Gas Tax V. Mileage Tax

So I've been following this trend since Gov. Patrick of MA proposed something similar when he first took office.

Basically increased use of renewable fuels and better fuel economy are cutting into gas tax revenue, so governments are freaking out a little. For those who like to look at the ecological side of this, raising fuel taxes will lead to fewer emissions and encourage drivers to buy more fuel efficient vehicles. At some point however, if this works governments have difficulty paying to maintain roads. The idea for a mileage tax of some type would tax people based on use seems "fair" but rural communities would be harder hit with the burden since they have longer drives. Personally, I feel that such a tax would slam me personally, since I'm rural, and the revenue would likely be spent in the cities anyways and I'd have to continue driving on roads that look like they've been hit by artillery and pay more. Is a driving tax more fair, and would the resulting influence on consumer choice in vehicles and residency be good or bad for the nation? If we were to go with a mileage tax, I think vehicle weight would need to be factored in since heavier vehicles cause more wear-and-tear on roads. It just seems like the eco-justifications are undermined by this type of tax. Then again, less than 20% of voters are rural. Thoughts?

CNN Money article 

Sounds fair to me. Of course I work from home and my wife's commute is about 1 mile round trip every day so I might not be typical.

The state proposal from a few years ago wanted a microchip in everybody's inspection sticker and to bill you yearly. It seems that either this would require GPS tracking (I'm going to sound like impulse, but Government Motors' pushing for onstar has always made me suspicious) or a chip and readers at intersections or gas stations. Fortunately I think there are a lot of holes in actually implementing this. If they put readers in traffic lights, I could easily avoid those, I wouldn't buy a car that allowed the government to track me if I had a choice, and if they put the readers in gas pumps you could always get a plug-in hybrid, or use one car to fill jerry-cans. If they went by inspections, I don't think it would be popular for the same reason taxes come out of your check, if people had to write the gov't a check annually and budget accordingly, they'd freak out.

Could the level of funds needed to maintain transportation infrastructure be assessed through increased cost of getting a tag, title, license, etc? Or at least could it assist the process, as it probably wouldn't level out close.

What is Mass like as far as tolls?

Mileage tax would murder me.

2300+ miles a month for work, with another 3-500 personal. I'm boned either way.

Screw the mileage tax. I'm looking at getting anoter car for giggles and my quarter life crisis. I'm only looking at dropping about $15k which will land me in something with a V8, rear wheel drive and loads of fun. I'm buying this car to drive it. It still averages about 28-30 MPG on the highway, which isn't bad. But Uncle Sams answer would be for me to drop $15k on a new EconopoopBox that get's a few more MPGS but will have me bashing my head on the steering wheel every moment of my drive. /Rant

Coming up with a new tax will have an initial cost and will be in the red before it starts making the state money. If they are going to institute new ways to produce income they are just as well off increasing the current streams. People are going to be angry either way, but one brings in immediate funds while the other will take 5-10 years.

At least, that's my uneducated thought.

Another hidden effect of any more highway taxes is the reduction of recreational travel, and the bussinesses associated therin.

Now with the implimentation of 'Highway Use' as well as IFTA (Interstate Fuel Tax Agreement) on the Commercial Trucking Industry, stated to help with highway repair and reconstruction, accomplished little with the billions paid in taxes as compared to highway conditions. I read somewhere that 70% of Highway Use as well as IFTA goes to the operating costs and collection, and only 30% goes to actual highway projects.

Here in Nebraska we pay a wheel tax, originally $1 per wheel of your vehicle, now I pay for my 36 wheeled SUV and still State Highways are marginal at best. Again operating and collection costs way outstrip actual spending for roads. A friend that works DMV stated that the wheel tax was another way to fund the DMV's office employee pay increases, that was about it.

Any new tax on highway use, must not go into a 'general' fund as it does now, and must be dedicated to transportation costs, admin costs must be limited, another Federal 70/30 tax will accomplish little except to doom the recreational drive for millions, and doom the recreational drive vendors/shops/resteraunts/etc along our highways.

I'd like to suggest adding a lane to highways penned in with barriers with no speed limit. Charge a membership fee to drive like a total psychopath. It would raise money. Additionally, change highway traffic enforcement to target idiots who follow too closely instead of writing $100 tickets for going 75mph in a 65mh zone. If it's a money thing, up the fine, also, get the damn econo-boxes out of the left-hand lane. I know they're doing the speed limit there to force the rest of us to save gas by blocking my ability to pass them doing at least 20mph faster. 

It should be a ticketable offense to not yeild the left lane to faster traffic. And not just to econo boxes. Most times it seems to be some old lady or teenage girl yapping on her phone.