Congress is considering yet another tax on driving. House of Representatives (H.R.) 5972, the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act of 2013, would levy a user fee tax on the distance a driver travels.
The Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) would tax every vehicle on the road, requiring every vehicle to be fitted with a device that both records miles driven and transmits the information to a government database.
However, an amendment to that bill would prohibit the utilization of funds by the Secretary of Transportation to research, or implement, a distance-based fee system. The amendment was introduced by Minnesota Rep. Chip Cravaack. The measure passed with bipartisan support on June 29.
Implementing a VMT tax would be costly. It would increase the overall cost per vehicle, which would then be passed on to the car buyer. Retrofitting existing vehicles would be an additional pre-tax expense.
A VMT tax would also present a disadvantage to Brainerd lakes area residents, resort owners and businesses in the region. It could devastate our tourist industry. Midwest vacationers planning on driving to the lakes area, might have second thoughts because of the increased cost of a vacation due to a VMT tax. Further, employees living any distance from their job would be saddled with an additional expense if they have to commute daily, say from Backus to Brainerd or Crosby to Baxter.
Simple tasks such as grocery shopping, dropping the kids off at soccer practice, or going to and from a medical procedure would be racking up miles, with the government monitoring each mile traveled in order to get more tax revenue.
Why this tax? Why now?
Because of the recession and high unemployment, fewer workers are commuting to and from work. In addition, cars have become more efficient, burning less gas. The current system of taxation has been on a per gallon of gasoline sold. Simply put, tax revenues are down.
This VMT tax is a bad idea. It penalizes rural drivers who tend to travel greater distances than their urban counterparts. Tell Congress this VMT tax is not a work-around for declining transportation revenue.
Keith Hansen
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Why would a device be added to track miles. There already is one on a car. It is called an odometer.
Vehicle Milage Traveled Tax.
If we need more taxes, it is much easier to just raise the state gasoline tax. This requires no new beauracracy, no new computers, no new government employees, no time wasting paperwork, and no millions of dollars investment to wastefully set this stupid tax system up. Craavack should be complimented for opposing this and getting passed an amendment to stop this. This VMT Tax is not green, as it punishes rather than rewards people for buying high mileage vehicles. With Global warming such an obvious problem, our government should do everything possible to encourage fuel efficient vehicles. Also this tax is just another step for total big brother control of all our movements by setting up complete reporting of all movement. I feel this is an extreme invasion of our privacy. Rep. Chip Cravaack should go one step further and try to repeal the VMT tax and monitoring system completely as there is now support to do so as proven by his ability to get his amendment passed. Oberstar was for this system, and it is a good reason to keep him and others like him from office. It is time we stop this out of control government. Thank you Chip Cravaack
Not one dime more,
on anyone making less than $250,000, WAIT $225,000, WAIT ,,,, AHC is here and is a tax, wait......
yup snow, dithers, southie, fish,, , , , , ,
"Housing and Urban
"Housing and Urban Development Appropriations Act of 2013, would levy a user fee tax on the distance a driver travels. "
Hud is one of many worthless departments that should be eliminated. When was the last time this Dept. helped you with your housing orr your urban?
Oh the irony!
Cars are becoming more efficient so they can't collect as much revenue for gas. Naturally the Big Government Dem's(TM) answer to this lower revenue is to implement an expensive program so they can monitor us like Big Brother and punish those with fuel efficient cars who are able to use them for more miles on less gas. Thank you, Chip, for putting a wrench into this boondoggle!
Say it isn't so
Fish & snow are going to be mad at you Chip. I say Thank-You Sir. I bet amy & al will be all for that TAX though.
BTW people if nolan was in that chair the TAX would double.
Nolan's pal
the spandex boy from DC (not Hibbing, as reported by the left wing) was all for this. Not ONE Dime more in taxes for anyone making less than $250,000!
Missing key points
You have ignored a basic premise of VMT. It is supposed to REPLACE gas taxes. Gas taxes are becoming less efficient due to the greater use of vehicles that are more fuel efficient or electric. America does not collect as much as it needs through gas taxes. While it might seem easier to just raise gas taxes, politicians don't want to do that. That is why intelligent transportation system professionals and researchers in many sectors are studying alternative ways to fund transportation infrastructure. VMT is one of the few alternatives on the table.
Transponder_Man,
are you like the transformer toys kids used to play with?
Clue me in please how this will replace the gas tax. I have never heard of the government EVER cancelling a tax they are collecting. It will either add on or replace the old tax at double the rate. Are you an IRS employee or one of Obama's propaganda employees?
Over supply of oil
and cars that are more efficient equals lower prices at the pump and added tax for Detroit's effort in conserving our resources along with cleaner air, rivers and oceans. All coming full circle right around election time. who would have guessed. the libbies must be dancing in the streets to the tune of "YES WE CAN!"
Reply to Fair n Balanced
Here is one man's view...
http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2011-09-28/gas-tax-should-be-mile-fee-a...
Hmmmm, what else ???
So the government wants every vehicle to have devices to track miles driven. So who is going to pay for the device and its installation? I would bet it won't be the government that is forcing it on us. I also wonder what else the little black box that we will be forced to install might contain? GPS tracking, remote shut off??? Or should we just trust the government to have our best interest at heart? I think we are really going the wrong direction for a supposed free country.
Hmmmm, what else ???
So the government wants every vehicle to have devices to track miles driven. So who is going to pay for the device and its installation? I would bet it won't be the government that is forcing it on us. I also wonder what else the little black box that we will be forced to install might contain? GPS tracking, remote shut off??? Or should we just trust the government to have our best interest at heart? I think we are really going the wrong direction for a supposed free country.
Hmmmm, what else ???
So the government wants every vehicle to have devices to track miles driven. So who is going to pay for the device and its installation? I would bet it won't be the government that is forcing it on us. I also wonder what else the little black box that we will be forced to install might contain? GPS tracking, remote shut off??? Or should we just trust the government to have our best interest at heart? I think we are really going the wrong direction for a supposed free country.
Sorry
Don't know what I did, but sorry about the multiple posting.
So if I work for a trucking company that pays me by the mile
and then I am taxed, wouldn't that make the trucking company have to pay me more? And then you have a domino effect rippling through the economy, or ripping up the economy. And this is the same party that is against Voter ID because of the cost?
From Transponder's link...
"The mileage tax should be focused first on electric cars and other highly fuel-efficient vehicles, to ensure that owners of such vehicles pay their fair share of roadway costs."
Hahahahahahahaha! No good deed goes unpunished. Kind of like Dems trying to squeeze the last drop of blood out of cigarette smokers to raise revenue. What are they going to do when these people are forced to quit forever due to the cost? Charge them for NOT smoking? That sounds about right.
I say
put a transponder on every illegal that hits the border and charge them rent on our country.
Another good reason to say, see you later New Hampshire Chip
First the Congressional Tea Party folks destroy rural air service program in America ( only 4 or 5 N MN airports,including BRD). Now our fine do nothing GOP controlled congress wants to lay waste to the rest of rural America. And some " Cheer" Chip Cravaack ? State Fuel taxes vary widely across the USA. Check out OR. sometime. Increasing Fed Fuel tax easier.
Did you not understand the article, Captron?
Cravaack stopped the legislation that was threatening rural America with his amendment. Do you even live in rural America, Captron? You don't act like it.
He may have
before he was deported. And understanding isn't in the liberal vocabulary.
The amendment passed, the bill has not.
If it does, it goes to the Senate. It could pass with or without the amendment. The Obama Admin. has never favored VMT.
But if you have a reference that says they do, please post it.
This amendment is not eliminating a tax, but the funding to research the issue.
I am not in favor of it as we already have a system that rewards those who drive fewer miles in an economical vehicle...less gas purchased.
southie
Transportation Weekly recently published a draft of the Obama Administration's Transportation Opportunities Act and buried deep within it is....the VMT tax
America Needs to Wake Up
Just what we need another tax that is going to hinder an economic turn around. You tax the people...they will not travel thus, only the metro areas survive. There is this huge push for public transportation; more buses and trains. So, if that push succeeds then the current claims of lost revenue on gas taxes because of fuel efficient cars will have to point fingers elsewhere...what nonsense will they make up to tax US next? It will be just another tax breaking the wallets of those that are already over taxed and waste the money collected on some crap the American people don't want. When are we going to realize that big brother continues to take away freedom in our country? They continue to grow government and control nearly every aspect of our lives.
Wake Up America and get some people in office that actually will do something good rather than [filtered word] away our Liberty and Freedom.
Let's all chant. WE
Let's all chant.
WE CAN'T!!! WE CAN'T!!!
WE CAN'T!!! WE CAN'T!!!
Or instead of paying for maintaining our highway with this user tax we can whip out the GOP credit card and borrow the money. It's the conservative way.
I think the highway user tax should be based on vehicle weight and mileage driven. Both of those are the cause of highway wear and need for maintenance.
Instead of spying on us they should just install a sending unit on our odometers and forget mapping our every move. Keeping track of our every move seems like a conservative dream but I don't like it.
Who wins?????????
The government put deadlines on the auto industry to make more fuel efficent vehicles. So now they have to find a way to collect for the money people are saving.
What tail will wag the dog next???????????
fish, are you for real?
You make the most outlandish comments with no proof, no common sense, and just made up ideology to a group you don't even belong to. GOP credit card? Hate to wake you up from your stupor, but the GOP is not in office, we don't just pay for things, but look for a way to pay with the money that is already there. If anyone has a credit card, it would be Obama. BTW, didn't know we were into spying. Maybe if we are, we could have done a better job of saving your dog from trappers while you were out, um, trapping!