Florida to tax Hybrid owners for not using enough gas? What?
06-29-12, 08:25 AM
#1
Florida to tax Hybrid owners for not using enough gas? What?
http://www.baynews9.com/content/news..._be_looki.html
Are you friggin kidding me? A GPS unit to track usage? Getting punished because the car is too fuel efficient? Maybe if the government stopped wasting money on stupid stuff they wouldn't need to worry about punishing hybrid owners. I hope this doesn't gain any traction. Just terrible.
ST. PETERSBURG --
As the public buys more fuel-efficient vehicles and markets for electric and hybrid cars continue to grow, a pair of trends seem to bode well for the environment along with drivers' wallets.
Despite the growth, the state of Florida is concerned about the impact of these trends on its shrinking Transportation Trust Fund, which gets its money from the tax paid-per-gallon of gas purchased by drivers. The money from that fund is then used to pay for highway infrastructure improvements.
"The increase in the number of fuel-efficient vehicles has just exploded," said Mark Reichert, the assistant executive director of the Florida Transportation Commission. "Even though people are starting to drive more, they're trading in their vehicles that got say, 15 to 20 miles to the gallon, for vehicles that get anywhere from 20 to 50 miles per gallon now."
The less gas pumped, the less money flowing to the Transportation Trust Fund. The State needs to make a change; a change that is fair to everyone.
One option gaining momentum is a mileage-based user fee. The more you drive, the more you pay. Reporting mileage could be as simple as reporting your odometer reading when you renew your tags. "Or it could be something as sophisticated as ... a GPS system in your vehicle," Reichert said.
Such a proposal is sure to raise privacy concerns among drivers. Reichert said technology exists to help mitigate those concerns, but understands the issue is sensitive.
According to Reichert, it could take 5 years or more until any substantial changes are made in the current system.
Until then, the State will need to find creative ways to keep money going to the Transportation Trust Fund. That could mean an extension of the existing toll system and addition of managed toll express lanes.
As the public buys more fuel-efficient vehicles and markets for electric and hybrid cars continue to grow, a pair of trends seem to bode well for the environment along with drivers' wallets.
Despite the growth, the state of Florida is concerned about the impact of these trends on its shrinking Transportation Trust Fund, which gets its money from the tax paid-per-gallon of gas purchased by drivers. The money from that fund is then used to pay for highway infrastructure improvements.
"The increase in the number of fuel-efficient vehicles has just exploded," said Mark Reichert, the assistant executive director of the Florida Transportation Commission. "Even though people are starting to drive more, they're trading in their vehicles that got say, 15 to 20 miles to the gallon, for vehicles that get anywhere from 20 to 50 miles per gallon now."
The less gas pumped, the less money flowing to the Transportation Trust Fund. The State needs to make a change; a change that is fair to everyone.
One option gaining momentum is a mileage-based user fee. The more you drive, the more you pay. Reporting mileage could be as simple as reporting your odometer reading when you renew your tags. "Or it could be something as sophisticated as ... a GPS system in your vehicle," Reichert said.
Such a proposal is sure to raise privacy concerns among drivers. Reichert said technology exists to help mitigate those concerns, but understands the issue is sensitive.
According to Reichert, it could take 5 years or more until any substantial changes are made in the current system.
Until then, the State will need to find creative ways to keep money going to the Transportation Trust Fund. That could mean an extension of the existing toll system and addition of managed toll express lanes.
06-29-12, 08:46 AM
#5
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
road use is by milaege, not gallons used, so this is actually a fair idea. but the gps in the car idea is b.s. several states have considered this though... i believe oregon or washington states have seriously considered this...
06-29-12, 08:48 AM
#6
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
states are just feeling the pinch on a previously fairly predictable revenue source, and want to change how they get the money to mileage rather than gallons. overall i don't see a problem with this.
06-29-12, 08:48 AM
#7
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
besides twong, you're in california... they'll be taxing breathing there soon. 
and how's that state income tax? (we don't have one!)
and how's that state income tax? (we don't have one!)
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06-29-12, 08:54 AM
#8
no because they'll still save money for the same # miles driven compared to someone with a less fuel-efficient vehicle.
states are just feeling the pinch on a previously fairly predictable revenue source, and want to change how they get the money to mileage rather than gallons. overall i don't see a problem with this.
states are just feeling the pinch on a previously fairly predictable revenue source, and want to change how they get the money to mileage rather than gallons. overall i don't see a problem with this.
Ouch..that did hurt. :P As much as I hate all the taxes, I love it out here and could never leave. Born and raised and it's in my blood.
06-29-12, 08:57 AM
#9
no because they'll still save money for the same # miles driven compared to someone with a less fuel-efficient vehicle.
states are just feeling the pinch on a previously fairly predictable revenue source, and want to change how they get the money to mileage rather than gallons. overall i don't see a problem with this.
states are just feeling the pinch on a previously fairly predictable revenue source, and want to change how they get the money to mileage rather than gallons. overall i don't see a problem with this.
What happens is that hybrid and diesel drivers will pay more money and gas guzzlers will pay same as before. So it is penalizing people who are saving your country - importing less gas, and polluting the environment less, so the richer folk have it as good as before.
if they wanted to make it fair, they should just raise the gas tax for same amount, so for you that drive cars that get 18 MPG, you would get penalized more than those that get 50 MPG.
06-29-12, 09:28 AM
#13
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
if they wanted to make it fair, they should just raise the gas tax for same amount, so for you that drive cars that get 18 MPG, you would get penalized more than those that get 50 MPG.
What happens is that hybrid and diesel drivers will pay more money and gas guzzlers will pay same as before.
So it is penalizing people who are saving your country - importing less gas, and polluting the environment less, so the richer folk have it as good as before.
some here still believe in free choice. if we wanted to import less gas, the u.s. govt would actually try to use the vast natural resources it has, in addition to changing consumer behavior.aggressive leverage of our vast and cheap natural gas alone would change everything. i prefer this to driving around vast tonnage of batteries from other countries.
06-29-12, 09:53 AM
#15
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It's not like it targets hybrid drivers to change to a mileage-based tax system. The tax on the gas will obviously remain, but in addition, they can tax mileage so that the people actually using the roads will pay for them. Set it up so that your normal tag fees cover 12k per year, and then have some sort of graduated tax beyond what is considered normal road use. It wouldn't single out any particular type of car, but only the drivers that are using the roads more than others. I don't see any reason why that would be more detrimental to any particular set of drivers other than those that actually deserve to be paying more for road upkeep. It would also discourage excessive driving, which would benefit both the roads and the environment.
On a side note, this problem of road funding has been brought up before, and we will eventually need to change from a gas tax to something else if we want our roads to continue to be maintained. Just from impending federal mpg ratings, the gas tax will only produce half of the revenue it used to. If you want to be really mad, take a look at ford.co.uk and see what engines and mileage they get over there that we are not offered in the states. Some have suggested that the government does not allow certain engines to be sold here because a massive exodus to cars getting 60-80 mpg would be catastrophic for road maintenance budgets. I'm tempted to believe that suggestion because I can't think of any legitimate reason why we wouldn't get those engine options here.
On a side note, this problem of road funding has been brought up before, and we will eventually need to change from a gas tax to something else if we want our roads to continue to be maintained. Just from impending federal mpg ratings, the gas tax will only produce half of the revenue it used to. If you want to be really mad, take a look at ford.co.uk and see what engines and mileage they get over there that we are not offered in the states. Some have suggested that the government does not allow certain engines to be sold here because a massive exodus to cars getting 60-80 mpg would be catastrophic for road maintenance budgets. I'm tempted to believe that suggestion because I can't think of any legitimate reason why we wouldn't get those engine options here.