Oregon mileage tax raises concerns about tracking, cost

[Mike]

Truckers are among those paying close attention to a measure in Oregon that would allow certain vehicle owners to opt out of paying the state fuel tax if they agree to having a flat fee levied on each mile they drive. Although the measure does not apply to heavy trucks at this time, truckers are outspoken about what could amount to paying substantially higher taxes to travel.

The measure, SB810, currently resides on the desk of Gov. John Kitzhaber after passing votes in the Senate and the House.

If Kitzhaber signs the bill into law, the tax on vehicle miles traveled, or VMT, would take effect in July 2015. It would allow up to 5,000 Oregon residents to voluntarily pay by the mile via GPS vehicle-tracking technology or at the pump via a wireless transponder that communicates with their vehicles.

By David Tanner, Land Line associate editor

 

[Injun]

That's how we pay tax in Oregon already. It's called Oregon Weight Receipt and Tax Identidier. Y'know...that permit you have to buy before going into Oregon. All this does is expand the PUC program to regular car drivers.

Talk about making a mountain out of a mole hill!

 

[Tim]

And yet they left out another option, just opt out of running to Oregon. Be real easy to track my miles there, 0

 

[DubbleD]

That's how we pay tax in Oregon already. It's called Oregon Weight Receipt and Tax Identidier. Y'know...that permit you have to buy before going into Oregon. All this does is expand the PUC program to regular car drivers.

Talk about making a mountain out of a mole hill!

Tip of the iceberg as more states look for alternative revenue makers to replace the losses already felt by lack of income tax revenue.

 

[Duck]

Whenever they want to change the way taxes are collected, it's always because they want to RAISE the taxes, and do so in a manner they hope nobody will catch on to.

 

[Injun]

The state has lost the level of revenue it once received from fuel taxes because of the more economic cars being produced and sold. This is Oregon's way of recovering that.

It will not affect the way truckers do business in the state because it's the way we've always done business in Oregon.

 

[Duck]

The state has lost the level of revenue it once received from fuel taxes because of the more economic cars being produced and sold. This is Oregon's way of recovering that.

That's just the bullshit excuse they're using.

Those so-called "fuel efficient" vehicles don't get better fuel economy, they just cost more & have cleaner emissions.

My dad had a 1989 Subaru Justy that got 42 mpg on the highway & 30-something local. He also had a 1970-something Volkswagen Rabbit that got over 40 MPG.

Government has absolutely no leg to stand on when it comes to defending against claims that it's all about tracking us. We already know they spy on us in every way they can think of and are even putting drones in the sky to spy on us even more. One would have to be pretty naive to think that fuel efficient vehicles are the only reason they'd have for wanting to track us by satellite everywhere we go in our personal vehicles.

 

[Injun]

Actually, I'm pretty okay with this, since it's Oregon. The populace has consistently voted in more and more "Progressives" (read: Socialists) and it hasn't actually affected them directly, aside from ever increasing income and property taxes. When they realize they have voted themselves under 24/7 surveillance, they may change their voting habits.

The way the state will be tracking this is with GPS devices. Once this is fully operational, the resident Leftists in Oregon, along with the few "sane" people in the state will be required by law to have these tracking devices on their vehicles. They will, in effect, have placed themselves under constant surveillance. Maybe they will finally learn.

This will not affect out-of-state visitors. Let them dig their own hole.

 

[Duck]

Actually, I'm pretty okay with this, since it's Oregon. The populace has consistently voted in more and more "Progressives" (read: Socialists) and it hasn't actually affected them directly, aside from ever increasing income and property taxes. When they realize they have voted themselves under 24/7 surveillance, they may change their voting habits.

The way the state will be tracking this is with GPS devices. Once this is fully operational, the resident Leftists in Oregon, along with the few "sane" people in the state will be required by law to have these tracking devices on their vehicles. They will, in effect, have placed themselves under constant surveillance. Maybe they will finally learn.

This will not affect out-of-state visitors. Let them dig their own hole.

I see what you're getting at but I don't agree with it.

The United States as a whole, has almost the same dismal record of voting for "progressives". Following your logic, you'd also have to support a (nationwide) repeal of the entire bill of rights, confiscation of private property, taxes in the neighborhood of 100% (or higher), etc.

I just don't believe in punishing 100% of the people for the crimes of the 51%.

 

[Injun]

Better check Oregon's demographics again, Ducky.

 

[Duck]

Better check Oregon's demographics again, Ducky.

If it was blue enough to make it worth punishing the innocent minority who do not vote for socialists, the residents would already have bar codes on their foreheads & tracking chips embedded in their bodies, and there would be gulags where they put all the conservatives.

 

[Injun]

What makes you think these things don't already exist?

Don't forget...I was born in that state before the Great Migration North. Once upon a time, there were jobs and freedom. Since most of Los Angeles and a large portion of San Francisco moved in, nothing has grown except taxes and regulations. Real Oregonians, for the most part, moved for friendlier surroundings, such as Tennessee, Idaho and Texas. There are more transplants than native borns in Oregon. 95% of the transplants came from California.

There are still some bastions of Conservatism in Oregon, such as Malheur and Grant Counties, but Portland, Eugene, Salem and Bend are Liberal areas, for various reasons. Some because there are large minority populations that have been fooled into thinking Democrats represent their interests, some because they are large retirement communities who do not want to have their Social Security checks threatened and some because there are large numbers of college students who have not yet begun to do their own thinking and who still buy into whatever nonsense their professors are stuffing into the empty spaces between their ears.

Other far left areas are the Central Coast area, Ashland and Corvallis.

There really isn't much left of Conservatism in the state anymore. I had to leave...one of many native Oregonians pushed out by politics I can no longer abide or afford.

I would venture to say fully 75% or more of Oregon's current population identify as Democrat. Those Conservatives who haven't left yet are either too broke to leave or still holding out hope some sense may eventually return to Salem. I stopped holding my breath for that.

Oregon has become, for all intents and purposes, San Francisco on a statewide scale.

 

[Duck]

Paradox:

If a tree falls in the woods, .... and it crushes the Oregon residents who'd chained themselves to it, .... does anybody care?

 

[Tazz]

So do they get a rebate on the fuel tax at the pump. I mean like an IFTA filing for cars?

I think it should be a pay by mile system but do not see how that would work without as @Duck mentions way to much big brother.