A new report commissioned by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce suggests that the six-year $286.4 billion highway and public transit act signed by President Bush just less than four months ago will not be adequate to cover the costs of maintaining roads and bridges, according to the AIADA newsletter. To combat the potential shortfall of some $500 billion of what is needed to maintain the nation’s roadways through 2015, some are suggesting a possible tax on hybrids and other fuel-efficient vehicles and charging drivers for miles driven. In its new report, the Chamber estimates that the highway part of the transportation fund will hit a zero cash balance in 2008, and as such, are urging Congress to seek additional sources of revenue. ’’Decisions are going to have to be made in the very near future,’’ said Ed Mortimer, the business lobby’s director of transportation infrastructure, acknowledging it could be a tall order. (And we thought our recent Michael Moore story was controversial…)
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11/28, 4:56 PM
posted by:
Elmo
Makes sense to me. We shouldn’t burden fuel-efficient vehicles unfairly, but if the current revenue model is based on the assumption that fuel consumption is roughly equal to the impact on the highway infrastructure, then hybrids and electrics break the model.
If we invent cars that run on pure water tomorrow, should they be able to use the roads without contributing anything financially?
11/28, 5:43 PM
posted by:
Derren
Elmo – you may be rigth, but I think its far too soon for something like this. This could negate the benifits of buying a hybrid in the first place.
11/28, 6:24 PM
posted by:
Rob Renaul
This is stupid. So long as we are talking about “impact on highway infrastructure” then HEAVY vehicles should also have significant taxes levied against them, because they cause a lot more damage than lighter vehicles do. In addition, more powerful engines and wider tires, which cause larger amounts of road wear, should have additional levies and taxes imposed upon them. This suggestion that hybrids should be taxed is fine, so long as we also tax other vehicles which cause much much more damage to our infrastructure.
11/29, 12:52 AM
posted by:
Gary Morris
Only in America could this kind of thinking be found. Tax energy efficiency is just the sort of “out of the box” thinking that is driving this country to the train wreck that awaits it in the next 20 – 40 years. If you don’t think we are on a downward spiral, spend a week or two in China. By mid-century they will be eating us for lunch while we debate taxing the sun to subsidize failed fossil-fuel power plants and grotesque SUVs.
11/29, 4:55 PM
posted by:
Scott
Don’t panic… they aren’t calling for an end to subsidies for hybrids and alternative fuel vehicles, they just don’t want that money to come from the road fund.
Quote: If the federal government wishes to subsidize the purchase of
hybrid and nonpetroleum-powered vehicles to reduce fuel consumption
and emissions, the subsidies should be provided from the general fund,
as was done for ethanol fuel subsidies, and not from the [Highway and Public Transportation Fund].