Is’nt there already a gasoline tax for this purpose?
According to TFA, they do say that Texas already has a gas tax. The issue, for some statist state legislators, is that since the Texas gas tax hasn’t been raised in years, they aren’t getting the amount of revenue they feel the state is due, and therefore want to impose this as well. Note the lack of talk about *replacing* the gas tax.
Also, and unmentioned in the story, would be the ability to impose different rates depending on the vehicle, to “socially engineer” auto purchases. This part would have to be “soft-shoed” in Texas because of the preponderance of people who actually use trucks as part of their daily living. They do obliquely refer to the idea of different rates for different vehicles by talking about different rates for different types of driving (rural, urban, etc), but this is in the context of them actively tracking your vehicle (another statist idea that they simply drop in passing) and then “allowing” you a lower rate in rural areas.
They consider gasoline tax to be a sin tax — tax you for harming the environment. Unfortunately for them, it worked somewhat, and people are driving more efficient cars. Less gas used, less tax collected. The same thing is happening with punitive cigarette taxes across the country to fund pet projects. People stop smoking and the programs have no more money.
They don’t want to raise the gas tax since that would make people mad. So they’re thinking about an alternative tax.
how do you collect gasoline taxes on an electric car?
or a waste grease converted diesel engine?
Yes, and for a group that claims to be concerned with the environment, this would seem to be a step backwards. Tax based on miles travelled rather than fuel used? Duh!? Then driving 100 mi in a Prius or an H2 would be taxed the same, yet the fuel used and "carbon footprint" would be radically different. For an administration playing the environment card, this would be stupid. They should be encouraging (but not mandating) more fuel efficient means of transportation.
My guess is this would end up as an additional tax, not a replacement for the fuel tax.
We pay gasoline taxes for building roads and highways and maintenance
The Feds and most state governments steal these taxes, raid the highway funds and use them on other boondoggles
Obviously any and every mileage tax is a scam to extract more from the citizenry
Wanna bet that this mileage tax will be + the gas tax?