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Highway funding ideas include taxes on hybrids - READ ONLY

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#1 of 331 Highway funding ideas include taxes on hybrids by tokumei

Nov 27, 2005 (8:28 pm)

I found this article in the Seattle PI on November 26th. The link to the article is below -
One proposal is that owners of hybrids and other alternative fuel vehicles pay a vehicle fee, the argument being that drivers should bear their fair share to fill the potholes and fix the bridges, regardless of how much or what kind of fuel they use.
 
If you think this is as crazy as it sounds, please send a short e-mail to your congressman and have this nipped in the bud.
 
Thanks.
 
T
 
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/249811_gastax26.html
 
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#2 of 331 Re: Highway funding ideas include taxes on hybrids [tokumei] by gagrice

Nov 27, 2005 (10:01 pm)

Replying to: tokumei (Nov 27, 2005 8:28 pm)
If you think this is as crazy as it sounds,
 
What if you think it is a logical way to maintain the highway revenue? Another post today declares 99 million gallons of gas saved by HSD. That is about $25 million in lost road tax. Rather than all the wasted money for a GPS device to track miles. It would be easier to just tack $100 to the license fee each year for hybrids, to cover the lost revenue.

#3 of 331 Re: Highway funding ideas include taxes on hybrids [gagrice] by falconone

Nov 28, 2005 (5:44 am)

Replying to: gagrice (Nov 27, 2005 10:01 pm)
The should tack it on to TDIs too. Any car that gets 40mpg highway should pay $500 more per year. Sounds fair.

#4 of 331 Forget charging High MPG car owners ANY extra taxes or fees.... by larsb

Nov 28, 2005 (7:37 am)

First of all, it's complete discrimination. Targeting one group and taxing them differently because they are smart enough to own a high MPG vehicle is unfair and unlawful.
 
I will start an ACLU-backed lawsuit if anyone tries to tax me more because I had the foresight and intelligence to purchase a high MPG commuter car.

#5 of 331 Re: Forget charging High MPG car owners ANY extra taxes or fees.... [larsb] by Sylvia

Nov 28, 2005 (8:10 am)

Replying to: larsb (Nov 28, 2005 7:37 am)
UH, I'll have to disagree with you that it is something the ACLU would get involved in. If that were true, we'd have a flat tax on income instead of those who make more being put in a higher tax bracket. (I'll leave it at that rather than derailing the discussion into tax reform...)
 
As for fees - a great story last night on one of the local news stations in San Francisco. They were interviewing salespeople and potential hybrid customers at dealerships about a tax. The comments were basically that people are already willing to pay more for a hybrid version of a vehicle (e.g. Honda Civic EX Sedan / automatic invoice = $17,422 v. Honda Civic Hybrid sedan invoice = $19,967) so slapping an addition tax of up to $1500 would be insane.

#6 of 331 Here's another problem - if it comes to a vote, hybrid drivers in trouble by larsb

Nov 28, 2005 (8:28 am)

If this starts getting legislated and voted on, my guess is that Hybrid owners will lose the vote.
 
There are so few of us, that we are in the vast vast minority, and the other drivers will look at it as "it's not a tax on ME, so why not?"
 
This will have to be stopped before it ever gets voted on or it will not be stopped.
 
As far as the ACLU, this is DEFINITELY a case of "civil liberties of a select small group of people being violated" by taxing them because of something they bought, while not taxing another person for something THAT PERSON bought.
 
Person A drives a Civic EX
Person B drives a Civic Hybrid
Tax person B
 
That in itself is discrimination.

#7 of 331 As far as the idea of "adding fees to registration" by larsb

Nov 28, 2005 (8:31 am)

In Arizona, cars are registered based on fees calculated from a percentage of base MSRP.
 
So Hybrids are ALREADY "taxed" more than the comparable gas model.

#8 of 331 Re: As far as the idea of "adding fees to registration" [larsb] by Sylvia

Nov 28, 2005 (8:34 am)

Replying to: larsb (Nov 28, 2005 8:31 am)
Same in CA - you are taxed on the price you paid.

#9 of 331 Interesting situation by pf_flyer HOST

Nov 28, 2005 (9:10 am)

There are taxes on gas, but we're trying to encourage less fuel consumption, and suddenly there's going to be "lost revenue"

#10 of 331 Re: Forget charging High MPG car owners ANY extra taxes or fees.... [larsb] by mirth

Nov 28, 2005 (9:17 am)

Replying to: larsb (Nov 28, 2005 7:37 am)
First of all, it's complete discrimination. Targeting one group and taxing them differently because they are smart enough to own a high MPG vehicle is unfair and unlawful.
 
I agree. So we should repeal those tax credits/deductions too.

Messages Page 1 of 33

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