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And the home of the Fee!

johns1124

Gold Buffalo
Aug 13, 2004
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Infrastructure bill floats national mileage fee despite Biden's $400,000 tax hike 'red line'


"Transportation Secretary Pete Buttplug and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen are directed to provide recommendations to Congress three years into the pilot's life cycle, at which time Congress could choose to pass new legislation implementing national per-mile fees fully as an established funding source for infrastructure improvements.

Still, White House officials disputed the idea that the inclusion of the pilot program in the infrastructure bill guarantees the establishment of a future, nationalized mileage fee and suggested that, depending on how Buttigieg and Yellen's recommendations shake out, the White House could oppose legislation implementing the tax."

"The mileage fee pilot program was first raised by Democratic Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware and Republican Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia
(WTF? a RINO) in a separate infrastructure proposal introduced in March."

"
As written, the pilot program would be funded through 2026 and enlists volunteer drivers "from all 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico" to test "any of the following vehicle-miles-traveled collection tools," including:

  • Third-party on-board diagnostic (OBD-II) devices
  • Smartphone applications
  • Telemetric data collected by automakers
  • Motor vehicle data obtained by car insurance companies
  • Data from the states that received a grant under section 6020 of the FAST Act
  • Motor vehicle data obtained from fueling stations
  • Any other method that the Secretary considers appropriate"

Great now Uncle Sam is going to get a snapshot of where we are going in our vehicles. Do they want a camera in my bedroom as well?

"
"Well, first, let me say that, you know, the president's pledge was not to raise taxes on Americans making less than $400,000 a year," Psaki said on June 26, just days before Biden gave his blessing to the initial, bipartisan infrastructure framework. "The proposed gas tax or vehicle mileage tax would do exactly that. So that is a nonstarter for him. I'd also note, for the mathematicians in the room: That only raises $40 billion, which is a fraction of what this proposal would cost."

She explained on July 6 that "one of the core reasons why the president was opposed — vehemently opposed — to a gas tax and any tax on vehicle mileage" was "because he felt that would fall on the backs of Americans, and that was a bottom line, red line for him."

On July 9, Psaki, discussing rising gas prices, told reporters that "the president is quite focused on ensuring that we are doing everything we can to keep prices low for the — to keep the cost of living low for the American people, including the cost of gas. That's why he was against, vehemently against a gas tax, why he was against a vehicle mileage tax."


Does that mean he will veto the bill? Yeah Right!


 
If you have a cell phone, they know where you are.. Had a local police dept call me to see if I saw anything along a stretch of highway I was traveling; they asked if I'd noticed anything concerning a crime that took place in the area. they knew I was on that stretch of road, at the date and time of the crime, due to cell phone records.

Pretty sure this fee is in regard to electric vehicles that, because they don't buy gas with road taxes, are essentially driving on the roads but not paying their fair share to maintain them. Makes sense since this administration is pushing electric vehicles.
 
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In the next 20ish years as electric vehicles take over mileage fees are going to be necessary if we want to keep raising infrastructure money from people who drive the most. Gas taxes are going to dwindle.
 
Lots of stuff in the infrastructure bill that you won't like. But, "you've got to pass the bill to find out what's in it."
 
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No worries, Joltin Joe and Shelly Bean always have yore best interests at heart.
 
The government would have us all pay an oxygen use tax if they could find a way to cram meters up our noses.
 
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Can’t believe (ok, I can) that they’re throwing in crypto regulation in this.

Crypto is a completely novel exchange /store of value. You can’t treat it like equities . Innovation will also move off shore quickly if it’s stifled here.
 
Exactly this.

Right now the only solution for electric vehicles is just to charge a one size fits all fee. Which is obviously unfair.
They could also tax tires, although I don’t like that since it incentivizes (even more) driving on unsafe tires.
 
Can’t believe (ok, I can) that they’re throwing in crypto regulation in this.

Crypto is a completely novel exchange /store of value. You can’t treat it like equities . Innovation will also move off shore quickly if it’s stifled here.
surely you jest. This is the American Govt way and overall historical precedent. 1)Govt always behind the curve on financial tools and innovation. 2)Vilify the innovators and adopters when it's realized the tool or innovation has the means to expand individual financial independence. 3) Attempt to choke it out through legal attacks, increased red tape, and engineered financial crises with goals to frustrate the masses to turn away from innovation and back towards Govt Bureaucrats for help. 4) Come to terms with it's staying power, collude with the cronies to create a system that the govt can control, while a select few choose to participate and profit from.
 
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