Virginia Transportation Funding Deal

wjtracy,

Tell them to get back to you when

1. The 10% hybrid penetration is a fact;
and 2. They understand the relationship between car weight and road wear.

 

On the miles driven being taxed more at DMV... 1. Hard to do as many do not have GPS, 2. Those that drive farther buy more gas and, therefore, pay more taxes via gas tax, and 3. Gov McD is a one of a very dangerous crew of oddballs. Yes, I live in VA.

 

wjtracy, your fighting a loosing battle. Government is all about revenue and revenue only anyway they can get it. They could care less about you or your noble cause. Your just wasting your time and effort.

 

I would say the libertarian argument would be most helpful with the republicans in Virginia. The prius taxers are really doing an emotional argument that they don't want the government to make them buy an efficient car. THey therefore want to make the prius more expensive. Use the same argument.

The prius taxers seem to want to take away your right to buy the car you want by taxing it more! Why are they singling out hybrids? They want to take away choice in Virginia. They just want to tax and tax to make everyone buy their choice of car. Then you show a civic hybrid driver already pays more in tax than a civic driver in taxes. Better yet use a camry and camry hybrid at least they are made in america and many more people have camrys.

 

tjtracy, I don't mean to burst your bubble and again I admire your stance. The government has become way to corrupt on both sides of the fence now. States with increasing debts cannot rely on the federal government anymore and are looking into every nook and cranny they can find to generate revenue to stay afloat. Instead of pouring all your efforts to proving this over whelming valid point of yours why not channel your knowledge into supporting companies that will make our cars get even better MPG. Hopefully one such company would be willing to swap out our old batteries for newer technology ones that would generate more power, last even longer and allow us to go further down the road thus buying less gas. This in return would indirectly be sticking it to the government even more just like they’re doing to us already. Yes, you’re paying more taxes who doesn’t these days, but you’re saving even more in the long run by staying away from the pumps!

 

Yes, as you can see I'm a Hybrid owner too. If someone would come up with the technology or software for existing Hybrid owners so that they could go further under EV mode from the start up that would be awesome. Better and more powerful batteries could do that in the long run, just nobody is persuing that avenue it's not profitable. Good luck you wjtracy at least your standing up for something, that's more than most people would attempt to do. I hope your succesful in your in devours.

 

Those that complain about the tax, need to write their nova representative and put a stop to the mega projects that cost mega money.

The wanted to put tolls in southern VA to pay for roads in Northern VA. People got pissed.

As far as a hybrid costing $4k more already than a comparable car, if that's an issue then buy the cheaper car. This really isn't an argument.

A Prius weighs about 3000lbs and a V weight about 3300. Right in line with most other compact/midsize cars. So the road wear argument is a valid one.

I can see the other side of the coin about targeting one group to pay for someone else. It sucks but guess what welcome to the USA. The pain you feel now is the same pain I feel when I look at my paystub every week.

 

Absolutely, fight the good fight.

I doubt virginia is the most convoluted. I lived in california. They charged me a fee for bringing in my car from out of state. They also charge a license fee based on the value of your vehicle for cars less than 12 years old, much like your property tax, then add environmental fees. The kicker is almost a 50 cent per gallon gas tax, along with restrictions that keep gasoline refined in other states away boosting the price. Can someone with a few year old prius in California post their fees, I'm sure they end up higher than Virginia, but california likes the prius. That heavy gas tax and regulatory price increase makes traditional ice cars get taxed even higher.

 

The reason why the Prius sells so well in California is economic. The tax is so abusive you have no choice.

 

If you have a chance, could you calculate how many extra gallons an ordinary car would have to buy to equal this extra, annual tax?

I had this image of a pickup and Prius at a pump. Both fill and the gallons and tax calculated. Then the next image, the same pickup and an upscale car, caddy or BMW, as they both fill, the price per gallon goes up and eventually stops with the same amount of gas sold in the first scene.

The voice over points out 'taxing hybrids off the road increases everyone's gasoline cost . . . supply and demand.'

Thanks,
Bob Wilson

 

I travel about 1,300 miles per month so just under 16,000 miles per year. That is about 332 gallons of gas. Gas tax is about 40 cents per gallon in California . That is about $132 in gas taxes. The registration is based on the car value and reduces every year. The registration tax in 2012 the year the car was put in service was a estimated $300. So I'm looking at $432.00 per year in taxes.

Assuming my BMW was the same registration fee it wold have cost me $556 or about $124 more per year in taxes. IF California had the $100 hybrid Penalty tax my Bimmer would be a higher tax by $24 annual.

Politicians have on agenda, raise taxes and keep pension benefits fat and happy for gov workers. Someone needs to break up this party

Virginia Gas tax is 0.17 cents per gallon.Based on my typical annual mileage California pays $76 more annual in a gas tax per gallon but Virginia with it's hybrid penalt tax of $100 makes VA more expensive on gasoline tax but not sure what the VA registration tax is.


This article says California is considering a gas tax increase.

Gas prices going up thanks to possible tax increase | FOX5 San Diego – San Diego news, weather, traffic, sports from KSWB

 

So $100/.17 ~= 588 gallons

So the Gov. wants folks to replace their Prius with something that will burn an additional, 588 gallons per year. Multiply that times the number of Prius (and other hybrids) and now VA has higher gas consumption and increased cost from the higher demand.

But the increased gas price will be paid by down-state, pickup owners, . . . and vacation spots:

"Virginia is for tax-lovers."​

Bob Wilson