CA: Car tax arbitrary, irrational; reinstating it makes perfect sense

Sac Bee ^ | 7/2/03 | Dan Walters

[NormsRevenge]

Taxation is, almost by definition, an arbitrary and wholly political act. Politicians decide what's to be taxed and what's not and much of tax policy is, therefore, nonsensical -- such as the disparate sales tax treatment of hot and cold foods.

[NormsRevenge]

Stuff the trigger and stuff the VLF. Ping

It seems like it is more a protection clause or a "Get OUT of Jail" or off-the hook ploy for runamuck politicians who can't spend enough of other people's money and won't admit it. IMO.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

As some have said regarding Walters, "He is not against Taxes"!

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[TheSpottedOwl]

What would happen if you couldn't afford to pay the new fee? Mine is due around Christmas time :(

[joltinjoe]

The moral thing to do would be not to spend more money than you take in.

[Enterprise]

I hope that either the lawsuit prevails, or that Senator McClintock is successful is pushing initiatives to limit the tax to one dollar per year and to prevent the RATS from raising the tax anymore. I generally like the columns of Walters, but I strongly disagree with him on this one.

[xusafflyer]

"Without it, the reduction would never have been enacted in the first place, so questioning it now is a breach of political contract."

So political contract is above the law? above the will of the people who voted in Prop 13?

Another idiot democrat. The trigger was ALWAYS illegal. Just because Reps supported it when it was put in doesn't make it legal now.

[persephone35]

Minor point. The VLF tax had been at the lower rate from its inception many years ago. It was raised to the higher level for a couple of years to help restore the states financial status and to eliminate the state's debt which I believe was approximately $10bn at that time. When the state's financial condition was restored, the VLF was then lowered back to its original, normal lower rate. The current tripling of the VLF doesn't take the VLF back to a normal rate, but is merely a blatant attempt to cover up the run away spending inflicted on California by a group out of control elected idiots.

[jjm2111]

2% of the car's value??? That sucks!

[from occupied ga]

That said, it's perfectly logical, and even morally correct, for California's vehicle license fee (VLF), which was slashed by two-thirds in a series of actions by the Legislature and two governors, to be fully reinstated now that the state is experiencing its worst-ever budget crisis. The history of the VLF tax cut explains why.

What about CUTTING SPENDING? Why is this never even discussed as an option?

[VeniVidiVici]

Isn't funny how liberals always poo-poo "a few hundred dollars" when it's other people's money?

[Grampa Dave]

Walters has never seen a Rat inspired tax that he didn't love and defend.

When will Walters come out of his self imposed closet to loudly condemn prop 13 and shout, "That all of us who voted for Prop 13 are racists, thugs and murderers!"

Walters is a long time oped writer for the Sacramento Bee. That says it all for me. He is no different than the pro rat writers of the NY/LA Slimes. He just sounds different to fool a lot of moderates and some conservatives.

Walters is pro tax and spend, and he is the best point man for the tax and spend rats.

[pogo101]

If the justification for the car tax is as a rough "user fee" meant to pay for each driver's share of road wear and tear, CHP, and other incidents of using the roads,

then what I'd propose is a constitutionally-limited gasoline tax of a few pennies, with the exact rate to be set according to reliable calculations of how much each gallon's worth of vehicle travel "costs" the state in repairs, policing, etc.

This way, people whose driving habits impose greater costs on the public will pay a little more, and those who rarely drive will pay a little less. As it currently is, the little old lady who only drives to church on Sundays pays just as much as a daily 200-mile commuter.

I emphasize that I wouldn't favor the gas tax for any other reason -- including ALL of the reasons for which it's CURRENTLY being imposed, the principal one being straight-out revenue enhancement.

[pogo101]

Lest my prior post be misunderstood as proposing a FURTHER gas tax, let me clarify: I'm in favor of zeroing out the gas tax and "starting over" with one capped by constitutional amendment, never to increase (or to have brother and sister gas taxes placed alongside it) except upon a 2/3 statewide vote.

[rockfish59]

'Liberalism is a mental disease!' -- M. Savage

[Myrddin]

Last time I looked at a gas pump in California, the state was already assessing 18.5 cents per gallon tax. That should be more than enough to cover maintenance of roads in proportion to use. The politicians want to tax your cars to fill the coffers so they can afford to pay for all the illegal alien costs (education, welfare, medical services, law enforcement, courts, prisons). They also have a bunch of new state employees with lavish compensation.

[pogo101]

Your reply illustrates why I posted the clarification immediately after the post to which you were replying. Hope it helps.

[SierraWasp]

Dad gummit, Ernesto! I'm gonna go off on another rant!!!

Today, while driving down State Hwy 49, coming into the State Park at the gold discovery site in Coloma, CA, I see a brand new yellow sign with a graphic of someone riding a bicycle, with the following slogan across the bottom part: "Share the Road."

Now I'm really tempted to go back and add a sign to the sign post that says... "Not till they pay Tripled Car Taxes and Gas Taxes that include Sales Tax on the Gas Tax!!!"

Even the danged State Highways are entirely too narrow with many places with no shoulders, sharp curves, steep hills, huge trucks already taking their half out of the middle... It adds to everyone's liability and insurance cost!!!

An Attorney was run off the road and down into a canyon a few years ago and of course, sued, since he wasn't justifiably KILLED!!!

I'm gonna hafta git after CalTrans on this unjustified sign, cause I'm really pist by it!!! (is it just me?)

[Myrddin]

A constitutional amendment that is specific to tax on gasoline seems a bit overboard. While I'm no longer a resident of California, I do return to visit my family occasionally. I also have to make some business trips to San Diego. The extra taxes and higher base prices for gas in southern California are immediately observable compared to the rest of the trek from Pocatello south on I-15. Gasoline prices and taxes are just a small part of the insanity in California.