Posted on 05/07/2014 4:30:57 PM PDT by OneVike
The California Legislature is looking at a voluntary program that would tax motorists for every mile they drive.
KCAL9’s Bobby Kaple reports that Sen. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord, introduced a bill to test out the vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax because the state’s gas tax was no longer bringing in the revenue it used to due to people driving more fuel efficient vehicles.
The program is modeled after ones in Oregon and Washington.
“We want to do as Washington and Oregon have done in a much bigger state with much longer commutes…to make sure that we find out whether it would work, whether the public would like it or not,” DeSaulnier said.
It’s unknown how much the tax would be, but Oregon currently charges its volunteers 1.5 cents per mile.
“All of those things would be determined. We would let the agency determine that because this would be a voluntary program,” DeSaulnier said.
Southland commuters were not thrilled about the idea of a VMT tax.
(Excerpt) Read more at losangeles.cbslocal.com ...
Oregon’s program:
http://roadchargeoregon.org/frequently-asked-questions/#FAQtax
http://roadchargeoregon.org/frequently-asked-questions-2013-pilot/
That was exactly what I was just thinking. I have an older vehicle. I would just roll my odometer back and say hey, i drive very little.
Yea well that rebate idea would last a year or maybe 5 at the most.
Then it would end and the same politicians will raise both the gas taxes and the tax per mile. All because the pet projects the money is supposed to pay for has been costing more than they projected.
Don’t ever never fall for the idea that any new tax is a good tax my friend. Trust me, no tax is good, because no old tax it was supposed to replace never goes away.
Gas taxes are already a mileage tax. The more you drive the more often you fill up the more you pay.
Sure. Even if they actually got rid of the gas tax, we’d hear this in a few years:
“People are driving less, so highway tax revenue is down. We need to increase the rates to have enough money to maintain the highways.”
Or they will just say they need to reintroduce the fuel tax...
There are now a lot of vehicles on the road that never, or rarely, use gasoline or diesel fuel, yet are quite heavy, and use the roads a lot.
They aren’t paying.
Then apply it to them and leave us alone. Sick of them changing everyone else’s way of doing things for a few.
Yeah, they could just pay a highway tax at tag renewal.
15K miles a year at 1.5 cents per, would be a $225.00 annual fee.
Thanks for the clarification. I missed the part about the rebate on the gas tax.
In general I am in favor of other people owning hybrids or electrics. It just leaves that much more gas for me. ;0)
If you don’t drive, you wouldn’t be buying gas, which is where the existing road tax is paid. That part doesn’t change and is not an improvement.
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