Oregon to Soak the Green...

As I understand it, they are talking about replacing the gas tax with a road use tax.

Since hybrid cars do as much damage to the road as regular cars it really does make sense.

Hybrid car drivers will still save mega-bucks at the gas station.

The technology to implement this type of tax is still way off into the future although I guess they could somehow tie the tax into DEQ inspections...

This is good news. The gasoline tax has been a major revenue generater for most states. If they are seriously thinking of switching to an alternate system to preserve that revenue stream than the switch to alternate fuels must be under way.

Cool!

Cars don't do any damage to modern roads. Weather and heavy vehicles damage roads.

I can't believe you guys. What are you gonna do when they decide to impose a luxury/frivolous-pursuit tax for sex and want to implant some sort of a sex-monitor device underneath your skin?

Is that a serious question or did the smiley fall off?

I take Acquiunk's point, but price at the pump is probably the motivator for the change. Less road tax and more tax per gallon could produce the same revenue and still discourage consumption.

I think gunga is right about road damage. In any case, if someone is going to tax my miles, that probably means they are going to know where I've been. Not sure I like this at all.

A road use tax on hybrid cars is ridiculous....and a GPS device to keep track of mileage is even a worse idea.

This only reinforces my theory that the absolute DUMBEST people on the planet our our elected officials.

So the POLS bitch about Detroit making gas guzzlers. Then when people by efficiently, these POLS want to penalize those people for being "environmentaly friendly".

Isn't it nice to know that the scammers, schemers, and pickpockets are all operating as legitimate governments and businesses?

Notice the junk taxes on your cellphone going up? Yep, because revenue from land lines is going down.

Death and taxes, the only things you can count on. Getting screwed w/o a kiss is SOP.

I know someone that had to have triple-bypass surgery last year. He was feeling chest pains after exercising. With heart problems being hereditary, he wisely saw a doctor. One of the bypasses was for what is known as "the widowmaker". It was 80% blocked.

He caught it before having a heat attack. He would have had a heart attack, and most likely it would have been fatal, if it were left untreated.

Because he did not have a heart attack, his insurance won't pay for the cardiac rehab care after the operation-he's on his own to pay for that (it would be covered if he had a heart attack).

Because he didn't have a heart attack, they won't pay for his prescriptions. They would if he had had the heart attack. Or perhaps not, because he probably would have died.

Nice world we live in, isn't it?

Basically, I'd have to tell these people that I could not guarantee the safety of any sort of a usage monitoring device in my vehicle.

Monitoring milage is probably a nonstarter, although in Connecticut they record your milage when you take an emissions test which at the moment is biannual. So they might do something with that, taxing you on the difference between the current test and the last test. What is more significant is that a traditional income stream is in jeopardy and states are having to begin to think of alternatives, which is the first solid evidence that I have seen of a movement away from gasoline as a primary transportation fuel.

Oregon currently spends more than 10 million dollars a year on road repairs from damage caused just by snow tires!

Portland is served by a dozen bridges, two of which are nearly 100 years old, the newest is more than 30 years old. Nearly every bridge was built without envisioning the type of stress that the bridges now endure from regular traffic.

Hybrid cars are great but they do nothing to ease congestion and congestion is a huge problem. We have to build new roads and bridges and widen existing ones.

I can't think of any reason why hybrid drivers should not share in this expense.

From what I've read, it is the car manufacturers that will be installing the GPS tracking devices to monitor milage, not the state.

Sounds like one of those parts which would just keep on breaking, if you know what I mean...

I must say this issue perplexes me, because I drive a Prius but believe in paying my fair share.

Seems to me there are two policy issues here:
1) Encouraging people to drive high-mileage, low-polluting vehicles;
2) Funding road maintenance on a fair basis.

Both are important, IMHO. I would think there would be a more creative way to do this than sticking it to hybrid owners, but maybe not...

Maybe hybrid owners could get some kind of pass on DEQ, reduced fee for tags or some other kind of break?

I believe there should be incentives to drive hybrid cars.

A break on tags would be nice. I'm not greedy, but one pays a premium for a hybrid. The implication is that there's some personal financial advantage in using less gas, plus one is doing something good for the environment and decreasing fuel consumption.

Let's make this a win/win!

I agree with most of the posters here saying that GPS devices in cars is a big no-no.

Cycloptichorn

Why are some of you actually making excuses for the a-hole politicians.

I am sure you all know that over the vast majority of the Fortune 500 comapnies PAY NO TAXES. This govt has failed to collect about 1 TRILLION form Corporations in taxes. Forget about wasteful spending!!!!!

Give me a break...this is nonsense and any politician that supports this should be impeached.

Hell, I agree with that, Woiyo!

Cycloptichorn