Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Ward's columnist wonders if Americans can handle the truth about gas taxes]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/27/wards-columnist-wonders-if-americans-can-handle-the-truth-about/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/27/wards-columnist-wonders-if-americans-can-handle-the-truth-about/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/27/wards-columnist-wonders-if-americans-can-handle-the-truth-about/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



People have always had something of an aversion to hard truths. Most Americans say they want their country to get off foreign oil or help the environment, but when it comes to the bottom line, they want cheap fuel. And when the prices on gas pumps start to dip, consumer interest in smaller more efficient vehicles tends to go out the window. Understandably, drivers everywhere tend to make vehicle purchasing decisions in large part based on fuel prices.

Ward's Auto World columnist Drew Winters notes that executives like Bob Lutz have long advocated that fossil fuel prices need to increase in order to make more efficient vehicles appeal to consumers. But with U.S. consumers' almost instinctual avoidance of taxation, it has been difficult for politicians to consider such measures. Instead, it would appear that most constituents want government to mandate both more fuel efficient cars (through mechanisms like CAFE) and cheap gas without impacting the cost of automobiles themselves.

Winters paraphrases The End of Oil author Paul Roberts, noting that "every major fuel shift in history - from wood to coal to oil - was driven primarily by market forces, specifically by competitive advantages of the new fuel over the old." Thus, part of the solution may simply to make the fossil fuels more expensive relative to other energy sources.

Unfortunately, Winters surmises, it appears that nobody can handle this truth.

[Source: Ward's Auto World | Photo: GoodGreentips.com]

Ward's columnist wonders if Americans can handle the truth about gas taxes originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 27 Dec 2008 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>cafecafe standardsCafeStandardsfuel pricefuel taxFuelPriceFuelTaxgas mileagegas pricegas pricesgas taxGasMileagegasoline taxGasolineTaxGasPriceGasPricesGasTaxtaxtaxationSat, 27 Dec 2008 18:57:00 EST<![CDATA[Oregon testing new GPS-based road tax system]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/03/27/oregon-testing-mileage-based-road-tax-system/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/03/27/oregon-testing-mileage-based-road-tax-system/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/03/27/oregon-testing-mileage-based-road-tax-system/#commentsFiled under: , ,

The Beaver State is investigating a new method of assessing taxes used to bankroll state highways. Instead of collecting money via gasoline taxes, Oregon is testing a GPS-based system which levels taxes based upon miles driven. By switching to such a system, the state would not lose revenue with every resident that purchases a more fuel efficient vehicle.

The 'black box' system keeps tabs on how many miles are racked up both in and out of Oregon's borders, as well as during rush hour, and levies taxes on the totals accrued. Predictably, the creation of a database that monitors the travel patterns of drivers raises some troubling privacy concerns, even for those who don't regularly harbor 'Big Brother' conspiracy theories.

As things stand, Oregon derives some 80-percent of its highway funding from its 24-cent-per-gallon tax, thus the move towards more fuel-efficient vehicles stands to negatively impact the state's coffers by millions of dollars.

What do you think, is this a viable alternative to standard gas-based taxation, or are the potential privacy issues too great to overlook?

[Source: UPI]

(Top tip, Chicken!)

Oregon testing new GPS-based road tax system originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Mar 2006 20:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>beaver stateBeaverStategas taxgasoline taxGasolineTaxGasTaxGPSHighway taxHighwayTaxOregonMon, 27 Mar 2006 20:03:00 EST