Updated Feb 20, 2009 - 12:33 pm

Mileage tax idea gains steam

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A mileage tax idea is gaining steam at the state and federal level. You would pay a tax on each mile driven instead of paying a gas tax on each gallon you buy. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says with people driving more fuel-efficient cars and putting fewer miles on their cars the revenue from the gas tax is dropping.

LaHood said now is not the time to think about raising the gas tax. "The idea of raising taxes during a very bad economy I think is the least appealing of all the approaches," he said. "We really need to think outside the box."

Washington actually ran a federal pilot program in 2004 that tested about 500 drivers with G-P-S systems in their cars, and the state legislature has looked-at the idea. Oregon has developed a system, and it really wants to make the switch from a gas tax to a mileage tax soon.

People from the Oregon Transportation Department briefed lawmakers in Olympia this session on its plans. Representative Norm Johnson of Yakima had this question. "Is this system you're talking-about to produce revenue or is it to get us off the road?"

Representative Jaime Herrera of Battle Ground expressed concern about tracking people's driving with G-P-S. "To keep our transportation system up and running that's what I think our objective should be not to limit how and when free Washingtonians use their car," she said.

Here's what Oregon wants to do, it would spend about 32-million dollars to fit every gas pump with a chip-reader. If you have a mileage tracking G-P-S system in your car, you would pay the tax for your mileage right then. If you don't have a chip, you would pay the gas tax. No one would have to pay both.

Most experts agree that with the state and the federal government working on different ideas simultaneously that it will be years before a mileage tax could be implemented.

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• mnpat wrote...

  Politicians love anything that can assure them of more funding

  more money in means more money they can spend.....actually they prefer spending it first and then find numerous places to find the funds......they know that it is a easier cell pretending someone else is benifiting and not paying their fair share....it's the divide and conquer thingy they do so well......"Is this system you're talking-about to produce revenue or is it to get us off the road?".....I didn't see an answer....if you really want us off the road, just make the buses free, we don't need all the other garbage, buses would handle everything neccessary and can easily accomodate change. Now maybe the rest of the elected officials will understand the majority of the people in WA have said NO! to new taxes, more taxes, higher taxes, sneaky taxes. Cut the spending.....

  February 20, 2009 10:07 am

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• RR-Conservative wrote...

  Smarter People Than I

  When there's a single thief, it's robbery. When there are a thousand thieves, it's taxation. ~Vanya Cohen Here's how liberals (socialist) think about taxes: Taxes, after all, are dues that we pay for the privileges of membership in an organized society. ~Franklin D. Roosevelt Here's how conservatives think about taxes: Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it. ~ Ronald Reagan Who ever said goverment whether local or national has to have more money? Goverment needs to stop spending just like the rest of us when there is less money.

  February 20, 2009 10:36 am

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• PixiePal wrote...

  Why would I believe

  that "no one would have to pay both." Maybe to the first year or two. Then, oops, we spent too much and need more money and look how cost effective it would be to collect both taxes since both systems are in place!! We have family in the Midwest. Two sets, two different states. We drive there often to visit. (We're supposed to honor our parents...) I think that I should be thanked for not flying and causing so much more global warming and using other states' roads instead of wearing out the WA roads. Why oh why don't I just find a large rock to hide under. Oh , wait, I'm sure there's a tax on large rocks to hide under too!! (Oh no, there wasn't a tax on that but there will be next month now that I was foolish enough to plant that idea...darn.)

  February 20, 2009 11:21 am

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• Rick (4) wrote...

  Feds already said NO to this plan.

  The Obama administration has strongly opposed this on the federal level, and Washington state should do the same. The cost of this is prohibiting, and how do they track out of state drivers i.e. do they drive tax free? Hey, Washington State get your head out of your "you know what"! NO NEW OR INCREASED TAXES until after ALL fat has been cut from the budget.

  February 20, 2009 11:27 am

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• whoabama wrote...

  A Bad Idea

  Rep Herrera is correct. I'm sure that if implemented, we would have a variable tax rate as to what time of the day we drive. It would punish the working person. Tracking people driving with a GPS should also raises alarms with people. Now retired, when I was with a local law enforcement agency I used to tell people if you've done nothing wrong, you have nothing to worry about. That being said, when I was in spec ops, I had to submit an affidavit explaining to a judge why I wanted to place a bird dog (tracking device) on a vehicle. Disturbing, to say the least.

  February 20, 2009 3:00 pm

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• weisserabfall wrote...

  discounts?

  i just dont understand why people vote democrat,then wonder why all these thoughts of taxes come up?but dont worry cause they're gonna spread the wealth around right?cause you enjoy paying 27% in fed,ss,l&i,medicad,unemployement out of your check,right?you enjoy paying 8.4%at the till for thing you need,right?and how about that 9 cents on gas(on top of the fed 2dollar tax) for the mono-rail that was cancealed 2 yrs ago,right? lets tax the trucks that bring everything we need to live into the state,when we dont make or grow anything here anymore,right? i dont mind paying my s.s.tax if the system worked or my l&i tax ,etc. if any of these programs worked ,but the rest...come on .we spend taxes to put concrete walls across streams to encourage fish polulation?when i'm geussing,mothernature never poured 1 load in a stream,we plant trees,everyyear knowing they will wash away when the stream take over again. if u through a can in the ocean its litter,if they scrap a battleship its called a reef?we spend billions a yr on saving the enviroment,then smash coastgaurd ships through the ice to get supllies to the scientist studing the ice shelves?lets spend billions studing stem cells then not allow testing on animals to see if they're safe human?lets sink billions into teaching kids shakespear then give them a state funded(prob pay double)calculators,and wonder why they dont get math? when you tax peter to pay paul you will always have pauls support*winston churchhill capitalism will eat itself with greed*zhar lenin bring back our beloved constitution you dirty pigs!!!!!

  February 20, 2009 6:18 pm

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• FungusCorners wrote...

  Another brilliant idea to stall any chance of a recovery

  First of all, I do not believe the government will give up one tax (fuel tax) and try to get by on another tax (mileage tax). They will need both. But, go ahead, tax drivers for the miles they travel on highways to get to work, to shop, to vacation, to visit the sick and elderly. Do it and see this economy grind to a stand-still within a few weeks. Then what will government do for revenue? Pretty soon we will be taxed on the air we breathe.

  February 20, 2009 10:15 pm

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• Sinbad wrote...

  Wasted Tax Dollars

  Gee, in a state with the highest gas taxes, we need to implement a system to track our every move. This is dangerous, people are finding out when there GPS units are stollen they may have their homes targeted by thieves. It would also add extra taxes to working people having to travel in areas where Busses and light rail are unavailable. I guess it doesn't matter to our politicians as they get a gas allowance.

  February 21, 2009 8:18 am

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• rollingmyeyes wrote...

  If they put this system in every car...

  would they actually use it for good too, like finding stolen cars? I bet not; after all, car theft is only a minor offense here in Washington. But I'd sure as heck still be on the hook for paying the tax for all the miles the thief put on the car.

  February 21, 2009 9:01 am

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