quote:

Originally posted by a1abdj:

quote:

vehicles like tractor trailers and dump trucks which probably cause 90% of the wear on the road. Charging based on vehicle weight would actually make sense.

I guess you guys don't realize that those vehicles are already charged based on their weight.

I do. That was the point I was making. I was making a distinction between passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles.

California did this when they hiked the per gallon fees.

They've been pushing people to get fuel-efficient or electric. Now you might have to pay up to $175 a year (based on value) regardless of how much you drive it.

They tax your income.
They tax your property.
They tax you when you buy something.
They charge you for a permit to improve your house and then raise the tax on your house after you improve it.
In my area, a toll booth every 15ft. (We have a few bridges here that cost over $15 to go over)
In New York and CT, a view tax.

Soon, an air tax based on your weight.

They'll continue taxing us to death and they'll never meet an ounce of resistance.

quote:

Originally posted by pessimist:
They tax your income.
They tax your property.
They tax you when you buy something.
They charge you for a permit to improve your house and then raise the tax on your house after you improve it.
In my area, a toll booth every 15ft. (We have a few bridges here that cost over $15 to go over)
In New York and CT, a view tax.

Soon, an air tax based on your weight.

They'll continue taxing us to death and they'll never meet an ounce of resistance.

Around here, the a$$holes raise your property tax every year, even if there were no improvements made.

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
Charging based on vehicle weight would actually make sense.

Using this logic, airlines should charge MORE for people that weigh the most. Buffets need to charge MORE to larger citizens due to the ability to consume MORE. The list goes on.....

quote:

Originally posted by Balzé Halzé:
And that's exactly right. Passenger cars of course contribute to road wear, but it's actually fairly small compared to commercial vehicles like tractor trailers and dump trucks which probably cause 90% of the wear on the road. Charging based on vehicle weight would actually make sense.

While it's true that heavy vehicles do more damage than light ones, semis are not responsible for 90% of the wear. Mother nature is. Freeze-thaw cycles, the sun, and weeds do the most damage. A slightly cracked road surface can be wrecked in a single day by a nice freeze, then some snow, and a couple of passes with a plow.

My yearly taxes on a single semi run well above the $30,000 range. People don't realize that all those costs are passed along anyway, so the ever increasing taxes and fees on semis are ultimately paid by the end user.