Home > The Cone Zone > Archives > 2008 > August > 12 > Entry
Pay Me Now Or Pay Me Later
Tolls and taxes.
Drivers don’t like shelling out cash for either one.
But the money to build new roads and fix crumbling bridges has to come from somewhere.
So what are transportation agencies to do?
Here’s an idea that’s quickly gaining popularity across the country. Drivers would pay a fee based on where you drive, at what time of day and how often you’re on the road as well as what type of car you have.
It’s called a vehicle miles tax.
A tracking device would be installed in your car to record where you travel. A per-mile tax is assessed, possibly when you fill up at the gas station, that links the cost of building and maintaining the roads to those who use them.
Some models go as far as to charge different prices for urban or rural roads and how fuel efficient your car is.
In other words, what you pay is all up to you.
Who can argue with that?
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Comments
By Tom Horsley
August 12, 2008 2:37 PM | Link to this
Maybe people who don’t like the gummint tracking them everywhere they go could argue with it?
By Jay Hoarsley
August 12, 2008 3:31 PM | Link to this
Yo Chuck,
Great Blog! Your blog is very important to many of us here in Bolivia. Keep up the good work.
Jay
By 1984
August 14, 2008 11:16 AM | Link to this
As George Orwell said: Big Brother Is Watching You.
Maybe they need to do what they do in Europe: vehicle registration fee/tax is based on a combination of vehicle weight and value.
The reasoning is that heavier vehicles add more wear and tear to roads, so should pay more to fix them. But you don’t want the Donald Trump’s of the world avoiding paying because they can afford to buy super light sports cars.
By Meghan
September 8, 2008 1:13 PM | Link to this
This will not fly with tax payers! Anyone with a brain will vote it down. No one would want one these in “trackers” in their car not to mention the cost of making all of these for every single car in Palm Beach County. Who is going to pay for that? It’s a good idea in theory, but it will never work in the real world.
By Will Vash
October 15, 2008 7:34 AM | Link to this
The Cone Zone is the greatest blog in the world!!