Pay per mile ...are you kidding me?

[SassyLady]

Isn't the price of gas high enough?!!


An on-again, off-again move by the Obama administration to scrap the federal gas tax in favor of a pay-per-mile fee would boost the tab to Americans as high as 250 percent, raising their current tax of 18.4 cents a gallon to as high as 46 cents, according to a new government study.

But without a tax increase, said the Government Accountability Office (http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/650863.pdf) study, the government's highway fund is going to go dry. One reason the fund is going broke: President Obama's push for fuel efficient cars has resulted in better mileage, and fewer stops at the pump.

The GAO study is just the latest review of federal spending that paints a grim picture of the nation's infrastructure. Just keeping spending at current levels, the GAO said, would require a near doubling of the gas tax to 32 cents a gallon, and that would jump to as high as 46 cents should the federal government add spending to fix crumbling infrastructure and build new roads.

The average driver pays about $96 a year in federal gas taxes, said GAO. Should the administration seek to raise the highway trust fund from $34 billion to the $78 billion needed to fix and maintain roads, that could rise to $248. Translated into a pay-per-mile plan, drivers would face a tax of 2.2 cents per mile compared to the 0.9 cents they pay now. Trucks would pay far more.

"We modeled the average mileage fee rates that would be needed for passenger vehicles and commercial trucks to meet three illustrative Highway Trust Fund revenue targets ranging from about $34 billion to $78.4 billion per year. To meet these targets, a driver of a passenger vehicle with average fuel efficiency would pay from $108 to $248 per year in mileage fees compared to the $96 they currently pay annually in federal gasoline tax," said GAO.

The administration floated that plan in the first term, but scrapped it when it was met with public outrage.

However, several states and some in Congress are now eyeing the plan, keeping it alive as a federal option.

http://washingtonexaminer.com/new-pay-per-mile-scheme-would-boost-taxes-250-percent/article/2518504#.UPT1FCc81-d

[fj1200]

Gotta make those hybrid-driving libs pay somehow. ;)

[Tyr-Ziu Saxnot]

Gotta make those hybrid-driving libs pay somehow. ;)

More like deliberately raising the cost of fuel to make hybrid car buying a better option. Force people into the cars by hook or crook!
Lets just call it like it is... -Tyr

[fj1200]

More like deliberately raising the cost of fuel to make hybrid car buying a better option. Force people into the cars by hook or crook!
Lets just call it like it is... -Tyr

How is the cost of fuel "deliberately being raised"? Also, do you disagree that we need to fund the HTF?

[aboutime]

It's once again. Just another part of the overall plan by the Obama-Tree Hugging, Liberal, Constitutional destruction of the USA.

One step at a time. Tiny steps that eventually become the total journey toward Socialism....just like the DR (Obama) ordered.

[fj1200]

It's once again. Just another part of the overall plan by the Obama-Tree Hugging, Liberal, Constitutional destruction of the USA.


... do you disagree that we need to fund the HTF?

:)

[Kathianne]

I see little reason to keep this 'fund' in the first place. Once interstate roads are built, they should be maintained by the states for the portion that is theirs.

Many if not most states, use either special referendums or tolls to pay for new construction road projects that are intrastate, the feds could do something similar if they get to hankering for new construction.

[aboutime]

:)

Yes. I disagree. Anything the FED gets involved in, in any way that takes more money to be spent as POLITICIANS see fit, rather than as the people see fit...NEEDS TO STOP.

And, everyone needs to constantly be reminded of Obama's words "I WILL NOT RAISE TAXES FOR AMERICANS, NOT ONE DIME!" When he actually was telling the truth as we all found out...He meant MORE THAN ONE DIME.

[Tyr-Ziu Saxnot]

How is the cost of fuel "deliberately being raised"? Also, do you disagree that we need to fund the HTF?

"We modeled the average mileage fee rates that would be needed for passenger vehicles and commercial trucks to meet three illustrative Highway Trust Fund revenue targets ranging from about $34 billion to $78.4 billion per year. To meet these targets, a driver of a passenger vehicle with average fuel efficiency would pay from $108 to $248 per year in mileage fees compared to the $96 they currently pay annually in federal gasoline tax," said GAO.

From previous post by Kat. Can't you read??
Additionally, obama is on record as being in favor of gas prices going to the level they are in Europe. -Tyr

[fj1200]

Yes. I disagree. Anything the FED gets involved in, in any way that takes more money to be spent as POLITICIANS see fit, rather than as the people see fit...NEEDS TO STOP.

And, everyone needs to constantly be reminded of Obama's words "I WILL NOT RAISE TAXES FOR AMERICANS, NOT ONE DIME!" When he actually was telling the truth as we all found out...He meant MORE THAN ONE DIME.

Really? How are we going to pay for highway creation, expansion, and/or maintenance?


"We modeled the average mileage fee rates that would be needed for passenger vehicles and commercial trucks to meet three illustrative Highway Trust Fund revenue targets ranging from about $34 billion to $78.4 billion per year. To meet these targets, a driver of a passenger vehicle with average fuel efficiency would pay from $108 to $248 per year in mileage fees compared to the $96 they currently pay annually in federal gasoline tax," said GAO.

From previous post by Kat. Can't you read??
Additionally, obama is on record as being in favor of gas prices going to the level they are in Europe. -Tyr

I read it just fine, that's not raising the cost of fuel directly, it's raising funds to pay for roads. I'm also not concerned with what he favors, I'm more interested in what he proposes and so far he hasn't suggested raising gas taxes to the level of what Europe sees. Also, the lower range estimate was a mere $8 more year year. Nevertheless, this will go nowhere because there is no compliance mechanism that isn't a huge encroachment of government.

[glockmail]

This is nothing new. The gas tax has never been a 100% revenue producer to pay for roads. I think it should be.

But I'm torn here. On one hand I believe in pay as you go systems, and the gas tax is a simple system that models the cost to build and maintain roads, since heavier vehicles require more expensive roads with higher maintenance and they use more fuel. Also, the Constitution requires FedGov to build and maintain Post Roads.

On the other hand I see a lot of waste in road building and maintenance. Union labor laws inflate the costs and public agencies are notoriously unproductive. I see a lot of cost saving potential in reducing mowing, for example. Cut a 6' swath along the road shoulder several times/ year and then bush-hog to 30' annually to keep trees out of the run-out area.

I'd also like to see these wide medians and shoulders leased to farmers, both grain and solar. This is under-utilized land that should be making money. I'd also like to see solar bridges over roads, especially near cities where the electricity is needed.

[Little-Acorn]

Pay per mile ...are you kidding me?


Isn't the price of gas high enough?!!

Careful.

Remember that you can make the silliest jokes possible about what liberal big-govt fanatics do... only to find them doing exactly what you joked about, in all seriousness, a week later.

The only inaccuracy in the "article", is that they probably won't replace the gas tax with a pay-per-mile tax. They will ADD the pay-per mile tax, while keeping the gas tax in place.

[Thunderknuckles]

The only inaccuracy in the "article", is that they probably won't replace the gas tax with a pay-per-mile tax. They will ADD the pay-per mile tax, while keeping the gas tax in place.
That would be my bet as well.
All said, I don't like pay per mile. I think it affects people west of the Mississippi more due to more open space and greater commute lengths. As it stands, I pay about 72 cents in gas tax per round trip to work due to my fuel efficiency. With pay per mile that would jump to about $1.50. In any case this is going to hit the middle class and the poor the most due to increased costs for just about everything due to the big hit shipping would take. For a guy that said he would raise taxes only on the rich, this administration is really laying the smack down on everyone but the rich.