Posted on 02/20/2009 4:11:38 AM PST by Man50D
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says he wants to consider taxing motorists based on how many miles they drive rather than how much gasoline they burn -- an idea that has angered drivers in some states where it has been proposed.
Gasoline taxes that for nearly half a century have paid for the federal share of highway and bridge construction can no longer be counted on to raise enough money to keep the nation's transportation system moving, LaHood said in an interview with The Associated Press.
"We should look at the vehicular miles program where people are actually clocked on the number of miles that they traveled," the former Illinois Republican lawmaker said.
Most transportation experts see a vehicle miles traveled tax as a long-term solution, but Congress is being urged to move in that direction now by funding pilot projects.
The idea also is gaining ground in several states. Governors in Idaho and Rhode Island are talking about such programs, and a North Carolina panel suggested in December the state start charging motorists a quarter-cent for every mile as a substitute for the gas tax.
A tentative plan in Massachusetts to use GPS chips in vehicles to charge motorists by the mile has drawn complaints from drivers who say it's an Orwellian intrusion by government into the lives of citizens. Other motorists say it eliminates an incentive to drive more fuel-efficient cars since gas guzzlers will be taxed at the same rate as fuel sippers.
Besides a VMT tax, more tolls for highways and bridges and more government partnerships with business to finance transportation projects are other funding options, LaHood, one of two Republicans in President Barack Obama's Cabinet, said in the interview Thursday.
"What I see this administration doing is this -- thinking outside the box on how we fund our infrastructure in America," he said.
LaHood said he firmly opposes raising the federal gasoline tax in the current recession.
The program that funds the federal share of highway projects is part of a surface transportation law that expires Sept. 30. Last fall, Congress made an emergency infusion of $8 billion to make up for a shortfall between gas tax revenues and the amount of money promised to states for their projects. The gap between money raised by the gas tax and the cost of maintaining the nation's highway system and expanding it to accommodate population growth is forecast to continue to widen.
Among the reasons for the gap is a switch to more fuel-efficient cars and a decrease in driving that many transportation experts believe is related to the economic downturn. Electric cars and alternative-fuel vehicles that don't use gasoline are expected to start penetrating the market in greater numbers.
"One of the things I think everyone agrees with around reauthorization of the highway bill is that the highway trust fund is an antiquated system for funding our highways," LaHood said. "It did work to build the interstate system and it was very effective, there's no question about that. But the big question now is, We're into the 21st century and how are we going to take care of our infrastructure needs ... with a highway trust fund that had to be plused up by $8 billion by Congress last year?"
A blue-ribbon national transportation commission is expected to release a report next week recommending a VMT.
The system would require all cars and trucks be equipped with global satellite positioning technology, a transponder, a clock and other equipment to record how many miles a vehicle was driven, whether it was driven on highways or secondary roads, and even whether it was driven during peak traffic periods or off-peak hours.
The device would tally how much tax motorists owed depending upon their road use. Motorists would pay the amount owed when it was downloaded, probably at gas stations at first, but an alternative eventually would be needed.
Rob Atkinson, president of the National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission, the agency that is developing future transportation funding options, said moving to a national VMT would take about a decade.
Privacy concerns are based more on perception than any actual risk, Atkinson said. The satellite information would be beamed one way to the car and driving information would be contained within the device on the car, with the amount of the tax due the only information that's downloaded, he said.
The devices also could be programmed to charge higher rates to vehicles that are heavier, like trucks that put more stress on roadways, Atkinson said.
Let’s ask Rick Santelli what he thinks of this ‘wonderful’ idea...
Right, just like how they promised that the seat belt laws would only be a secondary offense. We all know how well the govt keeps their promises when they have the opportunity to seize more control of micromanaging your life.
The short answer? No.
Now the yearly revenues aren't sufficient to make-up for the years of neglect so they want to raise taxes again, and what better way to get all of those people that moved out of their inner city gulags than a mileage tax?
Damn! My speedometer cable just broke.
Guess I’ll be shopping for a horse. NO...wait....they’ll probably tax the gas the horse makes that contributes to CLIMATE CHANGE.
Looks like the two constants (taxes and death) will take greatly expanded roles with this administration.
Call for REFORM in 2010 - 2012!!!!!!
Cwazy Democwats! They inevitably fail to see the consequences of their feel-good programs.
Two of my four cars are Jaguars.
Would anyone *really* be surprised if the odometers broke on them? :P
right now the want to tax kids who move back in with the parents for the value of the shelter since they don’t pay rent.
So it was $8 Billion short! In today’s world - chump change! (groan!)
How about taxing politicians for every utterance that escapes his/her mouth?
Revolution. This is unacceptable.
These geniuses can’t get thrown out of office fast enough.
Wonder if the train companies are lobbying for this? Someone is whispering sweet nothings in their ears.
Politicians are smart enough to “think outside the box”, they are too engrossed in feathering it.
Guess I should’ve read teh whole article before posting. I wonder if my ‘72 Super Beetle is exempt.
We now know what these folks think about when they’re sitting on the john...Cr**
I propose a tax on elected officials based on budget overruns. Those responsible for passing unbalanced budgets will be required to pay forty cents from their own income for every dollar spent in an annual budget that exceeds revenues.
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