Oregon Mileage Tax? (2015, maintenance, property taxes)

[Squidlo]

I read Oregon preps program to swap mileage tax for gas tax

It is quite a bit like tolling every road in Oregon. I am not sure if this would be the best. Simply raising the gas tax would have the revenue generating effect and still promote greener vehicles. I don't like the idea of folks (who make the greener choice) being penalized for supporting new technology/ideas. I am practically a flat earther but..... even I see the foolishness in this. Add in the cost of tracking, technology and the new bureaucracy that will oversee it. Just raise the gas tax already.

As for pure electric vehicles? That can be handled at the registration level. An additional fee to cover road maintenance. All these things have current paths and can be adjusted to generate revenue.

Anyone else feel that way?

[Nell Plotts]

That type of taxation has been under consideration for several years because the gas tax isn't raising enough revenue to maintain the roads. It just isn't pure electric vehicles that are the problem, it is all those efficient gasoline/propane/natural gas and hybrid engines.

[Elk Wallow]

I'm all for it. I only have to drive 22 miles a week if I want to go to the store. The gas tax is nearly 50 cents a gallon as it is.

[peaceloveandjulie]

A mileage tax greatly affects rural folks, though, who have to commute for work, shopping, everything, and don't have public transportation options. Not everyone can -- or wants -- to live in a sizable city and urban sprawl sux.

No doubt a mileage tax would raise much more revenue than a gas tax, considering the rural nature of much of the state and the fuel efficiency of newer vehicles. But is it fair to place a heavier burden on rural residents? Just pondering ...

[Nell Plotts]

All folks who use the roads need to contribute to the cost of their maintenance. Urban dwellers pay additional property taxes to maintain urban roads and pay for public transportation. There is no free lunch.

[whirnot]

If the mileage tax is supposed to be collected to maintain the roads, it would seem that it is the most accurate form of collecting tax from those that are causing the wear, in proportion. It may affect rural folks more, but if they are putting more miles on the roads, those are the ones causing the wear.

It does't really penalize the efficient cars, just makes them pay their share. ( for the record we will be living a ways from town and have a Hybrid as well.) It does not reward the Fuel efficient cars for being efficient, the low gas bills would do that.

It seems fair to residents to me, but by reducing the gas tax that would eliminate the tax being paid by anyone that is not a Oregon resident. That would be a problem.....

[peaceloveandjulie]

Wouldn't heavier vehicles -- buses, semis, and the like -- be causing much of the wear on the roads? Considering that a sizable portion of these are from out-of-state, then they'd skirt a mileage tax but not the gas tax unless another measure was in play.

My car is fuel efficient and I'm used to combining appointments and such to limit miles and time on the road. But I do empathize with family farmers who may already struggle enough financially.

[V8 Vega]

There is a long thread on this in Politics and other Contriverseries if you want to read more. The guy who started it says people will move out of Oregon.

[PNW-type-gal]

I have no wish to read P&OC and I don't care what people not living in the state think, frankly, and how the issue plays into their politics.

I believe this is an experiment that won't go far, simply because it has too many holes. Keep the gas tax as is, it hits residents and tourists the same.

According to the article, around 1 in 1,000 cars is electric - not even a full percentage. That is hardly causing a huge revenue drop. Hybrids still use gas - sure, they get better gas mileage, but the reason revenues are going down is MOST cars are getting better gas mileage, not because of the rise of hybrids. In 1980, the average car got 20 mpg. In 2011, it was 32.

If electric and fuel cell cars end up being more than a fraction of the cars on the road then a scheme like this can work for anything that doesn't pay at the pump - in the mean time, a better measure would be putting in an added fee based on weight, since axle weight most directly causative of road damage (although heavier cars pay for the weight in lower gas mileage). Electrics and fuel cell cars tend to be very light and driven limited miles (because of the limited range).

[Larry Caldwell]

Originally Posted by peaceloveandjulie

A mileage tax greatly affects rural folks, though, who have to commute for work, shopping, everything, and don't have public transportation options. Not everyone can -- or wants -- to live in a sizable city and urban sprawl sux.

No doubt a mileage tax would raise much more revenue than a gas tax, considering the rural nature of much of the state and the fuel efficiency of newer vehicles. But is it fair to place a heavier burden on rural residents? Just pondering ...

Us rural residents pay plenty of road tax as it is, every time we fill our tank. Granted, we get good highway mileage, but it isn't like we're paying nothing now.