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From: AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org>
Newsgroups: rec.bicycles.tech
Subject: Re: People Without Meaningful Lives Seek Power Over Others
Date: Thu, 23 Jan 2025 14:03:11 -0600
Organization: Yellow Jersey, Ltd.
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On 1/23/2025 1:38 PM, AMuzi 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.
> 

typo 'monitoring'
oops

-- 
Andrew Muzi
am@yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971