Road rage, road kill, now road tax! Ugh! When will it all end?

Paying per gallon will still make sense as fuel-efficient vehicles increase in number, because gas-stingy vehicles tend to be lighter and do less damage to roadways.

Sounds like a "blue state only" thing. Just imagine the increase in govt size to implement/regulate this monster. More job security for lobbyists.



I thought we were all petrified about Hummers destroying the world, but it turns out that it was really Hybrids that are going to destroy our commuting way of life! But more taxes will save us. Gimme a break.

The only fair way is a gas tax. The more gas you burn, the more you pay. Jump the gas tax up to $5.00 a gallon and be done with it, As long as all fuel-based taxes are used for road construction and improvement. It's the fair and equitable way to go because no one can say they're being forced into giving up their large vehicales, they're meerly paying for the increased wear and tear they cause on the roadway.



I think commercial vehicales over 15klbs should use a different scale or else it'd strangle commerce, but Joe Blow commuting alone in his Suburban can step up to the plate, or buy a more reasonably sized vehicale that doesn't endanger everyone else with it's size.

The gubment told me SUVs were bad. Now I guess they're good. They told me hybrid's were good but now I guess they're bad because the Man doesn't get as much money.



Maybe we should just give everyone a Suburban and a pack of cigarettes and the deficit will be wittled away in no time.

If I am getting 13 mpg and some one else is getting 26 mpg aren't I already paying twice the tax base per gallon, given the same amount of travel? I would also be buying the gas with after tax dollars. BTW, I don't own a big or thirsty vehicle.

It does seem anytime a state mismanages funds for any given project some group gets the blame and the bill. Just ask the Golden Gate commuters how they like the toll raise to support the Larkspur ferry nobody rides into San Francisco.

Not likely, it's "conservatives" pushing this one, on behalf of the oil industry and Detroit. They need a way to make operating gas hog SUVs and vanity trucks more relatively affordable.

Blue Staters realize that if differential mileage rates were applied this program (which is just a neo-con pipe dream anyway) would end up as just another way for the hard working productive states to subsidize the welfare-dependent red staters

http://bigpicture.typepad.com/writing/2004/11/red_states_feed.html

There are no conservatives. There is simply one Bi-Factional Ruling Party.



One faction favors big government and big business.



The other fact just favors big government.

"If I am getting 13 mpg and some one else is getting 26 mpg aren't I already paying twice the tax base per gallon, given the same amount of travel? I would also be buying the gas with after tax dollars."



Most excellent point!

That people, who can read and write, still don't get the fact that the republicans are a big government party is kind of sad, isn't it? VWW

Won't happen in our life time!

This is not going to happen.

I have the Sci Fi channel for a reason and I pay money for this site for reason.

The two are usually seperate, but in this case aren't.

Consider yourself MOTO...Master Of The Obvious!!

I like the way that charging more for driving during rush hour will make people stop driving during rush hour. Because, if they have to pay more, I guess everyone will start working third shift. Or something... Am I just missing the point of that bit? I always thought that the reason for the peaks in congestion were folks going to work or back home. Apparently, we can all just change our commuting habits and everything will be fine. Never mind that we would be getting to work three hours early...

Remember: It's always easier to do things the hard way. -- Chango

Go ahead....(frowning smirk on leathery cowboy face with cheroot stuck in side).. tax our gallons. Just make everyone ride brand new supersports!!

Watch out for Granny&Gramps via Ohio in Tucson snowbird season pulling RIGHTOUTINFRONTOFYOU on dog-slow underpowered 2year-old 600cc machines.

That people, who can read and write, still don't get the fact that the Democrats are just as nasty and corrupt as the Republicans is equally sad.

Inconsistency alert.

Now now. According to you liberals the rich are supposed to subsidize the poor. Therefore you should be ecstatic that wealth is supposedly going from richer "blue states" going to poorer "red states".

I'm amazed at how many people are getting exercised over the pros and cons and various details of this proposed scheme.



This is simply another ploy to get more money. Once again the govt propagandists rely on basic greed to pit one group of citizens against the other so they won't see the true enemy.



Govt will expand and expand until it takes EVERYTHING and it will still complain that it's not nearly enough. When a supposed conservative like John McCain calls the Federal Budget "austere" it's not hard to see the writing on the wall. $2.5 Trillion per year dollars is poverty, folks!

Hell I wouldn't get out of bed for $2.5 trillion per year. How do you expect me to raise a family on that?

Perhaps they hope it will increase demand for flex-time or distance working options. This certainly is already happening with lots of desk jockey jobs where broadband and a cell phone can essentially replace the office cube. But there's obviously a limit to how many 9-to-5 commuters can be taken off the road, and it seems like traffic hell is already enough of a disincentive to staying off the roads or altering your schedule if possible, so I can't say I get it either.

The various govts rely on tobacco taxes so much that, no matter what they may publicly claim, they secretly hope that smokers never decrease in numbers. I don't think you'd like the huge property taxes they'd levy to make up the loss of tobacco revenues.