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Posted on 05/05/2011 5:42:55 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
Obama floats plan to tax cars by the mile By Pete Kasperowicz - 05/05/11 07:45 AM ET
The Obama administration has floated a transportation authorization bill that would require the study and implementation of a plan to tax automobile drivers based on how many miles they drive.
The plan is a part of the administration's "Transportation Opportunities Act," an undated draft of which was obtained this week by Transportation Weekly.
This follows a March Congressional Budget Office report that supported the idea of taxing drivers based on miles driven.
Among other things, CBO suggested that a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax could be tracked by installing electronic equipment on each car to determine how many miles were driven; payment could take place electronically at filling stations.
The CBO report was requested by Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-ND), who has proposed taxing cars by the mile as a way to increase federal highway revenues.
Obama's proposal seems to follow up on that idea in section 2218 of the draft bill. That section would create, within the Federal Highway Administration, a Surface Transportation Revenue Alternatives Office. It would be tasked with creating a "study framework that defines the functionality of a mileage-based user fee system and other systems."
The administration seems to be aware of the need to prepare the public for what would likely be a controversial change to the way highway funds are collected. For example, the office is called on to serve a public relations function, as the draft says it should "increase public awareness regarding the need for an alternative funding source for surface transportation programs and provide information on possible approaches."
The draft bill says the "study framework" for the project and a public awareness communications plan should be established within two years of creating the office, and that field tests should begin within four years.
The office would be required to consider four factors in field trials: the capability of states to enforce payment, the reliability of technology, administrative costs, and "user acceptance." The draft does not specify where field trials should begin.
The new office would be funded a total of $200 million through FY 2017 for the project.
He’ll tax us per sheet. We’ll have to pay at time of service.
gnip
Isn’t the tax on gas enough?
bump
So, what of taxis, couriers, transport truck drivers, mailmen, etc.
If they tax our mileage then tax us on how much toilet paper we use then I suggest we all start planting corn! Be a redneck society using corncobs instead of tp.
They can kiss ours too, the more of us the better! Then we don’t follow like sheep, these new tax and tracking proposals.
You said it better than we could on all of that and the dog excrement! You would have our vote.
Next thing ya know they’ll make it where the gas pumps download our tracking information. This is nuts and hopefully we won’t have to put up with this kind of control :/
You are so right ... they already tax the gasoline, so the more you drive the more you pay. Just another bunch of Obama’s bull, the end being more control and more money for him to waste.
I suppose the bedroom equivalent would be a "per-stroke" tax...
There’s enough punichment for that already!!! ;-P
We already have that. It’s called the gas tax. The more miles you drive, the more gas you need, the more tax you pay.
FUBO. But I’m starting to sound like a broken record.
They will do anything to stick their hand into your pocket. I now have to pay an MTA “commuter tax” even though I work at home.
wE PAY A GAS tax now that supposedly goes into a fund for our roads and highways etc. I pay a user’s tax based on the car I purchased. Since it is a Lexus I pay an extra tax. So how do they support the need for this new tax? Are there any republicans who will vote for this?
Simple solution that requires ZERO new tax dollars. Quit wasting the 10s of billions of dollars DOT spends every year on "mass transit" schemes and spend that money on roads.
Because you have money left and they can't stand that.
So much for the “dead cat” bounce... Liberals are the dumbest creatures on earth.
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