1.5 cents per mile instead of gasoline tax

(devil's advocate) aren't plugins paying tax through their electric utility company? Why not just divert some of their taxable money towards road improvements?

.

 

That depends.
EV/PHEV drivers do pay fuel taxes for the electricity that they charge their cars with, but these taxes more than likely benefit the electrical infrastructure rather than roads and bridges.
It's a complex issue, since some if not many electro-car drivers tend to be.....environmentally sensitive. This leads to a few more twists and turns in the road to a solution that’s fair to all drivers, pun almost unintended.
Also you're going to have the further complication of solar, which is already leading to......shall we say.....differences of opinion WRT net metering and universal service.
I favor continued federal kickbacks for EV drivers and sun worshippers alike until those technologies reach a breakaway point, but I also favor a simplified, PAYGO method for collecting monies needed for infrastructure maintenance....NOT bicycle paths, or turtle tunnels, or any of the other crap that usually gets shoehorned into appropriations legislation.
In a world where there is more than one fuel source, it's more of a paying your fair share issue.
I’m only opposed to a PAYGO per-mile tax because even though it’s a simple system with an almost zero-dollar start-up, the government cannot abide by either.
Somebody would insist on a Rube Goldberg system of electronic monitoring and tiered rates so that they could get rich, and influence people and try to perform some misguided social engineering.

 

You need to clear here. Where does the state government use tax dollars to pay for electrical infrastructure? It most places, it is the different divisions of the utilities paying for infrastucture via what various Public Service Commissions allow them to charge the rate payer.

Your answer also seems to mix up all the gerrymandered rate charging and payback schemes used by the utilities and supported by the states as having some relation to government electric tax rates. Those are totally different critters. (I completely agree with the points about government obtuseness in rate regulations, but that was not the point Hill was playing devils advocate about.)

 

I would think that the per kwh (or other parts of your electric bill) go to the electric utility and that pays for the electrical infrastructure.
Most likely, taxes paid on your utility bill go to the state general fund just like taxes paid at the supermarket do.
The one exception that I'm aware of might be nuclear power plant decommissioning fees.

Mike

 

In Minnesota, gas taxes also go to the general fund.
It is one of my biggest complaints. If you are going to tax fuel, the proceeds had better go towards roads.
When they don't, you get things like interstates falling into rivers.

 

^^^ is the crux of the whole matter ^^^

 

July 3, 2015 Update: Georgia's Department of Revenue has reversed course on imposing the $200/year fee on hybrid-electrics, but my analysis is that the statute imposing this fee (tax) must be repealed, because bureaucrats can "change policy" whenever they want under a "good faith" interpretation of their enabling statute: The "Prius Penalty" Lawsuit

July 3, 2015 Update: Georgia's Department of Revenue has reversed course on imposing the $200/year fee on hybrid-electrics, but my analysis is that the statute imposing this fee (tax) must be repealed, because bureaucrats can "change policy" whenever they want under a "good faith" interpretation of their enabling statute: The "Prius Penalty" Lawsuit

July 3, 2015 Update: Georgia's Department of Revenue has reversed course on imposing the $200/year fee on hybrid-electrics, but my analysis is that the statute imposing this fee (tax) must be repealed, because bureaucrats can "change policy" whenever they want under a "good faith" interpretation of their enabling statute: The "Prius Penalty" Lawsuit

July 3, 2015 Update: Georgia's Department of Revenue has reversed course on imposing the $200/year fee on hybrid-electrics, but my analysis is that the statute imposing this fee (tax) must be repealed, because bureaucrats can "change policy" whenever they want under a "good faith" interpretation of their enabling statute: The "Prius Penalty" Lawsuit

 

Thanks greatly for the update(s). (I have also encountered the PriusChat stuttering when making a reply.)

 

Call me crazy, but I'd rather pay a straight gas tax (and have the option of paying cash for an anonymous transaction) than have the government track my movements or, if I don't like that, bring my car in for periodic inspection. This is just an excuse to intrude a little bit more into people's private lives. It's another example of the trend that's steadily rolling back our American heritage of liberty. Yeah, all with good intentions I'm sure, but that's what paves the road to hell -- and now with a mileage tax to get there.

 

I hope that plan is not enacted in Illinois. It will be a lot higher here than 1.5 cents per mile.

 

My C calculates cost of fuel btw 4 or 5 cents per mile. 1.5cent would jack it up by 1/3!

 

Hey this is great stuff! I think I missed it. Was just checking back on this thread.
Of course sounds like me, we already went thru this in Va.

Currently Idaho has a new hybrid fee, and WI and MI thinking about it.
Michigan at least sought auto industry input and Toyota correctly notes fees should be "technology-neutral". Discriminating against hybrids makes no sense as some get <25 MPG.

Unless Prius owners bring these developments to our attention here before the fees are enacted, we cannot assist. One solution in Va. was to register 3 years in advance at lower registration rates and then wait for the fix (which took one year).

I am starting to think we need Federal guidelines on allowable methods of taxing of green cars, which may be to some extent coming out of the (pending) Federal Highway Bill. Hopefully taxing 100% gaso fuel hybrids is NOT considered a valid method, as we and Toyota would postulate it must be technology-neutral and not anti-hybrid.

 

Why not simply charge $10,000 a year for a driver's license? That would keep many unsafe drivers off the road. It would reduce deaths from traffic accidents. It would increase the use of mass transportation.

 

Radical thought!
We're not actually trying to change our consumptive lifestyle, we just want to say we're better cause we're greener. Actually Australia charges $1000/vehicle/yr - a little like you're idea.

 

I would be okay with a per mile tax if we set the rate according to a mix of how much pollution the car emits and the weight of the vehicle. Pollute more, pay more. Weigh more (hence cause more wear and tear on the roads), pay more. Drive more, pay more. Seems like it would be "fair" to all.

 

Ah spoken like a true EV owner...fees OK as long as EV's get a discount.
I actually agree with that though.
I'd say pure gaso hybrids (high MPG cars) deserve to keep their at-the-pump fuel/tax savings.
Then tax Plug_ins sort of equiv to a 50 MPG Prius (less tax than a 25 MPG car).

Your chance may be coming:
Proposed Gas Tax Hike Takes Aim At Hybrid Vehicles &laquo; CBS Los Angeles

We have a huge semantics problem though, as the press/elected officials keep calling all electric drive vehicles "hybrids".

 

^ I like simple.
Every year (or two) in every state you have to register your car, which has a VIN that pretty much gives you a curb weight.
There are also systems in place that keep tabs on miles driven....so when you register your vehicle you can get an odometer reading - or have the owner declare one and *boom!*
Road tax problem: Solved.

If somebody tries to cheat?
Just like with our former Treasury Secretary. If they're politically connected, you excuse the activity, and if not? You fry them.

However (comma!) government bureaucracy cannot exist in an environment that supports simple and effective.
Otherwise?
You wouldn't need the Government bureaucracy.

Some politician's brother in law will want to sell GPS units for every vehicle......
Some eco-weenie will want to tie something completely unrelated to paying for roads for vehicles into the system.....
The eco-chic will want tax breaks for FCVs, PHEVs, HEV's and BEVs.......
Bicyclists are never happy unless they're getting a special lane all to themselves that they don't want to pay for.......
Truckers already pay five figures worth of taxes, but they'll get shaken down some more......

Some day the system will be so bollixed up with programs, exclusions, exemptions, kickbacks, that people will forget why we have road taxes to begin with.

 

I live in Oregon and signed up for OReGO. Anyone have any questions on how the program actually works?