tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1928622184607631910.post4069249826711160839..comments2023-10-22T01:56:21.243-07:00Comments on Where Do We Go from Here?: Taxing Driving by the Mile Dave Aldenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04365271229524041881noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1928622184607631910.post-6126511161944518022013-02-09T07:18:22.358-08:002013-02-09T07:18:22.358-08:00I'm fully satisfied with proposals such as you...I'm fully satisfied with proposals such as yours here to make a VMT tax reasonably fair across income groups — and to speed up a decreasing dependency on individual private motor vehicles. Due to a remarkably severe blizzard in my home state of Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick yesterday (Feb. 8, 2013) instituted a total ban on all non-essential motorized vehicle traffic. I can imagine the thrill of car-free avenues of white and drifting snow. I wish I were there!Barry Bussewitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18267945167112914159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1928622184607631910.post-82091389373819799822013-02-08T22:24:10.078-08:002013-02-08T22:24:10.078-08:00Barry, thanks for the comment. And thanks for ide...Barry, thanks for the comment. And thanks for identifying yourself. I agree with you about anonymous posting. I suspect that the internet would be a more respectful place if everyone followed your lead.<br /><br />I appreciate your concern about regressive taxes. But I think we eventually need to think about car usage as a luxury, not a necessity, so a VMT becomes more like a fee and less like a tax. We need to begin think of driving as a parallel to movie tickets, steak dinners, and green fees, all of which are also cost a higher percentage of income for the lower income folks.<br /><br />The problem of course is that we've constructed a world in which driving isn't a luxury, it's a necessity for most folks. So perhaps we need to institute a tax credit equalty to a percent of the VMT for lower incomes. The credit could then be reduced annually as we transition to a world in which options are available for living with little or no driving.Dave Aldenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04365271229524041881noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1928622184607631910.post-7114406343920145912013-02-07T18:32:17.515-08:002013-02-07T18:32:17.515-08:00My name is Barry Bussewitz and I made the comment ...My name is Barry Bussewitz and I made the comment about regressive taxation. I do not much like anonymous posting and did not realize the heading would be "unknown." I think I have figured out how to fix that.Barry Bussewitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18267945167112914159noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1928622184607631910.post-52829469532086123752013-02-07T18:15:18.281-08:002013-02-07T18:15:18.281-08:00Fascinating idea, Dave! The first concern unident...Fascinating idea, Dave! The first concern unidentified herein that springs up for me is the one of regressive taxation. I hypothesize that a VMT, along with many demonstrably just features, would also cost lower-income taxpayers a higher proportion of their income than of mine or Matt White's. Any numbers or thoughts on this?Barry Bussewitzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18267945167112914159noreply@blogger.com