Why we should consider a per-mile road tax

CNN ^ | 7:52 AM EST, Thu December 8, 2011 | By Michael D. Meyer, Special to CNN

[redreno]

(CNN) -- Based on recent history and what's likely to happen to the nation's infrastructure, it's an inescapable conclusion: We will need new and different sources of funding if we are to have the type of transportation system that is needed to support economic prosperity.

For the past 75 years, the U.S. road network has provided the foundation for much of the nation's economic development. This network has not come without a cost; estimates are that the replacement value of the nation's roads is $1.3 trillion.

[Buckeye McFrog]

If the Democrats in Congress or in any state succeed in passing a Per Mile Tax, the Republicans in Congress should sponsor a bill the next day converting us to the Metric System...

[Darksheare]

Pretty much.

[null and void]

Give me a break, this isn’t George Orwell’s 1984

True.

In Orwell's tale there were places one could go where the government couldn't spy on you...

[G Larry]

Because how else will this administration shut down the American economy, and industry?

This would be another key ingredient in Obama’s “Destroy America” agenda.

[Truth is a Weapon]

Agreed. The purpose of the federal gasoline tax is to fund a trust for highway repairs and development. Yet, it has been raided time and time again for various mass transit subsidies and other purposes beyond the intention of setting up the trust.

A per mile driven tax is doubling up on what is already a regressive tax. A larger portion of lower income wage earners mileage goes for getting to and from work.

But this is a big transfer of wealth from the rural to urban populations.

[Navy Patriot]

Just another attempt to rob and impoverish rural people by the mob rule of the parasite city slickers.

[BenKenobi]

Exactly! I’ll oppose this nonsense as long as I’m around.

[Darksheare]

Got me there nully.

[Navy Patriot]

hang one socialist on each tree,

Why don't we plant trees with more than one limb?

[Lancey Howard]

Typical CNN Democrat twink calling for more taxes, as if there aren’t enough already built into every gallon of gasoline..

[JimC214]

This is the same nonsense that they pulled with Cigarettes. They scream stop smoking it's bad for you and they raise the tax on them and soon people start to cut back. And then the libs scream that the tax revenue on cigs is down and so they raise it again all the while telling you, you should stop smoking. And when you do just that they again raise the tax because the revenues are down. They are never happy. If they do add a per mile tax, you can bet the farm that they will not drop the tax on Gasoline. And eventually they will raise the mileage tax when they find that the revenues are down. It is all about power. Plan and simple. You can't have the peons doing as they like. And when the peons finally can't take any more and go on a tear, the "elites" can't understand why it happened. And I don't mean the OWS nonsense. Where a spoiled brat with money is crying he has to be treated like everyone else. I mean when the average joe finally gets tired of this crap. And it looks like that day is coming soon.

[Vendome]

Pound Sand....

[Scotsman will be Free]

Any VMT paid by a company that transports anything would be levied against the consumer. We would continue to pay fuel taxes, pay a VMT on our personal vehicles and pay the VMT on all products that we purchased. What’s not to like about jacking our taxes up?

[Navy Patriot]

You’re forgetting that, when it comes to corporate taxes, the ones that end up paying it, are the consumers.

Yep, economics natural law 101, business never pays any taxes.

[RinaseaofDs]

“We can share the women
We can share the wine
We can share what we got o’ yours
Cuz we done shared all of mine”

[RC2]

Everyone in every state, city and county needs to find out where there road tax money has gone. It isn’t being used on the roads. Until this is fixed, we shouldn’t be hit with more taxes.

[MichaelP]

FU....Never!

Mike

[RoadGumby]

No, no way and never.

[Alberta's Child]

You can argue about the merits and disadvantages of this method of financing transportation infrastructure needs, but at least it's worthy of a close examination.

The basic premise of a mileage-based tax is actually more equitable and fair than the current motor fuels tax, since it helps to tie the tax to public road use much more effectively than the current system.

My problem with the mileage-based system is that it is difficult to enforce and collect it. The beauty of the motor fuels tax is that it effectively makes a taxpayer out of anyone who gets behind the wheel of a car -- even if the driver is an illegal alien and the car is unregistered and uninsured.

[cableguymn]

I as a “heavy user” (200-300 miles per day) already pay a lot more in gas tax than you do for the “services” I use on the roadways. I pay a gas tax at the pump, a registration tax for my plates, a sales tax for parts and repairs, a wheel-age tax to the county I live in and a income tax on what profit I make.

Go ask a trucking company how much they pay in road tax. it’s staggering. Part of the reason diesel is so much more than gas is the tax on the gallon. The federal tax is 25 cents. State taxes can be just as high. Most OTR trucks are lucky to go 6 miles on 1 gallon of fuel. Then there is IFTA to make sure every state the truck goes through gets it’s “fair share” of the road tax. Truckers can not avoid the high fuel tax states.

my problem with a “per mile” tax is that the current per gallon gas tax will NEVER GO AWAY. And if you think it will your fooling yourself. Since this tax will be on top of the other taxes I will simply pass this extra tax on to my customers who will in turn pass it on to you. Trucking companies will do likewise.

Now, if you want to tax electric cars because they use no fuel I might be for that.