Democrats' Traffic Tax.

[Lummy]

Only thing left for discussion is how to implement it "fairly" because if Democrats are anything, it's "fair". Right?

Should go over very well in Los Angeles.

House Democrats are planning to put forward a new tax on drivers stuck in traffic, according to Americans For Tax Reform.

The new tax, to be introduced by incoming House Transportation Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), is meant to punish drivers by taxing them at a higher rate when they’re in congested traffic.

The traffic tax would be part of a new program for “Vehicle Miles Traveled” [VMT] tax that would replace taxes on gas.

“The only fair way to do VMT is with congestion pricing. You shouldn’t charge a farmer who has to travel 20 miles to the feed store the same per-mile fee as someone who jumps on 205 in Portland and causes a backup,” DeFazio said.

The system would require installing GPS devices in citizens’ cars and does nothing to actually address the problem of congested traffic.

From Americans For Tax Reform:

“To be clear, DeFazio isn’t talking about creating new toll lanes or raising toll prices to reduce highway congestion. He is instead talking about installing a tracking system in your car that would monitor your vehicle’s movement and location at every moment, transmit this information to federal agencies, and then tax you based upon how busy traffic is when you’re driving.”

“Such a form of congestion pricing is a deeply regressive form of taxation that would be exponentially more detrimental to the working poor who spend a higher percentage of their income commuting to work. DeFazio’s traffic tax would also disproportionally tax suburban and rural drivers who use highways more frequently and commute further to work than individuals in urban areas.”

This comes as California Democrats are also poised to introduce a tax measure for text messages.

Chicago Democrats have already passed a “video game” tax last month to cover underfunded pensions.

https://www.infowars.com/house-democ...w-traffic-tax/

If it moves, "ingenious" Democrats will tax it.

[Common]

Democrats are scrambling to tax us to death to fund their illegal immigrant for votes

[Peter1469]

As I said in the text tax thread, Californians have elected to provide more social services than they can pay for. They should except higher taxes to implement their will.

[DGUtley]

Sure.... that's all we need.... GPS devices in our car for which Mordor on the Potomac has access to the data. So much for the right to privacy....

[Helena]

[Beevee]

Aren't they also discussing taxing text messages?

[William]

IMO, that is a silly and unfair idea, but it can be done properly. A congestion tax has been in operation in 'the city' in London almost since I was born.

It has been 15 years since London’s congestion charge was introduced by the city’s first mayor, Ken Livingstone. Livingstone hoped the charge would reduce congestion, radically improve bus services, make journey times more consistent for drivers and make increase efficiency for those distributing goods and services throughout the city.

Key measures show it has been a success: in 2006, Transport for London (TfL) reported that the charge reduced traffic by 15 per cent and congestion – that is, the extra time a trip would take because of traffic – by 30 per cent. This effect has continued to today. Traffic volumes in the charging zone are now nearly a quarter lower than a decade ago, allowing central London road space to be given over to cyclists and pedestrians.

https://www.citymetric.com/transport...change-it-3751

But we must remember that this tax (between £10.50 and £14.00 for each time) only applies to central London (not the whole city), and only applies between 7am and 6pm. And it works well because London has one of the best public transport systems in the world (so you can easily take the train or the bus into and across the city).

It would be unfair in an area without good public transport.

[gamewell45]

I wonder how long it'll be until the government starts taxing the air we breathe??

[Ethereal]

I wonder how long it'll be until the government starts taxing the air we breathe??

They've been working on that one very hard. It's called a carbon tax.

[Peter1469]

Aren't they also discussing taxing text messages?

Yes.