Oregon lawmakers considering instituting mileage tax... Again

[aGameOfThrones]

In a move likely to cause an uproar across Portland-area coffeehouses, Oregon's state legislature is again considering instituting a per-mile tax on super-fuel-efficient cars and electric vehicles. The state is looking to recuperate revenue lost because more fuel efficient vehicles on the road result in fewer dollars being collected from gas taxes.

According to the Associated Press, Oregon may write a bill that would apply a mileage tax to vehicles getting at least 55 miles per gallon. Lawmakers would track a car's mileage with technology such as a smartphone application or GPS data. No rates have been proposed, and lawmakers may simplify things by offering a flat annual fee instead of vehicle tracking, the AP says.

Oregon has been proposing such a measure for the past decade or so, though the most recent attempt at such a law was rejected in 2011. One bill proposed applying a 1.2-cent per-mile tax. That would equal out to $144 a year for 12,000 miles a year of driving. A few years ago, Oregon tested a GPS-based system that was accurate and reportedly did not encroach too deeply into personal privacy. It collected data all the time, but only connected to a network to transmit data when the vehicle was refueled.

Next door, Washington State's electric-vehicle owners will start being assessed a $100 fee tacked onto their vehicle's registration this year. National mileage taxes have been discussed, but never very seriously.

http://green.autoblog.com/2013/01/04/oregon-lawmakers-considering-instituting-mileage-tax-again/

[angelatc]

OK, so what's the libertarian answer to funding roads? The gas tax was good, but now that the MPGs are being escalated, there's not enough money there to maintain the roads using that system. (Yes, I know it was flawed, but pretend with me for the sake of the argument here.) If mileage isn't the "fair" way to distribute costs, what is?

[luctor-et-emergo]

OK, so what's the libertarian answer to funding roads? The gas tax was good, but now that the MPGs are being escalated, there's not enough money there to maintain the roads using that system. (Yes, I know it was flawed, but pretend with me for the sake of the argument here.) If mileage isn't the "fair" way to distribute costs, what is?

Here in the Netherlands, gas is about $8.75 a gallon, because of all the taxes 'to maintain the roads'.
Cars pay 'road usage' taxes based on their weight, a small car is like $30 a month, a truck is more like $120.

Every couple of years, these people (read: politicians) start talking about GPS controlled mileage-tax. Because according to those lefties 'people that drive a lot don't pay enough towards the roads'. Which is a total bogus argument since people who drive more, will use more fuel and accordingly pay a lot of taxes... But apparently once leftists get used to taxes, they forget about their existence. I should also mention a lot of leftists who want this mileage tax don't even own cars themselves.

I don't like the government building roads, but if they have to. I'd say pay for it with a fuel tax, seems to be the best way to distribute the cost of the roads evenly among the users. Drive more, use more fuel, pay more. The only difference with a free market system is that it's way less efficient if government builds the roads so it will be more expensive..

[Demigod]

OK, so what's the libertarian answer to funding roads? The gas tax was good, but now that the MPGs are being escalated, there's not enough money there to maintain the roads using that system. (Yes, I know it was flawed, but pretend with me for the sake of the argument here.) If mileage isn't the "fair" way to distribute costs, what is?

Toll's for highways,and a fee when you register a vehicle to maintain local roads.The bigger the vehicle the bigger the fee because it does more damage to the roads.The money from a gas tax should go to building new roads if needed.

It is a good system if you have a functioning government which my country does not.So what we have is ever increasing toll`s and registration fees ( they do not dare rise the fuel tax any more ) for what they say is "infrastructure repair" but they end up stealing most of the money and with the rest they finance the enormous bureaucracy while they just patch up the patch ups of the holes everywhere.

And the new roads from the fuel tax are non existent,with that money they finance more and more employment for teachers and every time a fuel tax decrease starts being popular they threaten with layoffs for the teachers.

[squarepusher]

the thing is these taxes don't just fund roads, afaik they fund general fund so politicians can see this as an easy to to get funds.

[Austrian Econ Disciple]

OK, so what's the libertarian answer to funding roads? The gas tax was good, but now that the MPGs are being escalated, there's not enough money there to maintain the roads using that system. (Yes, I know it was flawed, but pretend with me for the sake of the argument here.) If mileage isn't the "fair" way to distribute costs, what is?

The market (e.g. property rights!). It's like asking what is the libertarian answer to funding skyscraper construction...

[aGameOfThrones]

OK, so what's the libertarian answer to funding roads? The gas tax was good, but now that the MPGs are being escalated, there's not enough money there to maintain the roads using that system. (Yes, I know it was flawed, but pretend with me for the sake of the argument here.) If mileage isn't the "fair" way to distribute costs, what is?


What Demigod said?

[Anti Federalist]

OK, so what's the libertarian answer to funding roads? The gas tax was good, but now that the MPGs are being escalated, there's not enough money there to maintain the roads using that system. (Yes, I know it was flawed, but pretend with me for the sake of the argument here.) If mileage isn't the "fair" way to distribute costs, what is?

Raise the fuel tax.

Toll roads.

This idea: Lawmakers would track a car's mileage with technology such as a smartphone application or GPS data. is a nightmare, you will be plugged into the grid everywhere you drive and the unintended loss of privacy will be huge, once government and big business gets it's hands on that data.

Of course all the pukes clamoring for their auto drive cars will render this argument moot, those will monitor everything you do, not just mileage.

[Anti Federalist]

That's because it has nothing to do with taxes or revenue.

It has everything to do with control and keeping a hairy eyeball on every move you make.

God triple damn the DoD for ever making GPS available for widespread use.



Here in the Netherlands, gas is about $8.75 a gallon, because of all the taxes 'to maintain the roads'.
Cars pay 'road usage' taxes based on their weight, a small car is like $30 a month, a truck is more like $120.

Every couple of years, these people (read: politicians) start talking about GPS controlled mileage-tax. Because according to those lefties 'people that drive a lot don't pay enough towards the roads'. Which is a total bogus argument since people who drive more, will use more fuel and accordingly pay a lot of taxes... But apparently once leftists get used to taxes, they forget about their existence. I should also mention a lot of leftists who want this mileage tax don't even own cars themselves.
I don't like the government building roads, but if they have to. I'd say pay for it with a fuel tax, seems to be the best way to distribute the cost of the roads evenly among the users. Drive more, use more fuel, pay more. The only difference with a free market system is that it's way less efficient if government builds the roads so it will be more expensive..

[mad cow]

A mileage tax doesn't need to be intrusive or require a GPS.Once a year,they check your odometer,multiply by $o.xx then send you a tax bill.This could be spread out over 12 months and give you the entire month to get it done as Virginia Inspections are now and take about 1 minute per car,so no long lines
Heck,they already check your odometer and write it down during VA.State inspections.

[paulbot24]

Poor gas mileage =BAD CITIZEN! IT'S THE CLIMATE POLICE! PULL OVER!
Great gas mileage=BAD CITIZEN! IT'S THE IRS! PULL OVER!

Are we ever doing ANYTHING they "approve" of?

[Anti Federalist]

A mileage tax doesn't need to be intrusive or require a GPS.Once a year,they check your odometer,multiply by $o.xx then send you a tax bill.This could be spread out over 12 months and give you the entire month to get it done as Virginia Inspections are now and take about 1 minute per car,so no long lines
Heck,they already check your odometer and write it down during VA.State inspections.

Of course it could be.

That would be the obvious solution, to suck even more money out of us.

But that will not be what is passed.

It has nothing to do with money, it is an excuse to track every move you make in a car.

[Anti Federalist]

Poor gas mileage =BAD CITIZEN! IT'S THE CLIMATE POLICE! PULL OVER!
Great gas mileage=BAD CITIZEN! IT'S THE IRS! PULL OVER!

Are we ever doing ANYTHING they "approve" of?

Short answer, no.

The 900 lb gorilla in the room is just that.

Way too many of "us", not nearly enough of "them".

And ultimately there will be some sort of horrid "Final Solution" proposed.