New DMV Head Advocates Tax On MilesDriven

The KCRA Channel ^ | November 16, 2004 | staff

[absalom01]

New DMV Head Advocates Tax On Miles Driven

Joan Borucki Is Veteran Of State Transportation Programs

POSTED: 10:16 am PST November 16, 2004
UPDATED: 6:19 pm PST November 16, 2004
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Tired of high gas prices? Right now, drivers are paying a tax of 18 cents for every gallon of gas bought. The new chief of the state Department of Motor Vehicles has an idea that would wipe out the gas tax, but at what cost?

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's newly appointed director of the DMV, Joan Borucki, wants to charge people for every mile they drive.Schwarzenegger said Tuesday that the idea has yet to receive in-depth consideration, but talk of a "mileage tax" is causing a political commotion.Honda dealer Katina Rapton says that the idea of an "mileage tax" is crazy, and that California already requires the manufacture and sale of clean-burning, fuel-efficient cars, which cost consumers more to drive off the lot."To me it doesn't make much sense," Rapton said. "And then turn around and penalize them on the backside for using their cars and getting better gas mileage? It doesn't make much sense."The mileage could be tracked with a device placed in the car. It's an idea that Borucki included in the governor's recently completed California Performance Review. The idea is echoed by transportation planners.

"We have to go to another device because we can't continue to rely on the gas tax in its current form, because we're using less gasoline as the price of gas goes up," said Mineta Transportation Institute spokesman Rod Diridon Sr.But Schwarzenegger, who was in Stockton Tuesday, was talking cautiously."I know the idea that has been talked about. But I don't know exactly what that would mean and what effect it would have exactly. So, I want to think it through before I make a commitment on that," Schwarzenegger said.The idea could be politically explosive for the governor who was elected, in part, on his pledge to roll back the state's car tax.Highly fuel-efficient cars like the Honda Civic would be most dramatically impacted if the idea goes forward because the driver would be charged for the miles driven, not the gas consumed.

[Myrddin]

Idaho vehicle registration is dirt cheap compared to California. I don't have to screw with smog checks in Pocatello either. My auto insurance is a lot less expensive than it was in San Diego too. Gasoline is cheaper too. Now that I'm telecommuting 100%, my Saturn SL2 is accruing almost 1000 miles EACH YEAR. I was accruing that much EACH MONTH on my commute to work in San Diego. I did have to buy a battery charger to keep the battery topped up.

It's a real treat to make my QUARTERLY trip to the gas station.

[Myrddin]

Arnold has always been a gun grabber. Expect him to sign every anti-gun law that crosses his desk. Yet another reason I left sunny San Diego for Pocatello, Idaho. The lefties have control of the state legislature and governor's office. The tax, spend, coddle illegals and trample the gun owners behavior will continue unabated.

[fritzz]

You have my permission to drive to American Falls once a week Or for a real treat head on up to Rigby. Anything to give us a little tax money for our state highway.

[Carry_Okie]

We need to go to hydrogen, with no tax on it. That will force them to cut agencies and expenses that are useless or worse enslave our people.

Hooey. The conversion to hydrogen would produce a net increase in natural gas consumption and pollution.

[absalom01]

"The minute this idea came up, Schwarzenegger's response should have been simple:"

There is no way this came up without first being reviewed by the Governator's office. The idea is in the California Performance Review, and has been floating around before that.

This is Arnie's trial balloon. He's kept plausible deniability, but will soon knows a) the sorts of folks who will be fore and against this and b) the intensity of the pro and con.

[absalom01]

So Now I'll sell repair kits to help put GPS systems on the right track. And, we might need a mini-jammer while we are repairing our system.

heh.

Further down the thread, some folks seem to be getting close to invoking rule 308, which is a bit over the top in the present instance.

McClintock has it right -- this is a needlessly intrusive proposal, with all sorts of very dangerous precedents and potential misapplications inherent in it.

It's simply too much information to give to the state, but you can bet that they'll keep coming back to this for the next decade or two.

The price of freedom really is eternal vigilance.

[JSteff]

"the driver would be charged for the miles driven, not the gas consumed."

Are our public officials being selected from the bottom of the barrel? Are they dense or just completely stupid? Are citizens even more stupid than ever or what?

First it would tend to make no incentive for buying clean, fuel thrift vehicles. Second it would not be the end of the gas taxes for long.

You know they would bring those fuel taxes back because it is easy to collect them. How would the monitor your driven miles except through intrusive monitoring of the publics miles and driving destinations.

Stupid.

[Steel Wolf]

Highly fuel-efficient cars like the Honda Civic would be most dramatically impacted if the idea goes forward because the driver would be charged for the miles driven, not the gas consumed.

This would seem to be a showstopper arguement, huh? The only fair way to tax people for the gas they use is to...

(wait for it.... wait for it...)

TAX the gas itself!

[SierraWasp]

Yeah! I remember Adraina Giant Turkey!!! Sold off some of the best highway rights of way imaginable! Wish she'da sold the right of way to the "Hydrogen Highway!" Phhht!!!

[SierraWasp]

"We need to go to hydrogen"

Oh good lord!!!

[freekitty]

Are they telling anyone about the costs of implementing this crazy bs idea? I bet not. Like what is the contraption going to cost and what about the commission they are going to have set up to steal...ur....collect the fees? It's just another ruse to keep that graft money coming in.

Remember, if it weren't for the graft; we wouldn't have to pay high taxes. This is the real problem. Not every little stupid idea they can come up with. The problem is the money they keep stealing from us so they will have to keep coming up with stupid ideas like this.

[freekitty]

It just makes me so mad that these thieves are always getting away with stealing our money. It's not just the politicians; it's business as well. Our illustrious thieving leaders along with the greedy politicians.

[tubebender]

That's what happen to Eureka. 101 runs on city streets with about 30 stop lights. They had about 70% of the right of way for the first phase and sold it off...

[SierraWasp]

"in which motorists pay more to travel during peak periods"

Why are you (and they) so willing to discriminate against commuters who only wish to protect their families from the militant criminality of the MetroSexuals and enjoy the great American freedom of RuralSexual existance???

This whole dumb idea is based on "Rural Cleansing" to reverse "Urban Sprawl" and force us "red zone voters" back into the vermin plagued cities where individualism cannot exist!!!

Arnold should be fired for ever appointing this idiot. He's not fooling anyone... He loves this idea to go along with his other "Rural Cleansing" Sierra-Nevada CONservancy boondogle!!!

[SierraWasp]

"Gray Davis raided that specific fund 3 different times and put the $$$ into the general fund to pay for all the feel good and fuzzy items the Liberals in Sacramento keep voting for."

And Schwartzie hasn't put a stop to it like many of you all hired him to do! Aren'tcha pist yet??? How long ya gonna keep forgiven him???

What's the difference between tax and spend, or shift and spend or borrow and spend???

[RightWingBev]

as a california native this is the most dumbest idea i have ever head of and if you live in ca. like i do you know once they put a tax in THEY NEVER TAKE IT AWAY. 12 years ago we got a tax for water it was only for a year 12 years later we still get a bill for this tax (this is an additional assessment tax)I GUESS THE DUMB A** IN CA DIDN'T HEAR THE NEWS ON THURSDAY 1 IN4 CA. RESIDENTS ARE LEAVING, UHAUL AND MOVING TRUCKS ARE ALREADY RENTED OUT, THE HARD EARNING MIDDLE CLASS WILL BE NEXT AND HOLLYWIERD AND THE LIBERAL'S IN SAC. CA. WILL WONDER WHERE THE HECK ALL THE MONEY IS GOING TO COME FROM TO PAY THE BILLS I GUESS THEY ALSO, DIDN'T READ THE ARTICLE IN NEWS MAX THAT THE RED STATES LIVE BETTER THAN THE BLUE STATES. WILL ANOTHER REASON ON MY LIST OF REASONS TO LEAVE THIS AWFUL STATE.

[hedgetrimmer]

AWFUL STATE

Actually, California is a beautiful state with an exciting history. Its us, the citizens of California who've let this great state down by allowing socialism and greed destroy it. IMO.

[festus]

I'd like this if it meant dropping the gas tax.

That little cable to the odometer that just fell off I tell ya!

[Alberta's Child]

Although I would agree that most motorists don't take that into account.

That's exactly right; there is a perception among many motorists that their time isn't worth anything, which explains why people will often drive miles out of their way to save $5 on a specific item in a retail store.

[cherry]

it doesn't matter if its idiotic.....the bureucrats will shove it down our throats because all they care about is getting more of our hard earned money....

people in Cal and Oregon.....you better start referrending this stupidity out before they really get it rolling.....

what a disgrace to have these people try to do this after all these years of yelling at us to drive less, to buy gas efficent cars, all because of the "environment?

well, we were right about them the whole time....all they really want is to manipulate my money and yours, and their "ideals" are about as solid as Micheal Moore's belly....