It was the potholes that convinced real estate broker Lester Friedman that there’s got to be a better way to pay for road construction and repairs.
Friedman, who lives in Bend, Oregon, drives about 8,000 miles a year in his 1999 Chevrolet Suburban, ferrying clients throughout central Oregon. He sees roads in various states of disrepair and he can tell you first-hand that the current arrangement just isn’t working.
That’s why he volunteered to test a new program in his home state that would levy a tax on miles driven, rather than on each gallon of fuel purchased. In every other state, and at the federal level, gasoline taxes are levied on a per-gallon basis.
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4 comments:
Same as a rain tax... taxing something we already pay a tax on.
Does he get all of his fuel taxes back?
If not, he's stupid for paying twice!
10:58...how do you figure he is paying twice?
As much as I hate it, a miles driven tax would be the most fair transportation tax conceived. If the tax on gas is to maintain the highway infrastructure, why are electric and hybrid vehicle owners not paying their fair share? They use the highways as much as others. If the user tax is to reduce gasoline consumption and provide an incentive to drive more efficient vehicles, then taxing each gallon of gas used is the way to go. However, if the tax is for maintenance of roadways, then the highest users should pay more, and the lesser users should pay less. Logically it just makes sense.
But, ahhh, there' political and economic factors involved. Business people (money people, i.e. political donors) have a vested interest in keeping people on the road and NOT to provide an incentive to drive less miles. Driving less miles would both reduce gasoline consumption, and reduce the amount of money flowing into our economy, as every one knows, when we drive somewhere, we spend money. Food, lodging, shopping, drinks, snacks....billions of dollars not spend if we just stay home. Our politicians and their benefactors are not going to allow that to happen!
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