pay per mile to ride

[engatwork]

pay per mile

What do y'all think about this? Does anyone believe they will back the gas tax off?

It is going to kill the "fun to drive" thing that thankfully I grew up during. I could not wait to drive and for the most part have always enjoyed it. This, fuel tax and insurance, not to mention payments if applicable, is going to make it where unless you are middle to upper class you won't be able to own a vehicle.

[davidmash]

If it were to be rolled out there are ways to make it more bearable. Certain amount of miles are given free, anything after that is taxed, or do a prorated tax. First 10k are at $.01 per/m after that its $.02 or $.03 or what ever. Have certain exemptions for Home health care, and stuff like that. There are ways to figure it out. I do not see an issue with it.

[t walgamuth]

Make it a percentage of the cost rather than gallons.

[Dubyagee]

If they cancel the fuel taxes and go for a straight per mile tax it could work but Im not installing the tracker needed to keep it accurate. Along with those people that figure a way around it, it would fail.


A better way would be to leave the existing fuel taxes alone and add electricity as a fuel. The ECars can be adapted to report how much power they consume. That would negate solar charge evasion and increase the tax income.

Wouldn’t hurt if they audited the current setup and removed the expensive corruption as well.

[tbomachines]

I think its fine. Mileage is already tracked via regular inspections, and at sales/title transfers in many states. Trackers do not seem necessary IMO. The usual knee jerks in my circle assumed it was in addition to fuel tax, not in place of.

[INSIDIOUS]

Big problems. Out of state vehicles ride free on your roads? And per mile road wear varies by weight and other factors. By gallon is a pretty good relative approx to road wear until you get to hybrids and EV.

So per mile could be added for them. That would need to be federal.

[engatwork]

That would work.

[Idle]

Originally Posted by Dubyagee

If they cancel the fuel taxes and go for a straight per mile tax it could work but Im not installing the tracker needed to keep it accurate. Along with those people that figure a way around it, it would fail.


A better way would be to leave the existing fuel taxes alone and add electricity as a fuel. The ECars can be adapted to report how much power they consume. That would negate solar charge evasion and increase the tax income.

Wouldn’t hurt if they audited the current setup and removed the expensive corruption as well.

Texas is working on a system for this right now. Some history....

During the 70s propane became a big deal as a fuel. You got less mpg because propane contains less Btus than gasoline. But you saved big on running fuel from your home propane tank and not paying any road tax.

This worked best if you lived in a rural area with your own propane tank of course.

Their solution then was a tax on propane fueled cars. You car was checked during the annual inspection and if a propane carb, or a duel fuel set-up, was found you had to pay a few hundred bucks to get your annual inspection sticker.

Witt the cost savings gone the propane fuel fad died out.

The last I heard Texas was proposing a tax on electric cars paid when you pick up your annual license plates. But I don't think anything is final at the moment.

[qualified-merc]

They will love their servitude.

[qualified-merc]

The german autobahn was built back in the 1930s and was designed to last over 1000 years with minimal maintenance. It was built and designed using a modular system, i.e. if maintenance is required, only a specific section needs repairing. A Boeing 747 can land and take off on it, it is that strong.

Our highways and so-called "interstate highway" system is sad by comparison. Semi-tractor trucks daily beat the living H out of the highways causing cracks and pot holes. A nine mile section of I44 near St. Louis, Missouri had to be completely rebuilt due to these 80,000++ pound monsters pounding the pavement. Over 4000 deaths each year are caused by accidents involving Semi-tractor trucks and trailers.

The government keeps right on raising toll rates and charging higher and higher gasoline taxes and yet the roads, streets and highways don't improve much.

My father used to say, "I am not getting all the government I'm paying for".

[Mxfrank]

The mechanism is already in place for gas and diesel. The problem is that the federal tax is in a fixed number of cents per gallon (18.4 for gas, 24.4 for Diesel), and hasn't increased in many years. Change that to a percent, so that it floats without legislative intervention, and done. The problem of tax on electric vehicles can be addressed at the charger stations. That will leave a few who charge with home chargers. This may end up being too small a number to bother with.



I'm sure this will be fixed in the most complex, controversial way possible.

[t walgamuth]

They need to cut the size of trucks by 50%.

[barry12]

Carbon tax increase in Canada just last Saturday. Close to 60 cents per American gallon. I do have an issue with that tax as there are supposed frequent updates to further increase it periodically . Realistically though the cost of fuel is in most cases a lower percentage of ownership costs per driven mile. Than many other factors combined or not even combined. People should try keeping a spreadsheet to determine their actual cost per driven mile.

On a new car a dollar a mile is probably not to far off the mark these days. The more you drive it gets proportionally cheaper per mile. Yet overall you still spend more money. Cost to maintain a newer car is climbing. An enhanced maintenance program might very well be justified now.

I guess we used to think of cars more as throw away items. Costs may have climbed just high enough to consider better maintenance applications for longer lifespans. The better choice

Just dealing with a front wheel bearing and hub myself. Cost for a wheel bearing back in the day was not much. Think around 15.00. Hub and bearing for this car. Cannot risk cheap aftermarket. Three hundred and eighty dollars for the part only.

Aftermarket just too risky. Fails on a trip away from home can cost real dollars before getting back on the road these days. Paying more today may just be cheaper overall. Unless a cheap aftermarket replacement part has a stellar rating. It can be false economy.

Wife went off the road two years ago. Muffler was damaged. Had a lifetime warranty Walker muffler installed. Rotted out in two years. Fine print in the warranty. Corrosion not covered.

Then I thought the original mufflers on this brand of car usually last their average lifespan. Eight hundred for a new one of them installed. Called a guy that parted out that brand of car and sold he parts. He fished out one from a storage building. Looked as new pretty much and no obvious rust. Thirty doalalrs and a twenty dollar graphite flange seal and it was done.

Constant fun and games these days. The steering arm on the lawn tractor failed at the cottage yesterday. You look at the part and you think maybe 30 to 40 dollars. Then you look it up and find they want around 250.00 for it. If they are not out of stock or discontinued. Not a lot of money in itself other than a constant continuim of this type of pricing can take it's toll over time. It is worth my time to repair the old one or get a good used one.

The ever ongoing trend is getting to be far too obvious. We do try to buy the products in the market with the best reliability usually. Even then keeping them running when you own a lot of them. Makes you wonder more and more about products that once really lasted and where cheap to repair if needed.

Last grandson just graduated with us paying his educational costs. Reminds me of so many things when interacting with him. Told him that today for him is probably going to be the good old days of his future. So decide how you are going to do things.

His first car made me realise just how little i really knew at his age. Possibly more to learn today than there ever was as well. The head hunters were slow to arrive this year. For the top students.

I did not want to see him take an interm job of doing something like asking customers. If they wanted their fast food order supersized. Fortunatly, a prosperous company came and took him on instead. Even a local one so we will keep in touch more. I can only suggest things if he asks basically. He is all too well aware. That we live our lives differently than his parents do. Especially financially. At least I have had one break so far. He has not questioned me about the ladies.

[INSIDIOUS]

Originally Posted by barry12

Carbon tax increase in Canada just last Saturday. Close to 60 cents per American gallon. I do have an issue with that tax as there are supposed frequent updates to further increase it periodically . Realistically though the cost of fuel is in most cases a lower percentage of ownership costs per driven mile. Than many other factors combined or not even combined. People should try keeping a spreadsheet to determine their actual cost per driven mile.

On a new car a dollar a mile is probably not to far off the mark these days. The more you drive it gets proportionally cheaper per mile. Yet overall you still spend more money. Cost to maintain a newer car is climbing. An enhanced maintenance program might very well be justified now.

I guess we used to think of cars more as throw away items. Costs may have climbed just high enough to consider better maintenance applications for longer lifespans. The better choice

Just dealing with a front wheel bearing and hub myself. Cost for a wheel bearing back in the day was not much. Think around 15.00. Hub and bearing for this car. Cannot risk cheap aftermarket. Three hundred and eighty dollars for the part only.

Aftermarket just too risky. Fails on a trip away from home can cost real dollars before getting back on the road these days. Paying more today may just be cheaper overall. Unless a cheap aftermarket replacement part has a stellar rating. It can be false economy.

Wife went off the road two years ago. Muffler was damaged. Had a lifetime warranty Walker muffler installed. Rotted out in two years. Fine print in the warranty. Corrosion not covered.

Then I thought the original mufflers on this brand of car usually last their average lifespan. Eight hundred for a new one of them installed. Called a guy that parted out that brand of car and sold he parts. He fished out one from a storage building. Looked as new pretty much and no obvious rust. Thirty doalalrs and a twenty dollar graphite flange seal and it was done.

Constant fun and games these days. The steering arm on the lawn tractor failed at the cottage yesterday. You look at the part and you think maybe 30 to 40 dollars. Then you look it up and find they want around 250.00 for it. If they are not out of stock or discontinued. Not a lot of money in itself other than a constant continuim of this type of pricing can take it's toll over time. It is worth my time to repair the old one or get a good used one.

The ever ongoing trend is getting to be far too obvious. We do try to buy the products in the market with the best reliability usually. Even then keeping them running when you own a lot of them. Makes you wonder more and more about products that once really lasted and where cheap to repair if needed.

Last grandson just graduated with us paying his educational costs. Reminds me of so many things when interacting with him. Told him that today for him is probably going to be the good old days of his future. So decide how you are going to do things.

His first car made me realise just how little i really knew at his age. Possibly more to learn today than there ever was as well. The head hunters were slow to arrive this year. For the top students.

I did not want to see him take an interm job of doing something like asking customers. If they wanted their fast food order supersized. Fortunatly, a prosperous company came and took him on instead. Even a local one so we will keep in touch more. I can only suggest things if he asks basically. He is all too well aware. That we live our lives differently than his parents do. Especially financially. At least I have had one break so far. He has not questioned me about the ladies.

Ladies? What ladies? Now you done gone opened up a big can of worms