Free Republic

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...

Over the last few years, we’ve seen Democrats raise the idea of adding a new revenue source to supplement the gas tax, as revenues have declined from this stream due to increased fuel efficiency thanks to mandates to that effect imposed by Congress. One bad idea that never seems to die is a mileage tax, which would force Americans to track their travel — or have government do it for them. That idea got shelved along with the Democratic House majority in 2011, but now it’s crept across the aisle (via Instapundit):

Regulations: Are automakers designing cars for drivers — or federal bureaucrats? It's worth asking. Tests found that some top-rated cars performed far worse in the real world than they did in official EPA mileage tests. Consumer Reports, the widely respected consumer product testing magazine, set out to determine whether those fuel mileage stickers the government requires on all cars are realistic. So it tested 315 cars against their official EPA ratings and came up with an interesting finding. While most cars came close to the government's fuel economy rating, two categories didn't — hybrids and cars with small, turbocharged engines....

The Obama administration issued final rules Tuesday that require a major boost in vehicle mileage standards, highlighting a clash with Mitt Romney as the GOP convention gets under way. 

The Transportation Department and Environmental Protection Agency announced joint mileage and carbon emissions rules for model years 2017 through 2025 that will eventually force automakers to meet a standard equivalent to 54.5 miles per gallon.

 Administration officials have made the rules a cornerstone of their energy agenda, noting that alongside earlier 2012-2016 rules, the mandate will eventually save consumers an estimated $1.7 trillion in fuel costs and save 12 billion barrels...

The Obama Administration’s new fuel economy standards will result in the retail price of average motor vehicles to increase over $11,000, according to a study conducted by the Center for Automotive Research. --------------------------------------------------------- The Obama administration’s new fuel economy standards would require automakers to produce cars and light trucks with an average fuel economy of 54.5 mpg by 2025. The Center for Automotive Research says their study is “the result of 11 months of effort and investigation by researchers at CAR in 2010-2011.”

EW YORK, June 26 (Reuters) - The Obama administration is considering requiring all new cars and trucks sold in the United States to get an average of 56.2 miles per gallon by 2025, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.

IRS Increases Mileage Rate to 55.5 Cents per Mile   IR-2011-69, June 23, 2011 WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today announced an increase in the optional standard mileage rates for the final six months of 2011. Taxpayers may use the optional standard rates to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business and other purposes. The rate will increase to 55.5 cents a mile for all business miles driven from July 1, 2011, through Dec. 31, 2011. This is an increase of 4.5 cents from the 51 cent rate in effect for the first six months of...

Frank J at IMAO has it right when he says we've really lost sight of the point of this whole freedom thing. President Obama doesn't waste anytime balancing out his victory over Osama bin Laden by bringing his "crappy president" meter back to 0 with his new proposal to tax on how much we drive. "The power to tax is the power to destroy" is something people with a brain keep in mind every time the word comes up. That's why liberals love to play in that lion's den, they just don't get it. Since I guess there is...

GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. -- The Minnesota Department of Transportation is looking for 500 people to test technology that could someday be used to collect a mileage-based user fee. Mn/DOT anticipates a fee on road usage might someday be necessary as more fuel efficient and hybrid cars are on the road, decreasing revenue from the gas tax. "This research will provide important feedback from motorists about the effectiveness of using technology in a car or truck to gather mileage information," said Cory Johnson, project manager. "We are researching alternative financing methods today that could be used 10 or 20 years from...

Remember when smokers begged for people to be a little understanding? Remember when smokers warned that there would be a tax that ALL people would have to pay on something they held dear? Well, I think the GPS tax for tracking and taxing every mile you drive just may fit that bill. This tax, like the cigarette smokers tax, will have devastating consequences on the poor and middle income people. With a tax on every mile we drive, not to mention tracking information on every mile we drive, are we seeing the "hope" and "change" that Obama and the democrats...

This $600 car is no toy and is ready to be released in China next year. The single seater aero car totes VW (Volkswagen) branding. Volkswagen did a lot of very highly protected testing of this car in Germany, but it was not announced until now where the car would make it's first appearance.

The Obama administration is proposing to raise federal fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks to at least 47 miles per gallon and to as much as 62 mpg by 2025. The proposal, which is still in its early stages, could end up being a consolation prize for environmental activists who are still smarting over the collapse of a comprehensive climate bill in Congress. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are filing a notice Friday indicating they will issue a joint proposed rule next year that will require an increase in fuel efficiency...

Received a letter in the mail from my auto insurance agent wanting to know how many miles are on the car now and how many miles I plan on driving over the next year. Is this required now as I have never received one of these letters????

Does acetone help with gas mileage or hurt your vehicle? And what is a proper ratio of acetone to gas, 2 oz. to five gallons?

It's all in the name of research on finding a better way to tax motorists, and the pay is $895. Wanted: 250 Maine drivers willing to let a stranger put a black box under their dashboard. The reward: $895 and the opportunity to speak their minds about the highway tax experiment to a researcher. University of Iowa researchers are seeking 250 motorists in Cumberland, York and Sagadahoc counties willing to have a computer tracking system installed in their cars for 10 months. The system could someday be used to tax drivers according to the number of miles they drive, rather...

For those interested in such things. Freepers that have farm experience are aware of how efficient diesel tractors are. I put five gallons in mine and bush hog all summer. Here is a link to some guys that convert vehicles to tractor power and have gotten as much as 50mpg from a full size pickup! http://www.shadetreeconversions.com/

And other unintended consequences of strict fuel-economy standards. If something seems too good to be true, it usually is. Such is the case with President Barack Obama's proposed national fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks and a new tailpipe standard for C02 emissions. The national press has uncritically reported that the new standards will make cars "cleaner." In fact, the rules could impose substantial costs in terms of urban air pollution and human life. The standards are designed to reduce C02 emissions from cars, with the twin goals of addressing climate change and reducing dependence on imported energy. Carbon...

Excerpts from "New Obama rules will transform US auto fleet" : Carpenters will still haul materials around in pickup trucks, but they will cost more. So business' will get hit with higher costs. Especially small business'. Can our bankrupt car companies afford to sell less of trucks - a best seller? That means cars and trucks on American roads will have to become smaller, lighter and more efficient. "Smaller, lighter" to me means "less safe." I don't care if a Prius meets government standards, you can't change physics. More steel, more weight, more protection. Already on Tuesday, some drivers were...

1 Hr 45 Mins ago (SNIP) "I think it can be done in far less than that, maybe two years," Oberstar said at a House hearing. He was responding to testimony by Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., who recommended that the transportation bill include pilot programs in every state to test the viability of a mileage-based tax. Blumenauer said public acceptance, not technology, is the main obstacle to a mileage-based tax. Pilot programs "would be able to increase public awareness and comfort and it would hasten the day we could make the transition," Blumenauer said. Oberstar shrugged off that concern. (SNIP)

On Easter Sunday in 2001, Carmelo Scuderi called his family together in his home here and announced, essentially, that he had outsmarted the world's auto makers and their billion-dollar research departments. Scuderi Group unveiled a prototype of its fuel-saving engine Monday in Detroit. Car makers including Honda and Daimler have shown interest. The retired engineer and inventor told his children and grandchildren he had developed a dramatically more fuel-efficient design for the internal combustion engine, something car companies have been chasing for decades. Eight years later, the late Mr. Scuderi's revelation no longer seems as far-fetched. His design -- which...