Posted on 05/02/2007 5:41:24 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
I decided to look up weights on the vehicles mentioned.
Volkswagen Rabbit... 1,900 lbs
Prius..... 2,200 lbs
Hummer H2.... 8,600 lbs
I think you made a great point! How would this new TAX per mile be Fair when it is obvious some cars would do more damage with larger tires, more weight? Including those Commercial Semi Trucks?
I really don’t think Oregon is interested in what is fair.
Oregon wants more tax revenue. Oregon has a bigger problem not being mentioned in this article and that is the huge loss in timber sales. (I believe this is the real reason they are looking for ways to increase revenue.)
I am not sure if you live in Oregon. (Very pretty place and I have lived here all my life.)
We have what is called a “kicker” when revenue comes in more than anticipated, the extra is returned to those who payed it in. This has happened recently.
Oregon doesn’t WANT to give back the extra.
They “need” it MORE than we do. Even though it is THE LAW!
This tax by mile is only another way to INCREASE revenue for Oregon. Oregon also has the freedom to take from “Paul”
to pay for “Peter” The roads are NOT the issue.
I say leave well enough alone! The Gas tax is the most fair. People visit our state pay the tax. Commercial trucks pay the tax. EVERYONE pays the tax. If you own a big vehicle you pay the tax for it. If you own a small one you pay the tax for it. More damage done by big ones more taxes taken from them.
Anyway, that’s my 2 cents.
Nope, I’m not an Oregonian. Californian, but the same concept of taxing by miles driven has been brought up here before.
As long as vehicles are all gasoline engine driven, then the gas mileage is a rough proxy for the weight of the vehicle and hence the wear and tear on the roads. Hybrids changes that — they pay less in gas tax than comparable weight vehicles driven the same number of miles. Electrics pay nothing in gasoline taxes, yet can be very heavy vehicles — especially the home-made conversions — and put a lot of wear on the roads. Big trucks might be filling up outside the state — paying no Oregon roads tax but putting a lot of wear on the roads. Or they might be forced to fillup and pay a bunch in taxes, but then leave the state immediately on some cross-country delivery.
Nothing is going to be perfect for all these situations, but the complaint in the article is that roads taxes are declining as people choose vehicles that use less gasoline. The complaint is fair in that the charge to the consumer is no longer proportional to their usage.
Do you even have to ask? Of course it will be both the gas tax at the pump AND the tax/mile driven. It is too obvious.
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