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| Obama Administration Shoots Down LaHood Mileage Tax Idea |
| 2009-02-21 |
| President Obama's transportation department slapped down a suggestion by its own secretary Friday that the government tax motorists based on how many miles they drive rather than how much gasoline they burn. Either they're floating a lot of trial balloons to see what flies or they're just not in control of anything in the West Wing ... Secretary Ray LaHood floated the idea in an interview with The Associated Press. Gasoline taxes for nearly half a century have paid for the federal share of highway and bridge construction, but LaHood said they can no longer be counted on to raise enough money to keep the nation's transportation system moving. "We should look at the vehicular miles program where people are actually clocked on the number of miles that they traveled," the former Illinois Republican lawmaker said. Asked about the claim, transportation department spokeswoman Lori Irving immediately shot it down. "The policy of taxing motorists based on how many miles they have traveled is not and will not be Obama administration policy," she said. The mileage tax idea has already angered drivers in some states where it has been proposed. However, most transportation experts see a vehicle miles traveled tax as a long-term solution, though Congress is being urged to move in that direction now by funding pilot projects. The idea also is gaining ground in several states. Governors in Idaho and Rhode Island are talking about such programs, and a North Carolina panel suggested in December the state start charging motorists a quarter-cent for every mile as a substitute for the gas tax. A tentative plan in Massachusetts to use GPS chips in vehicles to charge motorists by the mile has drawn complaints from drivers who say it's an Orwellian intrusion by government into the lives of citizens. Other motorists say it eliminates an incentive to drive more fuel-efficient cars since gas guzzlers will be taxed at the same rate as fuel sippers. Besides a VMT tax, more tolls for highways and bridges and more government partnerships with business to finance transportation projects are other funding options, "What I see this administration doing is this -- thinking outside the box on how we fund our infrastructure in America," LaHood said. LaHood said he firmly opposes raising the federal gasoline tax in the current recession. He'll find another way to tax us, don't worry. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #6 Why can't it be both, |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2009-02-21 17:54 |
| #5 |
| Posted by: Frank G 2009-02-21 16:29 |
| #4 "Either they're floating a lot of trial balloons to see what flies or they're just not in control of anything in the West Wing ..." Why can't it be both, Fred? |
| Posted by: Barbara Skolaut 2009-02-21 16:14 |
| #3 A vehicle miles tax is a perfect way to punish those red voting flyover states, where the grocery store is 50 miles from the ranch. But it is not particularly effective at motivating more efficient vehicles and reduced fuel consumption and CO2 emission, which is their alleged goal. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2009-02-21 11:29 |
| #2 It really is amazing to watch Fox rant about this topic or that, then the next day see the White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs recant, "change," or shoot down the administration's trial baloons and positions. The clueless bastards! There could be no more appropriate illustration of amateurs teaching amateurs how to become amateurs. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2009-02-21 10:10 |
| #1 As Rove said in the WSJ, he's winging it. All of us who have ever been military or managers or executives saw this coming. He has zilch executive leadership experience much less even the ability. He is an angry but controlled radical leftist and anarchy is his driving force of leadership. More to come unfortunately. |
| Posted by: Jack is Back! 2009-02-21 09:21 |