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.
Wait. Biden was not going to raise taxes on anyone making more that $500,000 dollars a year.
What happened? Did he lie? /s
It’s already that way. If I drive more I pay more because I have to buy more fuel. And that way doesn’t involve universal surveillance or turning every highway, street, alley, parking lot, or driveway into a toll road. Oh, they didn’t take into account how more fuel-efficient cars, hybrids, and electrics would affect things? Well, how about that!
Why do they have to worry about “paying” for their agenda. Congress has been writing blank checks for over 60 years now.
Please add me to your ping list, thank you!
>Freedom, we don’t know stinking Freedom<
Let me try that again.
Freedom, we don’t need no stinking Freedom.
Geez... The Joementia Regime is obviously frying my brain.
Thanks. You are added.
less than
Times and technologies have changed. Some technological advances and changes to business processes improve the ability to live in a rural setting. We now can work entirely from home, generate our electricity, produce water from air or tie into a water system's plastic pipeline.
Our big-screen TVs, internet access to the latest blockbusters, and buttered popcorn machines, not to mention the ability to make our soda's just about put movie theaters out of business, along with COVID.
Almost anything you needed to go to town for can now be delivered by UPS, FedEx, etc., at little or no added cost to the purchase price.
Technology and readily available knowledge on the web mean you can quickly grow much of your food, 3D print everyday objects, buy the latest robot, drone, etc.
As more and more people move to rural areas, which seems to be the hottest real estate market these days, even more, technological advances and changes in doing business will come about.
Cities may become more like those cities depicted in movies such as 1984 and Soylent Green.
Annual tax with you renew your license plates.
Here in my lovely county we have to get our cars emissions checked every two years. The state records the mileage. Boom just now add tax!
Agreed. But the tax would be to the cause of the need. It might make rail more competitive when appropriate, for example, if cars weren’t subsidizing truck transport.
That sounds like the way they'll do it. Ominous.
When the first breathless talk of recycling started I said "So go ahead if you want to take stuff to recycling versus unseparated types of trash outside." I was wrong. You have to comply or get fined and you have to identify the reyclables or the city will see your error and fine you anyway. And I saw a woman defiantly back her car up to the Trader Joe's dumpster and throw her trash in---because this city charges per bag of trash at the houses.
They will demand you the driver go to prove compliance and be charged accordingly or you can't drive. Like tailpipe emissions proof.
Older, non-electronic vehicles will get snatched up.
Google will notice an increased search for “how to rollback your speedometer”.
This is a prime example of why rural folks feel forgotten about.
—
Oh no. They are not forgotten. This is to help ‘encourage’ more people to leave the rural areas and move to the cities so they can be more closely managed and controlled. Rural areas will be the play grounds of the extremely wealthy like Gates & Co
You could drive for 50 miles without crossing a single bridge, on a roadway in a warmer area that doesn't tear up in cold winters, and requires a few signs at best.
You could also commute across crumbling bridges, in stop and go traffic, while tearing up the roads in a cold northern city, with overhead signs, traffic lights, street lights, etc.,...but you've only driven five miles.
Nah, they will never give up a federal gas tax
We’ll get both a gas tax and a mileage tax from Howdy Doody Buttjig
I know what you speak of.
We live in a very rural, heavily wooded area. Our town has less than 400 people. We live on a small farm outside of town-our closest neighbor is a 1/2 mile away.
The last few years we have seen more and more houses being built off on dirt roads that are really off the grid and really out in the sticks. They have their own ponds, use wood heaters, grow their own food as much as possible. Husband and wife both drive 4x4’s. Really self sufficient.
The only problem is more people from the big cities are buying up land. Noticed a increase over the last few years.
All of my cars are old enough to be able to unhook the speedometer and just use a old GPS unit for mph.
This crap is still getting out of hand
The one thing that is constant, is change.
We lack standing or wont be heard until damaged then latches we filed to late
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