How to pay for roads

December 28, 2009

If you don’t like gasoline taxes, here’s an alternative: a tax on the number of miles you drive in a year.
…
Delisi said the vehicle-miles-traveled tax idea is “controversial” but should be discussed because revenue from the state’s main source of transportation funding, the motor fuels tax, is declining. The gasoline tax hasn’t been raised since 1991.

If they through in something to account for vehicle weight, I think this idea has a lot of merit. Of course, making sure the money is spent where it’s supposed to will help the situation as well.

For those who argue that it will reduce the incentive to buy fuel efficient cars–you may not save on the tax but you’ll still save on the cost of gas which is still going to cost you more than the tax. Besides, are you saying all electric cars shouldn’t have to pay to help maintain the roads? Adding weight to the equation will help spread the cost more equitably based on who contributes the most to the wear and tear on the roads.

And as for how to do it? I can see there are some issues to be worked out. However, calculating mileage doesn’t seem to stand in the way taking IRS business deductions for mileage so I imagine we can work out the details.

Of course based on the comments on the article, this is just another nefarious government scheme designed to separate the hard-working, law-abiding citizen from his money. But none of them seem to have an answer as to how to maintain roads as more people use them while having to pay less in gas taxes. But with people like that, there is never a proposal that satisfies them because they know that someone, somewhere won’t be paying as much as them–the difference between a tax-payer and a citizen.