Illinios proposes a Tesla Tax

That’s just poor business practice. Is that anyone else’s fault but the farmer’s? Nope.

The majority of our area corn is sold to ADM, for use in foods AND fuels, depending on which side of the road it’s processed on. The very few cattle farms, around here, grow their own feed grains, as we don’t have large, confinement operations like TX, OK, etc.

 

No middle ground as they are damned if they do and then damned if they don't.

 

You ever see those signs on the back of trucks that say "This vehicle pays 3000 dollars in road use taxes"? Well...BIG DEAL! Penn State did a study that an 80,000 lb truck does 9000 times the damage to the road per mile tha a car. When a 18 wheeler pays 9000 times as much as I do I'll stop my ranting. By the way, that would be about 8 million dollars!

 

" If you don't like trucks on the road, quit buying shit "

 

Subsidies perturb the market. I'll gladly pay the going price for what ever I want IF the current f*cked up tax system is fixed. The entire subsidy system is just another way of taking from one to give to another. As a short term solution all subsidies should have sunset laws attached that force and evaluation/justification (independent of politics) before they can be re-instituted.

 

Just once it would be nice for the government to say "we're going to have a shortfall in revenue, let's see what we can cut from the budget".

 

With all electric, hybrid and generally higher MPG cars, coupled with no increase in the gas tax in many years while costs to build/maintain roads continue to go up, a new solution is past due.

To make it equitable, a mileage tax, with a multiplier for vehicle weight would be the fair solution. This should replace the gas tax completely, on both the state and federal levels.

I don't think adding a flat-rate fee to the registration is the right way to go

BTW: Illinois passed a Constitutional Amendment recently that forces all transportation-related taxes and fees to be spent only on transportation projects and maintenance. No more diversions from the transportation budget to other projects.

 

That’s the second time you’ve stated “9000 times the damage.....”. Where does that statistic come from?

I remember seeing those decals, some years ago. However, it was way more than $3K printed on them and is a significantly larger amount, now, than what it ACTUALLY was then. Further, every truck incurs a differing amount of taxation, because of a large number of variables. Therefore, I’m not even going to guesstimate what it is per mile, per truck. We have 1300+ power units and the taxation numbers wildly vary between them.

I’m a 27yr veteran of trucking, so I’m well aware of the damage caused by trucks. Also, I’m well aware of terrible conditions of pavement where trucks aren’t even allowed to travel. There are far too many variables to consider to place complete blame on one subset of road users.

 

Minneshitholia did that years ago. Who knew that bike paths and 20 year studies on putting choo-choo's through affluent neighborhoods would qualify?

 

Watchdog groups are already criticizing by pointing out all the past tax and other revenue streams that didn’t go where they were supposed to. In IL, there’s no such thing as laws.

 

Like the government is ever going to give up that gold mine.

 

Nope, just agendas that have little or nothing to do with the greater good...

 

There is a “greater good”, but, we’re just not included in that group, unfortunately.

 

Yep - upper right corner, lower left, and dead center only...

Edit - and yes they are greater than us, just ask them.

 

AOC has different thoughts on farty meth cows

 

You do know those guys pay a shitload more in fuel taxes, licenses, and permits than regular cars, right? Plus they only get like 5-6mpg so what they pay is multiplied 5+ times over your car calculations.

 

Gents..all good points, but I truly believe that the problem isn't in how much a specific demographic of driver/vehicle pays...I think there is PLENTY of money for road maintenance, new
roads, etc.

My point in starting this thread, and my apologies for not being clear on it was that they need to get honest with the funds they already collect before they start taxing the Teslas.
(And when it comes to subsidies...before you pick on the Teslas, I believe the Chevy Volt's an even bigger subsidy whore than Tesla).

 

So Tesla owners already receive tax dollars from those who don’t own Teslas; essentially a discounted and tax-free purchase. Then, you don’t think they should have to pay road use taxes, while the rest do? Entitlement much?

 

Not accurate? Any information to the contrary? I'll grant you this, there has be a lot of variability in any specific case so for the sake of argument let's say a whopping 50%. That means the actual number could be anywhere from 4500 to 13500 times. Does that change anything?
I'll grant that road construction techniques are seriously deficient but isn't that a different issue? Digging out an existing road to lay down a proper foundation (4 to 6 feet of crushed/compacted rock) plus a 2 foot reinforced road with adequate drainage seems to be unlikely given the millions of miles of existing roads.