Re: People Without Meaningful Lives Seek Power Over Others

On Thu, 23 Jan 2025 13:38:28 -0600, AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org> wrote:

On 1/23/2025 12:10 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:

On 1/23/2025 6:23 AM, zen cycle wrote:

On 1/22/2025 10:03 PM, Frank Krygowski wrote:

>
In fact, I think if we could do so, road taxes should all
be on such a per-mile-driven system, maybe modified
additionally for the weight of the vehicle.

>
Texas tried it
>
https://www.dallasnews.com/news/investigations/2024/10/23/
a-look-at- texas-private-toll-roads/
>
at least in one case, it didn't go so well:
>
https://www.texasobserver.org/texas-tollway-288-steep-price/
>
"Since the tollway opened in November 2020, toll rates
have increased by more than 160 percent, going from $11
for the full 20-mile round trip during peak hours to $29
dollars now. "

 
That looks like an astonishingly bad agreement between the
government and BTG corporation. But note that BTG paid only
a third of the cost of construction, so even that "private"
toll road was heavily subsidized by taxpayers. I'm pointing
this out to those who say rail transport should cover all
its expenses via fares, with zero subsidies.
 
To try for a broader overview of road taxes: There are
people who never drive, and people who drive far more than
others. Since the vast majority of road-related expenses are
_not_ covered by gasoline taxes, why should a non-driver pay
the same road taxes as a mega-driver?
 
Why not tie those taxes the amount of roadway used by each
driver, since that (as well as vehicle weight) is a main
determinant of roadway expenses? After all, train fares are
strongly affected by the the rider's travel distance - IOW
the amount of track used.
 
To allay the fears of the paranoid: The government wouldn't
need to track your movements. You'd simply need to submit
evidence of your odometer total once per year.
 
Seems to me the crew that says "Let the market decide"
should be all in favor of this idea.
 
And please note, I'm not making this argument for my own
benefit. Quite the opposite! As I've said, my life situation
has changed in a way that makes me driver far more annual
miles than I ever did before, and I'm doing it in an EV. I'm
pretty sure I'm paying less than "my share" of roadway
expenses.
 

>
Many (I included) would sharply resist such government
motoring of my auto use. That's a political barrier, not a
technical issue.
>
Also, people who do not own or use motor vehicles still
consume myriad products all of which are transported by
motor freight (even air & rail have 'last mile' truck
delivery). They pay road tax with every purchase, plus a markup.

And who pays the road tax if you call the police? Or the water works,
or the fire department, all of which need to use the roads to aid you
the caller?
--
Cheers,

John B.