Posted on 04/16/2011 8:44:46 AM PDT by Brilliant
Since December, John Duncan's daily commute from Wilsonville to Portland has been like something from a sci-fi movie.
He's a solitary eco-driver -- the first and only owner of Nissan's futuristic all-electric LEAF in Oregon -- who knows his day of reckoning is just down the road.
"I figured the state would find a way to get the gas taxes that I'm no longer paying," said the Portland Community College theater arts teacher. "But I'm hearing about a new tax that will be something like $1.43 a mile. Really? Wow!"
Yep. Wow! Of course, that's not exactly accurate. Oregon lawmakers are actually considering a road-usage charge of 1.43 cents -- not dollars -- per mile for drivers of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.
Among those drivers, the "EV fee," HB 2328, is sparking all kinds of confusion and concern as it cruises through the Legislature.
Will they need to buy an expensive gizmo so the state can track mileage? (No.) Can the government really repossess someone's plug-in Prius for not paying? (Yes.) Is the tax fair? (Depends on who you talk to.)
Opponents worry the state is pushing buyers away from nonpolluting electric vehicles just as they are beginning to build momentum. John Christian, chair of the Oregon Electric Vehicle Association, said he understands the need for the fee. But he thinks lawmakers should wait until the number of electric vehicles on the road hits at least 25 percent and greenhouse gas emissions come down.
"What's the message they're sending?" he said. "With one hand, they're offering a tax rebate to get you to buy an electric car. With the other, they're proposing a new tax. It looks like money-grubbing."
leaf2.jpgView full sizeBenjamin Brink/The OregonianJohn Duncan's Nissan Leaf sits in his garage in Wilsonville. The hatch popped open on the front of the car allows him to plug it in for a charge. Duncan is the first person in Oregon to own a Leaf, and is concerned about a bill in the legislature that would charge him 1.43 cents per mile in taxes. But with everyone else paying a 30-cent-per-gallon gas tax to build and repair roads, it would be unfair not to move forward with the legislation, said Sen. Bruce Starr, R-Hillsboro.
"It's the backbone of our transportation infrastructure: Users pay," said Starr, a key supporter of the bill. "This is not about penalizing electric vehicle owners. But why should they get a tax-free ride?"
Starr also noted that EV owners benefit from publicly-funded charging stations popping up in Oregon cities and along the Interstate 5 corridor. On Friday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced a $2 million federal grant to build 20 more stations in the Portland area, allowing electric vehicle drivers to travel longer distances.
In Salem, the House Transportation Committee has voted in favor of the bill, which applies to electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles starting with 2014 models. It's awaiting a hearing by the Revenue Committee.
Oregon, the first state in the union to charge a gas tax for road maintenance in 1919, is one of three states -- along with Washington and Texas -- exploring different ways to bring electric vehicles into the revenue mix.
Since the first hybrids began appearing on roads a decade ago, Oregon has worked more than any other state to study how new technology and improving gas mileage could shrink revenue, said James Whitty, an ODOT alternative-funding manager.
Less than 1,000 of Oregon's 3.2 million passenger vehicles are currently plug-in hybrid or electric. By 2021, however, the number is expected to spike to 75,000, said Whitty.
Under HB 2328, an EV owner would pay about $172 a year for a car driven 12,000 miles.
"We're talking roughly the same amount as the gas tax paid on a vehicle that gets (the average mileage of) 21 mpg," Whitty said.
Sounds reasonable, said Gary Graunke, a longtime hybrid driver who expects to join Duncan as the owner of a 100-miles-per-charge LEAF next week. But Graunke is struggling with other parts of the bill. A provision allowing the state to seize and auction vehicles belonging to those who don't pay is "overly draconian," he said.
"It's also not clear if they'll make me buy some $500 gadget for my car to track the miles," Graunke said. "Our vehicles are already more expensive to buy."
Before $9,000 in federal and state tax credits, the price of a 2011 Nissan LEAF starts at about $32,000. By comparison, a similar-size Toyota Corolla starts at $15,250.
ODOT officials said they are developing technology –ranging from smartphone apps to programs utilizing GPS systems built into the electric glow of EV dashboards – to report mileage without extra costs. Drivers could also receive refunds for miles driven outside Oregon.
Even if it's not $1.43, Duncan thinks the proposed tax is "punitive." He said he pays only a penny per mile in gas taxes when he drives his other car -- a 1997 Saturn SL. His neighbor pays even less in his fossil-fueled Mini Cooper.
Duncan prefers the proposal that Washington lawmakers are considering -- a flat, easy-to-collect $100 annual fee for electric vehicle owners.
After years of Oregon working with the federal government, power companies and automakers to get people into electric vehicles, Duncan said, "members of the Legislature have turned around and tried to do exactly the opposite."
If it was up to me, the electricity used by the owners of these cars would have road taxes applied to it, as well as other surcharges to cover the costs of the upgrades to the electrical grid needed to supply the extra power needed to charge these cars. Why should those of us who don't use such vehicles have to pay extra for such upgrades when they will have no benefit for us?
One of my customers is whining about the high monthly cost of his communications network. He thought it was a good deal because they installed it for free, but now the service charges are eating him up.
Why should it surprise them that someone will help them get hooked (subsidies to initial investment) for a slice of ongoing cost (mileage fees)?
Suck it, hippie. You wanted these people running our lives, you got them. Enjoy your victory.
I think Washington State just passed a similar fee/tax. Not sure if the governor signed it yet.
Just pay up commie! You left wing moonbats and eco-twits love both taxes and regulations, now you get to live in the world you created.
Only when it’s other people paying them.
Nice Barackula pic.
The majority of Oregonians voted for Obama. Karma.
OK, lets get bike riders too. They will have to buy a tracking device $338, and have it inspected every year. Also if they ride their bike near any drug deals......
What is this guy beotching about?
He drives on tax built roads...does he think he should not contribute? Heck, the state, ie the TAXPAYERS are subsidizing his fuel by setting up charging stations. You and me...gas guzzling reprobates are providing this jerk power stations for his stupid little vehicle.
‘
Last time I checked, NO ONE was building my gas stations for me.
The tax ought to be double the gas tax because those stupid little cars are heavier than conventional ones and theoretically tear up the roads more.
Funny thing, that....he would really feel abused if that happened.....
....and the good news is that only liberals by the volts in the first place.
” “I figured the state would find a way to get the gas taxes that I’m no longer paying,” said the Portland Community College theater arts teacher. “But I’m hearing about a new tax that will be something like $1.43 a mile. Really? Wow!” “
They should get the cost correct. It’s $.0143/mile, or 1.43¢/mile.
Electric utilities do not provide this income. Well not currently anyway.
The fact that these people always use static analysis and never even consider the consequences of their actions is just funny.
How many States have Turnpikes, that initially were funded with tolls, with the idea that the tolls would end when the Bonds were paid off.....we had that in Ohio, until it came time to go "toll free", and they decided the State would need the continued flow of cash.....so we jacked up the tolls even higher, after promises of "toll free" to get voter approval initially on the un-kept promise.
I went into a tavern because it said “FREE LUNCH”. I sat down and had a sandwich. Some guy brought me a bill for $20. I said, “What gives? The sign says ‘FREE LUNCH’”. The guy said, “Lunch is free, but breathing the air in here is $20.” There is no such thing as a free lunch.
They’re going to be more clever than that....somehow they’ll attach it to your state inspection...The mileage will go into the computer....and voila...they already “gotcha”....
Read my post #32
Shutup and pay the tax, libtards! It’s for the environment!
Bwahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!
Proof of the old adage that Libs will tax anything that moves....
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