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Rural America, Prepare for Biden's Newly-Proposed Tax
Townhall ^ | Jan 23, 2021 | Beth Baumann

Posted on 01/23/2021 8:42:50 AM PST by george76

When President Joe Biden announced former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg as his pick for Transportation Secretary, many scratched their heads. Why would he tap someone who oversaw a small budget, in a small town, in the midwest for such a roll? That puzzle is finally coming together.

It turns out that Biden favors Buttigieg's transportation views, specifically the idea that America should move away from the gas tax and instead opt into a tax based on the number of miles a person travels. It would be a new way to provide cash for the Highway Trust Fund, which currently funding from the federal gas tax. As it currently stands, the federal gas tax is 18.4 cents per gallon and 24.4 cents per gallon for diesel.

Liberal states, like California, Oregon, Washington State, and Colorado are already contemplating this so-called "alternative."

Biden's administration would have to figure out how to pay for his $1 trillion infrastructure plan, which includes $160 billion for the transportation department.

During his confirmation hearing with the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee on Thursday, Buttigieg explained his take on the gas tax.

"I think all options need to be on the table. As you know, the gas tax has not been increased since 1993, and it has never been pegged to inflation, and it's one of the reasons why the current state of Highway Trust Fund is that there's more going out than coming in," Buttigieg said about a potential tax increase. "In the long term, we need to bear in mind also that as vehicles become more efficient and as we pursue electrification, sooner or later, there will be questions about whether the gas tax can be effective at all."

Instead, the transportation nominee wants to consider taxing Americans on the number of miles they drive.

"A lot has been suggested recently about the idea of vehicle-miles-traveled-based, so if we're committed to the idea of user-pays, then part of how you might do that would be based on vehicle miles traveled," he said. "But that raises, of course, concerns about privacy and there remains some technological questions too. These are examples of some of the things that could be part of the solution, but I know that's going to have to be a conversation, not only in the administration, but with Congress too."

Should the Biden administration move forward with taxing Americans based on the number of miles they drive on any given day, rural America would be the ones disproportionately impacted. They live further outside of metro areas. Many travel 20 to 30 miles one way to work or to do any kind of major grocery shopping. Farmers, especially those who live even further out – a few hours from a metropolitan area – would be punished because they don't live in the inner cities.

This is a prime example of why rural folks feel forgotten about. It's always about what's best for those who live in the cities, not about those who grow and transport your food, or do the dirty work no one else is willing to do. It's about those who work in fancy offices in New York City, not the loggers and miners who work in dangerous conditions to provide heating options for the very people who despise them.


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: California; US: Colorado; US: Indiana; US: Oregon; US: Washington
KEYWORDS: agenda21; americans; gastax; rural; ruralamerica; ruralfolks; tax; taxes; taxing; un; unagenda21
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To: fruser1

NOT IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A CELL PHONE.......


101 posted on 01/23/2021 11:07:00 AM PST by ridesthemiles ( )
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To: cableguymn

“If you don’t buy enough or any fuel in a state you have to pay in.”

I used to drive long haul, and NEVER heard that malarkey. We paid road taxes, but never forced to buy x amount of fuel. Can you back that up?


102 posted on 01/23/2021 11:09:56 AM PST by SgtHooper (If you remember the 60's, YOU WEREN'T THERE!)
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To: PIF

Gates recently bought 242,000 acres across 18 locations.


103 posted on 01/23/2021 11:10:36 AM PST by ridesthemiles ( )
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To: wrcase

Adam Carolla on Tucker last night said the liberals/elites in Hollywood, media, DC, etc are like perpetual teenagers. They are emotionally stunted like high schoolers stuck in one big popularity contest. And right now Biden is their Homecoming King. The oldest homecoming king ever. Sickos.


104 posted on 01/23/2021 11:21:29 AM PST by Riley85
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To: Wiser now

FRESH from Patagonia soon or later.


105 posted on 01/23/2021 11:29:23 AM PST by ridesthemiles ( )
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To: ridesthemiles

Gates recently bought 242,000 acres across 18 locations.


That’s was my reference to Gates and the Ted Turner - Jane Fonda ranch which is the size of a state, as well as all the scattered holdings by American Rivers and the Nature Conservancy - I think the Sierra Club and the Audubon Society own a lot of property as well.


106 posted on 01/23/2021 11:37:06 AM PST by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
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To: george76

Just tax the electricity at the charging station and for those charging at home, most everyone has a smart meter now that would detect that usage.


107 posted on 01/23/2021 11:38:56 AM PST by eastforker (All in, I'm all Trump,what you got!)
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To: Califreak

Demonrats love poor people.

That’s why they’re always trying to make more of them.


108 posted on 01/23/2021 11:50:58 AM PST by DuncanWaring (The Lord uses the good ones; the bad ones use the Lord.)
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To: old curmudgeon
That info is in your car's computer: unless they require you to plug in a dongle to your OBD adapter, how will they get that info?

States that require state inspections or emissions tests could pull it then. But then they'd have to charge you a year up front. That will meet with some resistance.

I would bet we'll see lots of "low mileage" cars with falsified odometers if this goes through.

109 posted on 01/23/2021 12:03:28 PM PST by pierrem15 ("Massacrez-les, car le seigneur connait les siens" )
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To: DuncanWaring

They are such miserable, fragile, insecure people they always need someone to look down on, to make themselves feel better. Bunch of sickies.


110 posted on 01/23/2021 12:05:21 PM PST by Riley85
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To: george76

Enslavement Is Nearing Completion & Nothing Is Being Done About It!

111 posted on 01/23/2021 12:12:52 PM PST by SuperLuminal (Where is Sam Adams now that we desperately need him)
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To: pierrem15

Mine is actually a 2017 RAM diesel.

It also has bluetooth for telephone and other applications.

It would be a small matter to build all future vehicles with the ability to communicate by cell phone and download whatever.

For older cars, they could require you to purchase an E-Zpass type device that would track you and connect with various stations as you drive past them.

In other words, every road would become a toll road.

Never underestimate their ability to take your money.


112 posted on 01/23/2021 12:21:50 PM PST by old curmudgeon
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To: old curmudgeon
I have an EZ Pass. You can just wrap it in foil. They would have to put up the toll plazas everywhere. The Feds could try, slowly, by tying highway funds to mandatory tolling, but it would take a long time to roll out and would be subject to easy sabotage in rural areas.

It just isn't very workable and will meet with immediate and fierce resistance.

113 posted on 01/23/2021 12:26:22 PM PST by pierrem15 ("Massacrez-les, car le seigneur connait les siens" )
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To: ridesthemiles

The tax by mile plans involve installing equipment in your car, like electronic toll stuff (EZPass, or what I call, NaziPass).


114 posted on 01/23/2021 12:30:08 PM PST by fruser1
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To: BobL

Thoughts?


115 posted on 01/23/2021 12:35:11 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks (For an election lasting longer than 4 weeks, consult your forensic detective)
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To: george76

BTT


116 posted on 01/23/2021 12:40:35 PM PST by GailA (Constitution vs evil Treasonous political Apparatchiks)
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To: Jeff Chandler

And this gives the government another way to track what you do and your reason, and track where you go and who you meet with.

This is dangerous.


117 posted on 01/23/2021 1:16:36 PM PST by Hulka ( )
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To: Maudeen

Today for tax purposes you report miles driven for your business, Buttman wants you to report ALL miles you drove, not just for business, for any reason, so they can monitor and control you. . .


118 posted on 01/23/2021 1:19:53 PM PST by Hulka ( )
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To: ping jockey

Given buttman’s predilections, that would be peeing in your face (or his).


119 posted on 01/23/2021 1:22:45 PM PST by Hulka ( )
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To: Hulka

“On the road” to the NWO.


120 posted on 01/23/2021 1:26:21 PM PST by Maudeen (A question to answer, "Will my name be written in the Lamb's Book of Life?" Revelation 20:15)
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