Oregon launching new program to tax drivers per mile

[Road_Runner]

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/10/21/oregon-plan-to-replace-gas-tax-with-milage-tax-raised-concerns-on-privacy-cost/

From the article: "The Oregon plan -- approved and signed into law this year by the state’s Democrat-run government -- would replace the 30-cents-a-gallon state tax with one for 1.5 cents a mile, for those participating"

Obviously, this is grossly unfair to motorcyclists, and small car owners as well. For the miles ridden, we tear up the road much less than a F350. There would have to be weight classes or something like that.

After a bit of consideration, I think the current system is fair. If your vehicle is heavier, you use more fuel and therefore pay more tax because your heavier vehicle tears up the road more.

Except for electric cars. They pay no tax at the pump.

 

[Bugnatr]

I call bullshit.Talk about big brother, they will use gps to track you mileage The reason they are doing this is because fuel consumption is dropping due to more fuel efficient cars -remember the gobernment says we need to use less petroleum but now that we are their tax revenue has dropped- they always want more money.

Same thing will happen with water in California due to the drought. People are told to conserve and when they do the water districts revenue will drop so they will raise the water rates.

The government has no reason to spend money wisely when they can just raise the rates.

 

[SoCalFJR1300]

People who have to drive for a living should be exempt OR have a much lower tax.

Salespeople, truck drivers ect... they aren't driving a lot for fun, it's their work!!

I recently read an article that said we peaked at gasoline usage in the USA in 2007, we've been using less ever since!

 

[SacramentoMike]

. . . replace the 30-cents-a-gallon state tax with one for 1.5 cents a mile, for those participating . . .

I'm not a mathematician, but I do own a pencil and paper, and that comes out just about even. As long as you get 20 miles per gallon. Who's getting that anymore? Even in cars?

On the plus side, I'd save money in my '99 F-150.

 

[Eric L]

this penalizes cars and bikes which get better mileage as compared to their gas guzzling brethren.

If I get 50mpg, I go 50 miles per the tax on a gallon (call it 50 cents) but would pay for 50 miles of driving (75 cents)

if you get 25mpg, you go 25 miles per the tax on a gallon($1 for 50 miles) but would pay for 50 miles of driving (75 cents) -

your tax goes down, my tax goes up.

 

[BkerChuck]

I can see real possibilities here for tax cheats. How are they going to track your mileage? If they're going to do some form of odometer check, what happens with vehicles where you can easily disconnect a speedo cable?

 

[wnyfjr]

Was reading an article about this last night in the June issue of Cycle World. That article stated that, " "For the purposes of the Road Usage Charge Program," explains James Whitty, who administers the program for the Oregon Department of Transportation, " 'motor vehicle' does not include a vehicle designed to travel with fewer than four wheels in contact with the ground." "

 

[Aasland]

They were talking about this ten years ago.

They would install GPS units to track mileage, so that we didn't get charged for driving outside of Oregon.

To it's credit, Oregon has a very nice system where they post new laws up for a referendum, mail you the text of the law, including pro/con positions. I would usually expect a hair-brained scheme like this to fail, except that it caters to the primarily high-density anti-car areas in Portland and Corvallis, who don't drive very far. They'll save money while the ranchers in the east who drive 100 miles before breakfast would get socked by it.

Taxing fuel usage is much more fair (although I'm not sure there are any perfect methods). The larger vehicles do more damage to the roads, and those who travel far or with gas-hog polluting engines (contributing to Portland's smog days) will pay more. That gives them incentives to drive less, or drive something more efficient (and presumably cleaner) while putting more pressure to develop electric/hybrid vehicles.

 

[FJRay]

I figured we needed an Oregon opinion. It matters not which party is driving the truck. The truck is going down the road of greed and corruption and the taxpayer gets to pay for it. Burn all the gas you can in your FJR and stress less about the rest.

 

[Justin]

Call me old fashioned, but I'd move before I let the state put a GPS in my vehicle.

 

[FJRay]

Like another state they can't afford themselves so buying GPS units probably won't happen.

 

[Old Michael]

Wow. Quoting from a FoxNews article.

hahahaha.

I'm sure it gives you all the information you need to form a low-information outrage.

 

[RichDoyle]

Was reading an article about this last night in the June issue of Cycle World. That article stated that, " "For the purposes of the Road Usage Charge Program," explains James Whitty, who administers the program for the Oregon Department of Transportation, " 'motor vehicle' does not include a vehicle designed to travel with fewer than four wheels in contact with the ground." "

Since we're planning to move to Oregon next year, this is, of course, of interest to me. Your quote above is actually in the Senate Bill that was passed. So for the purpose of motorcycling, it is a no-impact bill.

It's worth delving in and not simply take the "all taxes are bad" point of view. The per-mile fever is bandied about primarily because of the perceived "unfairness" of electric vehicles, and that has been used to tar hybrid vehicles, as well. But it also visits unfairness on simply high-mileage non-hybrids as well. There are lots of "ordinary" cars that are around 40 MPG, as well. But the approach takes one version of unfairness and re[laces it with another.

It's easy to simply state, without proof, that the state, feds, whoever, is "ripping us off" by trying to increase revenue. But in this case it's falling revenue that's the trouble. Less money (never mind inflation), but more roads to maintain. The analogy to the water charges deal is instructive.

I happen to be President of a sort of co-op of 42 homeowners who share a community well. We are just completing installation of water meters at each of the properties. This is largely to drive water conservation. But the discussion now comes up: How do the water meters figure into the charges for the property owners? Right now we have a flat fee for each owner, regardless of how much water they might be using (we've had no way to measure it anyway). So now that we have the ability to measure usage, do we charge based on usage? Seems fair, right? But only about 5% of the expense of operating the system is influenced by how much water is being delivered. If nobody, but nobody, used a drop of water in a year we'd still have to find a way to cover 95% of the cost.

It's this way with all infrastructure stuff. Even if traffic were reduced by 99%, the roads still need to be plowed, pavement deteriorates from ground shift, weather and age, bridges rust, traffic signal lights fail.

So I did some calculations based on if I were involved in this today, using our historical vehicle use:

Prius: 11,000 miles per year (~80/yr @ $0.30 per gallon, $165/yr @ $0.015 per mile) $85 per year more

Tacoma: 11,000 miles per year (~$194/yr @ $.30 per gallon, $165/yr @ $0.015 per mile) ~$29 per year less

So I'd be paying $56 per year more in state gas tax under this plan than if it stayed as is. $5.00 per month.

 

[Gbjbany]

Maybe i dont understand this fully - but if they take the gas tax off and do it per mile - wont this be a +ve thing for Motorcyclists ? - or are they going to do both ?

And i would have thought rather than a GPS - just increase annual car tax and you have to declare your mileage each Year and when you come to sell it could be calculated - it also removes the privacy issue and the burden is not buying GPS's

The only bit this doesn't help with is oregonian out of state driving on both sides of that coin - Many of the vehicles using the roads in Oregon are Visitors/vacationers - how will they be taxed. Gas Tax works better in that case - assuming the are there long enough to fill up

Oh and Doug - I agree on the Cali Water front - waiting for the cost - which is freaking high in EID already - to go up

 

[RichDoyle]

The gas tax remains. It just becomes a credit against the per-mile charge. The thing they have authorized is a pilot program. I believe they will find it's very expensive to administer. If fully implemented it turns all the roads in Oregon into toll roads - for some folks. Thinks about what you pay per mile on toll roads you deal with now. None that I've ever seen in the States are less than $0.10 a mile (eq. to $2.00 per gallon at 20 MPG). I have a friend who foolishly asserted to me once that he thinks all roads should be toll roads, as we just paid a toll in Florida that amounted to $0.10 per mile.

 

[FJRay]

Can't believe this made it all day . Good job folks. I spent the day adding miles and smiles plus paying gas tax.

 

[Aasland]

Can't believe this made it all day . Good job folks. I spent the day adding miles and smiles plus paying gas tax.

Here in MN we're still waiting for some sun. 40F and rain/sleet for nearly two weeks. Can't ride, so we sit around read about places where it's nice (like the 300+ sunny days per year in Bend ....!)

 

[RichDoyle]

Can't believe this made it all day . Good job folks. I spent the day adding miles and smiles plus paying gas tax.

Here in MN we're still waiting for some sun. 40F and rain/sleet for nearly two weeks. Can't ride, so we sit around read about places where it's nice (like the 300+ sunny days per year in Bend ....!)

As it happens, we're moving near Bend. Probably won't actually relocate until next year, but closing on a property South of Prineville today. Looking forward to that merciless dry weather (and roads).

 

[exskibum]

As it happens, we're moving near Bend. Probably won't actually relocate until next year, but closing on a property South of Prineville today. Looking forward to that merciless dry weather (and roads).

Well, you'll nearly be neighbors with an awfully good mechanic who can show you where to get a good Reuben sandwich. Seems to me the old fart used to live in the wet region you're moving from, too.