWielder1]

But it’s not just a question about money, it’s also a question about fairness.

1. It's about money.
2. Any attempts of the government to impose fairness will make it less fair.
3. It will remove the most important incentive for people to buy fuel efficient cars - save on gas money.
4. Fuel efficient cares are usually lighter, therefore they cause less wear and tear on the road.
5. Liberals will ignore points 2. - 4. and it's back to 1.

[alexander_busek]

Between state and federal taxes Californians pay close to .90 cents per gallon. The .12 cents was an additional state gas tax hike on top of existing state gas tax that occurred Nov 1st supposedly to pay for road repair.

Not according to Wikipedia:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuel_taxes_in_the_United_States

For gasoline, CA is at 7th place, with total gasoline taxes (fed and state) at approx. $0.50. And at 8th place for diesel, with combined fed and state taxes at approx. $0.60.

Regards,

[SkyDancer]

Then they can tax for opening and closing car doors, a rotation tax on tires, and how many RPM’s the engine turned since even though it might not be moving they can get additional revenue for cars that are stuck in traffic, and .....

[cgbg]

You know where this is going, right?

Put a chip in each person and tax them even when they are walking—they use sidewalks, right?

:-(

[glorgau]

Prediction: won’t take away the gas tax, but will include a “rebate” option for those that meticulously track their purchases. Sort of like the bottle rebates

[Cementjungle]

How do they enforce illegals will pay for this?

Illegals are of course exempt from this tax, like they are with most other taxes. They are after all a very special class of people.

[alexander_busek]

We are now at 41.7 cents per gallon.

We... WHO?!

For gasoline, or for diesel? Is that a combined figure (fed and state fuel taxes)?

Regards,

[M Kehoe]

I once lived in CA. Beautiful state. Nice people.

Now? It’s the cereal state.

5.56mm

[DoughtyOne]

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[cableguymn]

So... Cars not registered in California drive free?

[Myrddin]

My employer requires me to record the zipcode where I'm working. Most of the time that is in my state of residence, Idaho. When I'm called to California or Nebraska, the payroll subcontractor ADP tracks my hours in the other zipcodes. The net consequence is a business trip out of state can generate enough income to force having to file a state income tax return. The Nebraska trips just met the limit to force a filing. The tax was refunded 100%, but the cost of the TurboTax state edition to support the Nebraska filing exceeded the tax refunded. My boss wants a monthly visit to San Diego. I held the line at 2 visits in 2017. Still enough to force an income tax filing in CA. I would only be driving a rental car in CA. My personal vehicles won't be going there again.

[cableguymn]

Gold plated roads don’t vote democrat

[roadcat]

There is always plenty for illegals and trains to nowhere.

But the sad reality is that there never is enough for the illegals nor the trains to nowhere. Billions of dollars being steered to the high-speed rail project that will never work, could fix a lot of potholes, lane striping and signage. It could fix it all. But no, we "need" the Jerry Brown Train going through Bakersfield.

[Dapper 26]

I’m going to invest in an instrument that records the air we breathe. I’ll make a FORTUNE, in Kalifornia alone, in a year or two when Kalifornia discovers that “it doesn’t have enough money” ............ AGAIN.

[Kozak]

LOL. sure. It will end up being a mileage tax AND a pump tax. Bet on it. And watch billions get siphoned away for bike paths, frog paths and choo choo trains.

But Cali deserves it. Good and hard.