Path: ...!eternal-september.org!feeder3.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail From: AMuzi 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. Lines: 76 Message-ID: References: <3lpucjd7h8urb0ejq3j8bh636n33t29q0u@4ax.com> <5qlvcjp589a1mth1ng27q3bo1gp3hmg96r@4ax.com> <8g90dj15dj6h6655564vvi3loe9ehrluit@4ax.com> <5ZfjP.880262$DPl.350989@fx13.iad> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Injection-Date: Thu, 23 Jan 2025 21:03:10 +0100 (CET) Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="d80540f5094010b3ebd6ccb5bb3eceb2"; logging-data="1892620"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org"; posting-account="U2FsdGVkX19gEWhI8tAjTeiOwEE+I+/s" User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird Cancel-Lock: sha1:1ql7NhuHHBDva00s08pN/7NIHA8= In-Reply-To: Content-Language: en-US Bytes: 4834 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