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What they are trying to do is to restrict/discourage driving.

I'm guessing that they are afraid that people will buy more fuel efficient vehicles and continue to drive more and more miles, and that the gas tax won't be sufficient to discourage that behavior, even if raised.

But they'll never admit that.

If they really want people to drive less miles, they should get serious about encouraging telecommuting for those sectors in which it would make sense.

This idea, while "idiotic" on its face, is based on a very rational premise: When something is free -- or perceived to be free -- it will always tend to be used to excess. That's exactly why nobody in California bothered to conserve energy even as the state was facing massive power shortages a few years ago -- none of the customers had an incentive to limit their energy consumption because the price they were paying for their energy did not reflect the scarcity of it.

The same holds true for public thoroughfares such as highways and streets. There is definitely a "cost" associated with using these facilities, and a substantial amount of the cost is often paid through fuel taxes. The problem, though, is that the user does not pay an incremental cost that accurately reflects his use of the system; he has no clear financial incentive to vary his travel times and/or routes in response to variations in demand. In that sense, the motorist is similar to a customer in a restaurant with an all-you-can-eat menu. The restaurant will always make sure its prices are high enough to cover their costs, but once a customer has paid for his meal he has no incentive to stop eating because there is no incremental cost associated with each additional trip to the serving line. The natural end result is a customer base of obese people.

In an ideal situation, vehicle traffic would operate in a manner similar to electric and gas utilities, in which motorists pay more to travel during peak periods and/or on fast routes. The roadway system doesn't even have to be operated by a government entity; a number of states have experimented with privately-owned toll roads (parallel to "free" roads) that provide superior travel conditions to motorists who are willing to pay a price for it.

I read yesterday that yet another California company has decided to leave California and re-locate in Missouri. Their loss is our gain!

Californians can thank the highly intelligent tax and spend pundits whose only job is to bring in more revenue.
When California hears the sucking sound of more good jobs going to tax friendly, non invasive states with reasonable environmental laws they once again can thank their great politicians.

California may be the 5th largest economy in the world, but it ranks last in the ability to say no to new tax and spend schemes.

Sooooo Who is paying for the Geo-positioning unit that they will require in my vehicle? How often will I have to mandatorily have to "upgrade" this unit because "newer and better" units are now available?

Without a search warrant, this government had better have a good story why I should have this unit in my vehicle.

People are paying less into the gas tax coffers because we are getting onto the mass transit that they have forced down our throats. The tolls on the bridges-particularly in SF area- have gone nuts, and we have been guilted into buying little tin boxes on wheels that get lots of mpg, but are a rolling place to die. Way too light and way too thin or plastic.

If I had been guilted into buying a Prius and had waited over a year for my car and paid like $10,000 over high Mfg list because of the demand to get high mileage, then was told to pay taxes based on the miles I drive, I have been shafted.

Since there is such a high rate of vacationers in Calif with out of state vehicles, how will they tax those people for gas tax?
This will drive people right out of Calif. Tooooo much like Big Brother. SCARY. It is NO ONE's business where I go and how many miles I drive.

How many people bought houses quite a ways from the city center because they couldn't afford the high inner city prices, etc, and are commuting a passle of miles each day in order to own their own home, This will penalize them all over again.

"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.

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....