Oregon to test pay-per-mile idea as replacement for gas tax

[pwaldo]

http://apnews.myway.com/article/2015...ff38a74ea.html

Oregon is about to embark on a first-in-the-nation program that aims to charge car owners not for the fuel they use, but for the miles they drive.

The program is meant to help the state raise more revenue to pay for road and bridge projects at a time when money generated from gasoline taxes are declining across the country, in part, because of greater fuel efficiency and the increasing popularity of fuel-efficient, hybrid and electric cars.

Starting July 1, up to 5,000 volunteers in Oregon can sign up to drive with devices that collect data on how much they have driven and where. The volunteers will agree to pay 1.5 cents for each mile traveled on public roads within Oregon, instead of the tax now added when filling up at the pump.

Some electric and hybrid car owners, however, say the new tax would be unfair to them and would discourage purchasing of green vehicles.

"This program targets hybrid and electric vehicles, so it's discriminatory," said Patrick Connor, a Beaverton resident who has been driving an electric car since 2007.

The OreGo program is projected to cost $8.4 million to implement and is aimed to gauge public acceptance of the idea of charging motorists per mile of road they travel. It will be up to the Legislature to decide whether to adopt a mandatory road usage charge.

One of the biggest concerns will be whether a program like OreGo could actually discourage people from buying electric or hybrid vehicles.

Drive Oregon, an advocacy group for the electric-vehicle industry, supports the program because every driver should pay for road repairs, executive director Jeff Allen said. Still, he said, "The last thing we need to do right now is to make buying electric cars more expensive or inconvenient."

[duane1969]

Here is the catch. Are they going to drop the gasoline tax? I bet not. Instead they are going to tax you twice. Once when you buy the gas and again when you use it.

It definitely will discourage buying electric vehicles. The whole point of buying them is to avoid spending money on gas. If you are going to be taxed for driving because you are not being taxed for buying gas then why worry about the added expense and hassle of an electric car?

I also see this leading to a lot of fraud. People will be disconnecting their speedometers to avoid racking up miles like crazy. Just using my drive to and from work as a guide, it would cost me $480 a year in mileage tax. If I am paying tax at the pump and being taxed per mile I would not be a happy camper.

[deansayso]

We live in the corner of a state. Most of our shopping happens in either south Dakota or Minnesota. How would those miles be kept track of? Are they going to put a locator on my car?

[duane1969]

We live in the corner of a state. Most of our shopping happens in either south Dakota or Minnesota. How would those miles be kept track of? Are they going to put a locator on my car?

Good point. I live about 15 miles from the Virginia border. Same scenario as yours.

[37jetson]

This idea is stupid and far too much "Big Brother" in nature. Gas taxes are the most effective way to assure everyone (including out of staters) are paying for their use of the roads. I am not a save the earth type of person, but believe that the owners of electric and hybrid vehicles should receive incentive for their higher costs of purchase. These owners have plenty of justification in their complaints. I cannot figure why anybody would willing let the government monitor them with an electronic device. There is no chance the device would be used to gather any other data.....

[deansayso]

electric and hybrids should have to pay the same taxes. They use the road just as much as everyone else. Gas taxes go to fix roads. I also think bikes should have to pay taxes.

This idea is stupid and far too much "Big Brother" in nature. Gas taxes are the most effective way to assure everyone (including out of staters) are paying for their use of the roads. I am not a save the earth type of person, but believe that the owners of electric and hybrid vehicles should receive incentive for their higher costs of purchase. These owners have plenty of justification in their complaints. I cannot figure why anybody would willing let the government monitor them with an electronic device. There is no chance the device would be used to gather any other data.....

[duane1969]

electric and hybrids should have to pay the same taxes. They use the road just as much as everyone else. Gas taxes go to fix roads. I also think bikes should have to pay taxes.

I agree with what you are saying in general, but here is the problem I have with that. The car companies import parts, they pay import taxes. They sell me the car, they pay income taxes. When I buy a car, I pay sales taxes. When I change the oil, I pay sales taxes. When I buy new tires, I pay sales taxes (plus a fee to get rid of the old ones). When I get repairs done, I pay taxes. When I buy gas, I pay taxes. So why is gasoline tax the only tax that is paid involving my car that goes to infrastructure? The government gets more than enough money from all taxation involving automobiles to keep the roads and bridges we drive on in pristine condition.

[gsj68]

I agree with what you are saying in general, but here is the problem I have with that. The car companies import parts, they pay import taxes. They sell me the car, they pay income taxes. When I buy a car, I pay sales taxes. When I change the oil, I pay sales taxes. When I buy new tires, I pay sales taxes (plus a fee to get rid of the old ones). When I get repairs done, I pay taxes. When I buy gas, I pay taxes. So why is gasoline tax the only tax that is paid involving my car that goes to infrastructure? The government gets more than enough money from all taxation involving automobiles to keep the roads and bridges we drive on in pristine condition.

+1

but the guy watching a guy watch a guy shovel asphalt just bought a killer new ski boat