Gas tax could be replaced with fee based on miles driven
By Patrick McGreevy, Los Angeles Times
With California’s gas tax unable to keep up with road maintenance needs, one state lawmaker has proposed a study to determine the feasibility of instead taxing motorists based on the number of miles they drive.
A combination of inflation, cars getting better mileage and more hybrids and electric vehicles on the road mean the 18-cent-per-gallon gas tax approved by voters in 1990 is falling short of covering the costs of maintaining the state’s transportation system.
Inflation has meant purchasing power of the state’s gas tax has steadily diminished over time, according to Sen. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Concord.
He has introduced SB1077, which would allow the California Transportation Agency to conduct a voluntary pilot program to study the feasibility of a mileage-based fee to replace existing gas taxes.
You have to be kidding!! Typical demorat. Lets tax the people MORE and MORE and MORE. NOW we can cause the people (who pay our wages) to alter their driving habits because we fools can’t balance our own $$$$$$. Disgusting. Take the money from Moonbutt’s ridiculous high speed train to nowhere.
A tough problem but this program isn’t going to solve it. It will create another bureaucracy since it is so complex. Keeping tract of instate vs. out of state miles, miles driven on private roads, etc. is too complex.
The Federal and State governments mandates to car manufacturers has resulted in fewer sales tax dollars being collected at the pump yet the cost of maintaining the roads is higher.
Implement a program where there is a tax paid on the vehicle through registration fees, eliminate the tax at the pump. Calculate the money needed for maintaining the roads and divide that by the number of cars registered to determine the fee. That covers all in-state car use.
How to charge out of state trucks and cars is another challenge. Perhaps a fee at the pump based on your zip code.
In any case don’t invade privacy and set up another bureaucracy to enforce it.
No chance the gas tax will go away, not a single chance. California will go for a supplemental tax.
Yes, AB because that’s what Ca. does. Taxes the crap out of everyone!
Don’t forget that the taxes collected meant for roads and associated infrastructure is being siphoned off for other “transportation projects”, not road or highway related.
California doesn’t have a revenue problem, California has a spending problem.
BC, that may have held true under recent past California GOP stewardship, but not under Governor Brown!
And you know that, cause if ya don’t…………ya ain’t been payin’ ‘tention!
Look, all the posts above are all one person talking to himself (with the exception of level). I guess they were getting lonley. Haha, they all(one of them)were reading from the same fox noise script.
BC-“California doesn’t have a revenue problem, California has a spending problem.”
winner winner chicken dinner!
It also has a union problem as well, as in securing votes and offering fat bene’s and wages.
California is the 8th Largest Economy on the Planet Earth; just went past Russia and Italy last year. We have the highest GDP in the USA. Workers produce $45k per year per capita. Transportation and movement of goods is critical to that economy. And some people on this blog want to change the topic to Unions and name calling? Really? How about some opinions and options to actually repair and maintain our roads instead of the yelling from the cheapseats?
I say large trucks cause the most damage to the highways and need to kick in more for repairs.