Gas Tax Or Mileage Tax? You Choose.

[jyl]

Just heard about this pilot program in OR. You can choose to pay $0.30/gal gasoline tax OR $0.015/mile mileage tax. No, I have no idea how this is enforced or implemented. It is a pilot, a test, only 5000 people can sign up.

As far as I can tell, if you average 25 mpg or above, you're better off paying the gas tax. Below 25 mpg and you're better off paying the mileage tax. So I imagine RV owners should be scrambling to sign up - as long as they mostly drive their RVs inside OR.

[jyl]

The Era of Pay-Per-Mile Driving Has Begun - Eric Jaffe - The Atlantic Cities

Obviously, one scenario is that in future, OR switches entirely to mileage tax or even imposes both. But it is s small enough state that this could become the #1 issue for voters and get legislators kicked out, so I doubt anything onerous will happen.

[McLovin]

this will be a huge boon for housing prices in and near cities, and will kill housing values in outlying suburbs that are 40-60+ driving minutes away.

[john70t]

A milage tax would require a government approved tamper-proof GPS locator in every vehicle, whatever the year....
To be 'certified tamper proof', certain inspections might be applied.
Otherwise, anyone with half a brain would soon attempt to cheat this system of 'fair and equal' taxation.
"Just unplug the thing". Duh.

That of course would require further inspections, and enforcement.


A milage tax would also not discriminate between actual public road-damage and air pollution caused by:
1). A 1,753lbs / 50mpg Geo Metro.
2). A 7,300lbs / 13mpg GM Escalade.

[widebody911]

When they do smog checks in California, don't they do a dump of the ECU? That would give you the mileage, wouldn't it?

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by widebody911

When they do smog checks in California, don't they do a dump of the ECU? That would give you the mileage, wouldn't it?

Not on my 1980s cars.

[Tervuren]

Originally Posted by john70t

A milage tax would require a government approved tamper-proof GPS locator in every vehicle, whatever the year....
To be 'certified tamper proof', certain inspections might be applied.
Otherwise, anyone with half a brain would soon attempt to cheat this system of 'fair and equal' taxation.
"Just unplug the thing". Duh.

That of course would require further inspections, and enforcement.


A milage tax would also not discriminate between actual public road-damage and air pollution caused by:
1). A 1,753lbs / 50mpg Geo Metro.
2). A 7,300lbs / 13mpg GM Escalade.

Actually, they could base the mileage tax on the curb weight of the vehicle...

Since any system like this can be used to track my driving habits, I feel its an invasion of privacy, I'd rather not sign up.

[afterburn 549]

WOW
When will they get out of our pockets !

[Jim Richards]

Originally Posted by afterburn 549

WOW
When will they get out of our pockets !

When they stop building and maintaining roads and bridges, although it's not likely even then.

[Flat Six]

This from the same bass-ackwards state government that allows triple tractor-trailers on their roadways (looks like a freight train on the interstate) but doesn't allow you to pump your own gas. Nutballs.

[jyl]

The pilot scheme is complicated, as it is trying to accomplish quite a bit.

OR will not tax miles driven outside of the state, because those aren't wearing out state roads and it would be double-taxing (mileage tax plus the other state's gas tax). So they can't do it off an odometer reading, has to be a GPS.

I'm not interested in letting a GPS tracker into my car so I won't sign up. I imagine many drivers will feel that way.

I also don't think there's enough economic incentive to choose the mileage tax. The breakpoint is 20 mpg. If you get worse fuel economy, you save money with the mileage tax. But how much?

- RV gets 8 mpg, driven 5000 miles in OR, choosing mileage tax saves $112
- Pickup gets 15 mpg, driven 30000 miles in OR, mileage tax saves $150
- sedan gets 25 mpg, 30000 miles in OR, save $90

It's all too little to matter.

For us, figure 35 mpg and 10000 miles in OR, the mileage tax would be $64 more expensive.

Interesting idea, but I think it will fail.

[Brando]

Don't worry. If you are in a liberal paradise, you will get both. I highly doubt the fed will relinquish their fuel profits. The state(s) want to take more and give the impression that you are saving.

[red-beard]

Seems like the thing to do, which wouldn't require a GPS, would be recording the vehicle mileage during the yearly inspection and reporting it. And you're right, it would probably need to be based on a (vehicle weight * miles driven * tax factor).

[Jim Richards]

Originally Posted by Brando

Don't worry. If you are in a liberal paradise, you will get both. I highly doubt the fed will relinquish their fuel profits. The state(s) want to take more and give the impression that you are saving.

John's thread is about an Oregon gas vs. mileage tax program, not a federal program.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

I think a mileage tax is the most fair but it needs to be implemented in a way that prevents extra data mining (where people went, when, etc.) from getting into the hands of the government or worse still, the insurance companies that own it (major privacy issues). Also it'd need to be enacted as a REPLACEMENT for all existing vehicle taxes, not as a new supplement to them.

Because I don't ever see the powers that be resolving these two major roadblocks, I doubt it'll ever happen and we're likely to be stuck with the present screwed-up system as have, with the government constantly looking for new ways to punish motorists And levy new taxes on them.

[wdfifteen]

A tax based on mileage x weight makes the most sense, but our current system is so entrenched I don't think it will be possible to change it.

[porwolf]

Don't worry about paying taxes on gas or road taxes.l It will not change the car culture. Europe pays $8.00 per gallon because of fuel taxes and traffic on the roads is heavier than ever. People will drive cars not matter how much it costs. Maybe just not as often, or drive somewhat smaller cars. But cars will be driven no matter what. I remember when gasoline prices rose to 1 dollar a gallon and people were screaming that it will be the end of the American car culture!

[porwolf]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

A tax based on mileage x weight makes the most sense, but our current system is so entrenched I don't think it will be possible to change it.

A fuel tax is the best and easiest way to tax road use and pollution. It takes in account both milage driven and weight of the vehicle..

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by Flat Six

This from the same bass-ackwards state government that allows triple tractor-trailers on their roadways (looks like a freight train on the interstate) but doesn't allow you to pump your own gas. Nutballs.

trucking firms have really good lobbyists!

they always claim that w/o triples they would "have" to run lots more doubles and it would be less safe for car drivers - no mention that maybe, just maybe, more frieght would move by rail

trucks already pay a wt.-mile tax (which they hate)

the fuel tax does not touch EVs at all; and undercharges hybrids

*** now, how many of you want to subsidize electric cars by not charging them for road maintenance???

[wdfifteen]

Originally Posted by porwolf

A fuel tax is the best and easiest way to tax road use and pollution. It takes in account both milage driven and weight of the vehicle..

It is easy, yes, but it doesn't take energy source into consideration or the space requirements of fuel efficient vehicles. It gives drivers of electric vehicles and hybrids a pass. A Prius may not weigh much and wreaks less wear and tear, but it still takes up space on the road - space that has to be provided by building more roads as more Priuses (or Priusi or whatever the plural of Prius is) hit to road. States are already complaining that at present tax rates they can't maintain roads because of the drop in tax income due to fuel efficient vehicles and the increase in the number of vehicles on the road.