One way or another
So Just bought a fuel efficient hybrid and said goodbye to his gas-guzzling BMW.
[snip]
And that saves him almost $300 a month in gas. It’s great for Just but bad for the roads he’s driving on, because he also pays a lot less in gasoline taxes which fund highway projects and road repairs. As more and more hybrids hit the road, cash-strapped states are warning of rough roads ahead.
Officials in car-clogged California are so worried they may be considering a replacement for the gas tax altogether, replacing it with something called “tax by the mile.”
February 16th, 2005 at 10:58 am
I was about to write a post about this yesterday, but did not have the time.
what upsets me the most is that the enviormentalist got exactly what they wanted (more effecient cars, higher gas taxes), and now they are going to find another way to tax you.
you are getting taxed for the same activity twice.
February 16th, 2005 at 1:24 pm
that guy buys a lot of gas. geez. Saves $300 / month? I spend about $100 / month on my Ford Explorer. But then, I ride the bus most of the time.
For most people, I doubt a hybrid will save them money with the higher efficiency. The higher cost of the car, resulting in a big opportunity cost (can’t invest that money in something that will appreciate in value) won’t be recovered in gas savings.
February 16th, 2005 at 2:57 pm
I think that the issue is that collection of gas taxes isn’t keeping up with the miles being driven. This “per-mile” tax is silly. It would require tracking devices or monitoring when people go into or leave a state, and all kinds of other stuff. However, it probably sells better than raising gas taxes, which is essentially the gov’t wanting to raise more money.
Gas taxes also tax larger cars at a greater rate which corresponds to the damage that they do to the road.