Gasoline tax: obsolete method of funding roads? (Chicago: subsidized, wage)

[oakparkdude]

If people 's lifestyle is dependent on low gas taxes (which don't cover the cost of the roads they use), maybe they should alter their lifestyle rather than asking for a continued subsidy.

[oakparkdude]

Originally Posted by 04JETTA

it's already $100 to register your car here, not sure if ppl can afford anymore, in tx they have something like that, where there's a state fee, then an additional fee depending on what county your in, but then, they also build a bunch of toll roads, and that's not going to work everywhere weight/axles/vmt could work, except for the lower class (ex. farmers) who don't neccesarily make the income to pay for that kind of tax

If you can't afford the true cost of driving that your current lifestyle requires, maybe you should change your lifestyle.

[04JETTA]

I agree the money has to come from somewhere, personally, I wouldn't mind just doing a registration fee or a vmt tax (pref. the first one to be quite honest), which means it would be fed/state/county/city, but what's the alternative? roads in america got a D A D!!! we may very well just have to add it to registration and call it a day I just feel bad for the little guy, but we may not have a choice, and in CA, registration should be like ~$115 or something, I couldn't believe when my cousin said it costs him $70 a year (although that was a while ago, who knows what it is now he's got another car) one thing I def. support, is what one congressman oberstar was talking about, where if you have an electric plug in car, there's a tax added onto your electric bill, that actually makes alota sense

[04JETTA]

Originally Posted by oakparkdude

If people 's lifestyle is dependent on low gas taxes (which don't cover the cost of the roads they use), maybe they should alter their lifestyle rather than asking for a continued subsidy.

Originally Posted by oakparkdude

If you can't afford the true cost of driving that your current lifestyle requires, maybe you should change your lifestyle.

I agree, just something I was pointing out

[5Lakes]

Originally Posted by oakparkdude

If people 's lifestyle is dependent on low gas taxes (which don't cover the cost of the roads they use), maybe they should alter their lifestyle rather than asking for a continued subsidy.

I agree. I think we are definitely in for some lifestyle changes in the future. A lot of people are going to have a tough time adjusting because all they have ever known is driving everywhere and it being very affordable. Many people in this country have no concept of using public transportation or shopping anywhere that is not in a big strip center. I personally think we need to adopt an European model in regards to transit funding and planning. I realize that people are going to want to maintain their rural and suburban lifestyles, but they need to pay the true cost to do so.

Originally Posted by 04JETTA

in CA, registration should be like ~$115 or something, I couldn't believe when my cousin said it costs him $70 a year

I used to live in San Diego and car registration was very high if you had a newer car. I'm talking several hundred dollars. There are other states like this also. I believe N. Carolina is one of them. It was cheap to register an old beater though. I'm not sure, but maybe it depends on your county out there?

There is actually a calculator online that will give you the fee. Check it out. An average new car will probably cost $300-$400 per year to register.

https://mv.dmv.ca.gov/FeeCalculatorW...VehicleForm.do

[cubssoxfan]

What about if you live in a place like Cook Co. where money that could go to roads instead goes to a bloated patronage army and cushy jobs for friends? And how about the state level & city level where they cry "poor" yet give themselves, relatives and friends contracts, commission appointments, raises (the head of U of I needed that raise?) I can see that conversation, "Sorry I can't get by on 400K, I really need $600K" WTF?! So while the government cries poor, I remain skeptical.

[04JETTA]

Originally Posted by 5Lakes

I agree. I think we are definitely in for some lifestyle changes in the future. A lot of people are going to have a tough time adjusting because all they have ever known is driving everywhere and it being very affordable. Many people in this country have no concept of using public transportation or shopping anywhere that is not in a big strip center. I personally think we need to adopt an European model in regards to transit funding and planning. I realize that people are going to want to maintain their rural and suburban lifestyles, but they need to pay the true cost to do so.



I used to live in San Diego and car registration was very high if you had a newer car. I'm talking several hundred dollars. There are other states like this also. I believe N. Carolina is one of them. It was cheap to register an old beater though. I'm not sure, but maybe it depends on your county out there?

There is actually a calculator online that will give you the fee. Check it out. An average new car will probably cost $300-$400 per year to register.

https://mv.dmv.ca.gov/FeeCalculatorW...VehicleForm.do

yeah but that's new my friend, a new car that weighs 3,000 lbs. and a 10 year old car that weighs 3,000 lbs. both put the same amount of street on the road, it should just be a flat fee, or based on weight, which I think FL has if i'm not mistaken

[04JETTA]

btw I'm not trying to start an arguement,just saying the way CA funds road maintenence is flawed, but I guess this is about every state/county/municipality+USDOT anyways don't mean to argue just wanted to let that known

[5Lakes]

Originally Posted by 04JETTA

yeah but that's new my friend, a new car that weighs 3,000 lbs. and a 10 year old car that weighs 3,000 lbs. both put the same amount of street on the road, it should just be a flat fee, or based on weight, which I think FL has if i'm not mistaken

Oh, I agree. I said exactly what you just said in my earlier post.

[04JETTA]

alrighty rock n roll

EDIT: perhaps if there's another thread, we should have a poll