If you drive a motor vehicle you could soon be taxed for the miles you drive. Uncle Sam with the help of Democrats are circulating new ideas for increasing revenue and one of those ideas is the Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Tax. Supporters believe its a fair way to charge people for using the highways. They believe it would naturally limit highway use thus create less spending for the highways (like repairs etc) and obviously create revenue.
It’s not enough any more that you pay your normal taxes, gas taxes, bridge tolls, HOV fees, car tabs, traffic/parking violations, auto ownership transfer fees, and 520 tolls anymore. You need to be taxedfor the mileage you drive also. Where do we draw the line in the sand and say that is enough taxes/fees for the roads. If the roads can’t be fixed with all the taxes and fees above then we have to realize this is more than just revenue – it’s management of the current transportation revenue.
It starts with getting people out of office who don’t make tough spending decisions and are constantly just thinking up “ideas to create revenue”. These decisions mean certain people need to be fired (management/staff whatever) and/or over inflated programs need to be cut. Our officials in office need to have the testicular fortitude to put their neck and reputation on the line (plus other things) to make these tough decisions. Sure tough decisions mean everyone isn’t going to be happy but that is part of the job. We don’t need anymore thinkers – we need action. We have setup a government system that supports ideas and not action. Officials want to get re-elected and to make this happen they don’t want to make the hard line cutting decisions. They don’t want to make anyone mad or even have anyone dislike them. It simply is not in their own professional interests. That is why most officials don’t make tough cuts or even discuss it – they just sit around and think up some new revenue idea that will tax more people.
These ideas do pass. Look at the light cameras we have or the HOV lane fees. The extreme rental car taxes. Some states have speeding cameras mounted on the road. We have even tried placing empty white vans on the highways ticketing people (with just a computer inside).
It’s the same story we hear it all the time. After a year or two when the government has used that great ideas revenue, they’ll claim we are broke again. Some Official will think up another revenue idea (tax) and the vicious cycle continues over again.
