Oregon+Mile+Tax

Oregon Mile Tax 2/12/09 Who: Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) What: a system of charging by the mile, “Vehicle Mileage Tax” When: In process of conducting programs to test it out Where: Portland Why: Gallon-based tax (24 cents per gallon => highways/construction) isn’t enough anymore 1) That money is already spoken for to pay off the Oregon Transportation Investment Act  2) Vehicles are more fuel efficient, thus drivers are buying less gas. How: Background: Arguments Against: For: Rebuttal to the ‘no incentive to buy fuel efficient vehicles’ argument: The entire fleet of vehicles we drive is actually getting more fuel-efficient. The media pay attention to gas-guzzling SUVs and monster pickup trucks but ignores the news that the overall efficiency of all vehicles has actually increased due largely to competition from Japan and government air pollution control regulations- this has nothing to do with targeting hybrids.
 * Why:
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">ODOT divides the pilot program’s 300 drivers into a control group that will pay the 24 cent a gallon state gas tax and second group will pay 10 cents a mile to drive during morning and evening rush hours and 0.4 cents a mile all other times for instate driving.
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">This is done with cars equipped with global positioning system receivers to record mileage and transmit it to ODOT when drivers buy fuel at one of two independent gasoline dealers.
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Federal government will help pay for some of this
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Money gone because of Republicans’ Oregon Transportation Investment Act… a list of pork barrel highway projects hidden behind badly needed projects to strengthen bridges for earthquakes and larger trucks.
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Republicans borrowed money for this, and pledged future highway fund revenues to pay off bonds. Money spent on interest payments reduce funds for actual highway maintenance.
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The GPS technology ODOT will use to record mileage for tax purposes has the capability to track a vehicle anywhere and record parameters like speed, braking, etc. Similar technology is now used by some trucking companies to keep track of their drivers and delivery vehicles.
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">ODOT insists it will disable the tracking function of the GPS technology during the pilot program. But onceit is installed on a large number of vehicles, there is no guarantee the Legislature will not require the tracking function enabled -- particularly if lobbied by interest groups that could make money selling the data.
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">No Incentive--Now there is no more incentive for more fuel efficient vehicles (like hybrids).
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Discrimination--It discriminates against motorists who live in sparsely populated parts of Oregon to solve a problem that exists largely in the Willamette and Rogue Valleys and Central Oregon.
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Disproportionate tax-- not all driving creates the same problems and not all vehicles impose the same wear and tear on the highway system.
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Possible violation of privacy-- there is no guarantee the Legislature will not require the tracking function enabled - particularly if lobbied by interest groups that could make money selling the data; This data coule also be subpoenaed in civil and criminal court cases.
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Too hard to implement-- It’s too expensive to put GPS into old cars, so ODOT could only install GPS systems into new cars- this system would take too long to phase in and be too complicated- would old cars not have to pay the tax? That’s unfair!
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">This will provide needed tax dollars to pay of debt.
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">People need to drive less, not drive more fuel efficient vehicles- this will be a true incentive for ‘greener’ behavior
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Less bad is still not good… fuel efficient vehicles are just less bad than other vehicles, but the truly good answer is to be on the road less. This program will promote that.
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Avoid public anger over increasing gas prices
 * <span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Other places consider this a good idea:
 * Governors in Idaho and Rhode Island have considered systems that would require drivers to report their mileage when they register vehicles.<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">
 * In North Carolina last month, a panel suggested charging motorists a quarter-cent for every mile as a substitute for the gas tax<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">
 * There’s talk of mileage tax proposals in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Florida, Colorado and Minnesota.<span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">