Aside from the fact that we all really hate taxes and the government's ability to take our money at will, the question is: How do you pay to build and maintain roads?

There have been many discussions about private roads, but setting that aside, if we continue to have government roads -- and that certainly seems to be the current standard -- what is the appropriate way to pay for them?

One answer is toll roads, which works with long stretches of limited access roads, but doesn't work so well with the vast network of roads that we use. Do we register with a toll system on every corner?

We have traditionally used gas taxes which had the characteristic of being essentially a use tax. As a use tax, it's flawed, tractors don't use the roads very often but pay the gas tax. This was a big deal in Illinois in the city vs rural battle.

The new challenge is cars that use little or no gas. They do, however, generate the same amount of road wear and tear. If we pay for roads by a use fee shouldn't they pay the same as any other vehicle?

No new taxes. Why don't they just raise the existing tax? No new bureaucracy required. Or is the purpose of this TO create another bureaucracy

The purpose of government is the promotion and expansion of government and its minions. Any provision of services is an expense to be minimized and an afterthought

If they'd stop giving all our money to those that "Live off the system" Do I dare say Illegal Aliens? Then just maybe there would be some of OUR money to spend on US that pay into the system. The commi govt is giving away better then I can afford to buy for myself.
This is just another way of shoring up a system that gives to those that have no interest in contributing to their own support.
When I was in High School my dad told me that I wasn't a good person if I didn't learn Spanish, look what that has gotten us!!

So essentially after taxing the heck out of everyone to build the roads they have now effectively turned all the roads in Oregon into Toll Roads.Only in the Peoples Republic of Oregon. This is a really bad idea.

Here's how it will work. everyone has a cell phone with a camera. Every year on 1-1 you take a photo of your lic plate and the odo and send them all the money you have along with the photos.

Can I jump in here? As a former Oregonian and now a Texan by choice. I bought my wife a hybrid which she is getting 43 not 41 mpg that the EPA tag on the window stated. She works at it except when she is driving my Mini Cooper Clubman which gets 29 MPG. WE don’t want to pay any more than we just have too to the BIG oil companies.
About 3 weeks ago I was talking to a friend about this and I stated that it wouldn’t be long before the states instituted a mileage tax and keep the per gal or the sales tax on fuels. As the non news watching left wing air head voter said at that time. “Oh that will never happen.” Just can’t wait to see him again.

I will avoid Oregon as if it had seven different contagious plagues. I have a mini van for utility purposes, but when it comes to a sedan, I get the most powerful engine I can afford. I like a super pick-up, an easy highway merge, and the rumble of a powerful engine. Screw the mileage. If it's not fun to drive, I'll stay home. You can drive a woosie car if you want, but watch out, I may puke on your Juke.

Shh! In Alabama we have a GOP second term governor who has out of the blue gone RINO and wants to raise taxes.
That political Benedict Arnold is meeting resistance, thank goodness.
He does not need to catch wind of this idea,

Don't forget the addition of a whole new level of bureaucracy to enforce it and of course that will eat up the funding so we will have to add to the gas tax and add some more rules and some more bureaucracy over the power generation industry to make sure they use "green" technology and some infrastructure to get the power to those cars will need more bureaucracy to keep all this running smoothly and if that doesn't work, of course, we'll need more funding.

Can you get an electric car and a solar array with a power pallet to back it up? That is the only way I see to get around this whilst keeping your job and lifestyle.

If a hybrid car (maybe a better idea), then do you live close enough to a border to drive across once a month and fill up some gas cans? A hybrid would give you more flexibility, notably out of state. Really, the only thing you can do personally is 'not feed the beast'.

Jan

The simple solution is to make more of the major roads that require the most state money for maintenance toll roads. Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas are going this direction, and are instituting mutual recognition of each others' computer toll systems, so the revenue is automatically distributed to the correct state.

Awk! Image: Go away!

Jan

Well Nick, I'm with you.

So, I am not picking on you Nickursis, but the mantra is vote with your feet. If you don't like it, leave. Just please don't bring it with you, please leave this disease in Oregon. It is California, hundreds of people are leaving but as we see in Colorado, they brought their politics with them. So sad to see the Blue disease spreading like that.

I live in what used to be called the "sane" side of the Cascades in Oregon (Bend, specifically) and our city is considering - in addition to all the idiocy coming from the west side of the mountains (except for Nickursis, of course) - a five cent per gallon gas tax, just in the city, to get extra income from tourists (and coincidentally residents). It will help pay for road repairs that have not been done to any great degree for about 7 years, but by God our bike lanes are growing, and car lanes are regularly converted to bike lanes. It's a lot of fun driving and biking in the winter snows here with our enhanced transportation system. The other great debate is about plopping a large state college campus in the middle of town in a gravel and pumice pit, the argument being that most students will bike to school. One could sell tickets to watch the results! (Oops, better not give them any ideas!)

The implementation seems wrong, but a consumption tax (paying for the wear on roads) rather than a vehicle or gas tax would be nice.

I hate that trucking is subsidized the taxpayer and car owner, when a majority of road wear (and considerable congestion) comes from trucking. Trains would crush trucking for long hauls were it not for this.

As an added bonus, think about all the wonderful government workers we will have to hire to administer this.

As a side note here, this sounds like a typical government big business government welfare program. Only large corporations have the wherewithal to keep the records required and think about it...they also use large vehicles that burn loads of gas...they will come out ahead on this. Government will als come out ahead, they can write themselves an exemption from the tax and use the rebate to get the gas tax money back. In the meantine the average citizen driving his 1997 corolla gets to pay for all the roads.

Actually, no. My wife hates thunderstorms and we rarely have any. Intel has no fabs there, and the one I work in is a very easy going org. It is just so frustrating to have to have these bastards with both hands and a foot in your pockets, and even when you try to communicate with them, they ignore you, unless your on the 100.00 donor list or something. They are utterly worthless.

Oh yea...my favorite and only favorite politician Jack Ryan. I still loved the ending of the book/movie where the team is over in the middle east and Jack tells them to packs sand, followed closely by a missile between the eyes. But yes, you have it true, classic looter syndrome, take and lie at the same time, ensure insult is added to injury. Proper politics.

Doesn't Melbourne, FL look great right now, Nickursis?

In the movie Patriot Games, Samuel Jackson's character bestows a medal on Harrison Ford's character: The Order of the Purple Target.

Lt. Cmdr. Robby Jackson (played by Samuel L. Jackson): Attention to orders. I have a presentation to make. For service above and beyond the call of duty of a tourist, or even a Marine, we recognize Professor John Patrick Ryan (played by Harrison Ford), with the Order of the Purple Target.

[he hangs a medal around Jack's neck in the shape of a bulls-eye, with the words "SHOOT ME" on it]

Lt. Cmdr. Robby Jackson: And hope that he will duck next time, lest he become part of history, rather than a teacher of it.

This scene describes exactly how I feel about taxation. I am walking around with a target on myself.

We agree; now we just need to convince another 70 million. One at a time. then two, then four ...

Which is proof that neither party has the people as a concern, just how they can loot more for their own purposes and to give to those who give back. I with the gyrocopter dude: There should be no money allowed in elections. Win on your arguments and ability to express them, or go home. This pay for play crap has got to go... I do agree: Democrap or Republicrap, crap is crap and it all stinks.

If misery loves company, the Republicraps in GA are working to keep up with a 50% increase in the gas tax and with automatic increases for inflation. (No provision for deflation, of course.) They have been getting thousands of emails against the bill but that has had no effect thus far.