All these taxes are absurd. In addition to these criminal taxes upon taxes upon taxes is the incredibly insane tollway system several states have. You pay taxes to drive on the roads every year, but then they install TOLLS for you to pay AGAIN!!! CA, IL have tolls and probably a lot more. Nothing makes me cringe more than seeing tollway stations.
Unpopular Opinion: From a fiscal standpoint, Toll roads are an excellent way to manage road allocations. In other words, why should you get taxed on a pack of gum, then the money flows through the goverment and somehow ends up funding some portion of the highway. That opens a lot of areas for government theft, misallocation, etc. But if you pay for your mileage on the road you drive on, you fund it's proper maintenance and expansion without having to use other tax revenue to close the gap. Also, as more cars go to electric (like it or not) then the gas tax revenue is going to disappear - so getting toward taxing cars on the roads they actually drive on makes good sense. And a toll road is much less intrusive than some kind of gps monitor (even though your car is doing that already)
You could tax directly for road usage (a "toll" is really a usage fee, not a tax, but they are effectively the same thing in this case), or you could put a tax on fuel.
I have no problem with paying for infrastructure on use. I'm OK with toll roads (AKA usage fees). But both road tolls and fuel taxes are intended to pay for the road. We currently have a fuel tax, and that's not going anywhere. Having a toll as well is a double tax.
Worse, both of those taxes don't actually pay for the roads anyways. Infrastructure is paid for by new loans from the bank, which loans are then then used to justify income tax.
All these taxes are absurd. In addition to these criminal taxes upon taxes upon taxes is the incredibly insane tollway system several states have. You pay taxes to drive on the roads every year, but then they install TOLLS for you to pay AGAIN!!! CA, IL have tolls and probably a lot more. Nothing makes me cringe more than seeing tollway stations.
Tolls are part of a plan to make free movement less efficient
Unpopular Opinion: From a fiscal standpoint, Toll roads are an excellent way to manage road allocations. In other words, why should you get taxed on a pack of gum, then the money flows through the goverment and somehow ends up funding some portion of the highway. That opens a lot of areas for government theft, misallocation, etc. But if you pay for your mileage on the road you drive on, you fund it's proper maintenance and expansion without having to use other tax revenue to close the gap. Also, as more cars go to electric (like it or not) then the gas tax revenue is going to disappear - so getting toward taxing cars on the roads they actually drive on makes good sense. And a toll road is much less intrusive than some kind of gps monitor (even though your car is doing that already)
You could tax directly for road usage (a "toll" is really a usage fee, not a tax, but they are effectively the same thing in this case), or you could put a tax on fuel.
I have no problem with paying for infrastructure on use. I'm OK with toll roads (AKA usage fees). But both road tolls and fuel taxes are intended to pay for the road. We currently have a fuel tax, and that's not going anywhere. Having a toll as well is a double tax.
Worse, both of those taxes don't actually pay for the roads anyways. Infrastructure is paid for by new loans from the bank, which loans are then then used to justify income tax.
It's just a swarm of tax fuckery all around.
Agreed - on all points!
Don't forget NY/NJ. Tons of tolls everywhere.
That is why I have used my GPS avoiding tolls.
Wait for the GPS tax for the drivers who still have the privilege to drive