Mileage Tax

This is interesting. What are your thoughts on this?

Mileage tax

I dont like it all. I think the goverment has to much control now, this would just make someones pocket thicker (not being mine) with that said I am against it.

I can see some pros and cons but don't think it's a great solution to anything. Part of that is selfish, we do quite a bit of driving but it's 90% legitimate for DH's work...and we live rural which makes me feel a little penalized and I don't really like that factor either.

More than anything though, I'm not happy with how the government is handling our money and am pretty resentful at the thought of giving them even MORE

I feel as someone who lives in a rural area we are penalized in lots of ways. They always push for public transportation, etc, etc, but some of us can't use public transportation. Believe me, if a bus came out my way, I'd much rather take it than drive to work, although it doesn't take me long and isn't a stressful ride, and I don't pay for my monthly parking. Not only that, we living out in the country are already taxed for the upkeep of our rural roads, which in my area is TERRIBLE.

well if you are already paid on the tax for the gas and already paid the tax on the car...why have more tax on the mileage? Is it for the roads?
and how about these hybrids, do they not have to pay the taxes like for the gas because they dont use it, so is it just another way to get more money to the government?

For years, opponents of suburban sprawl and those concerned about global warming have been among those arguing for a simple gas tax that would encourage fuel efficiency and create disincentives to wasteful driving. The idea is to correct an economic "externality": The cost of dealing with all the pollution from burning fossil fuels and developing far-flung suburbs isn't paid at the pump.

Congress, for the most part, cowered in the face of the idea, since supporting any new tax in America risks political suicide. But now, Congress appears to be coming around to a new idea: a tax on the number of miles you drive. Like the current gasoline tax, this money would be used to pay for highways and other transportation needs.

The Obama Administration opposes a mileage tax, but there's growing support in Congress, according to McClatchy.

There's still support among some environmentalists, given that a mileage tax would carry some of the same disincentives to driving that a fuel tax would. Fiscal watchdogs favor it because an increase in fuel efficient vehicles would ultimately hobble the ability to raise money from a gas tax.

But critics point out that, unlike a gas tax, a mileage tax doesn't offer any incentive to buy fuel-efficient vehicles. A low-carbon fuel standard, a carbon cap-and-trade regulation or other laws may increase the price of gas, creating the same disincentive that a straight tax would, as well as fuel economy upgrades mandated by Congress could accomplish the same thing, however. (Critics are also concerned about privacy, if GPS were to be used to monitor one's miles driven.)

Since most of the money generated by a tax would flow back into the building and repairing of highways and bridges, the entire conversation involves supporting a car-dependent society. What about public transportation?

New numbers out today from the American Public Transportation Association indicate that 2008 saw a 4% increase in the public's usage of trains, buses and ferries. Vehicle miles driven dropped almost as much, 3.6%. Everyone sees that shift as a response to the extraordinary run-up in gas prices; lower prices and the recession -- which is keeping more people at home while they're out of work, and leading governments to cutback on public transportation service -- are expected to lead to a decrease in public transportation usage in 2009.

Ensuring Americans have fuel-efficient public transportation options should be a high priority for any transportation spending -- whether the money comes from a mileage tax, a gas tax or some other source.

Would it be instead of gas tax, or on top of it? If it were instead of, I don't really see the point because it would just be more to keep track of and report. But I don't know how it would be different than gas tax since even if you live in a rural area (as I do) if you are driving more and have more mileage than the average person, isn't it the same as having to buy more gas than the average person to cover those miles, and being taxed on that? Maybe I'm misunderstanding something though.

It would be in addition to the gas tax.

It would be in addition to the gas tax.

Ok, then I vote NO.

I seriously doubt this will ever happen.