I can guarantee 100% that this plan won't fly....... :bash:

State considers charging by the mile
Isabel Mascarenas 4 days ago

St. Petersburg, Florida - Motorists are fueling up less often these days. Some are buying fuel efficient cars, while others are simply driving less. That means every gallon that sits in a gas station's pump is money the state loses in taxes for road projects, an estimated $7 billion over the next five years.

Instead of raising the gas tax, some state transportation officials are considering charging motorists based on the miles they drive. Keith Craig says it seems like a good idea, "The general idea seems to be fine for retirees who don't drive too much."

This is how the program would work: a GPS type of system would be placed in each vehicle. When you go to fuel up, a device at the pump will calculate how many miles you've driven since the last trip to the gas station and charge you based on those miles.

After giving it some more thought, Craig frowns on the vehicle miles travel tax, known as VMT.

"It sounds like they have more control of me. Not sure I want that and not only that, they could keep track of me."

"Be kind of weird, I think. They might as well put a chip in me to see where I go every day," says Rick Berry. He owns a tree service business and drives about 200 miles a day. "If it cost me money, I'd definitely pass it on to my customers," says Berry.

Some motorists on a tight budget may not have a choice but to pay up. Sheena Fowler adds, "I work during the day. My fiance goes to school at night. Our car is used all day, it doubles our mileage. It would not be good for me."

We tried several times to get a comment from the Department of Transportation in Tallahassee, but no one has responded.

http://www.wtsp.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=113575

[B]This plan is simply impossible to implement due to costs alone...simple...B]

Easy way around it: buy gas tanks and fill them up instead of your car. You can be sure that is how I would get around it. I already buy 15 gallons of gas each hurricane season, why not just do that every week and bypass the tax?

Ridiculous, IMO. Just raise the gas tax and be done with it. Either that or install more toll roads. Make I-75 a toll road between SR54 and the Cross Town. Make I-275 a toll road the whole length. But if we are going to do that we better as h**l make more transit options. It is unfair to tax people for travel when there is no option except your car.

Steve

Oh, that'll be a wonderful loophole :lol:

Thanks, you gotta think outside the box...or is that the tank! :) hehe

Steve

It's like the state is trying to figure out ways to run people out of the state to me.

This is a ridiculous idea. They are trying to charge people extra because they are being more efficient. I just bought a hybrid and probably would not have if good mass transit existed in the area. They need to focus on attracting Fortune 100 to Fortune 500 companies to the area. What company in their right mind would want to setup headquarters in a state that is lacking in mass transit and then charges by the mile?

How are they going to pay for the tracking devices and systems. If they need to raise the gas tax and do it. I hate how they always try to do things that won't "Affect" the senior citizens but it always backfires and hurts everyone in the long run. The save our homes is a prime example.

Asine, just keep it simple and raise the gas tax or start a property tax on cars. So far I've lived in Florida, Virginia and Georgia, only Florida didn't have some form of property tax on cars. Its about $250 a year for the tag for my 2008 Honda Civic EX-L, basically a $23K car new sticker priced. Generally having driven in those three states, all have issues, but Florida's roads are the worst. They are the worst because the most poorly planned and generally done on the cheap. I don't understand why you can't keep it simple, it always has to have some unique angle in Florida.

Wonder if such unconstitutional tax does pass, would we also be force to pay for the installation of this "GPS" system or thr state would use money that we don't have to pay for it. I can't believe this state is falling in the shitters so quickly. One failed governor after the other, and I don't see it ending any time soon.

This is hilariously dumb.

Like I've said before, when you suggest something this dumb, perhaps it should be a hint to your superiors to start searching for your replacement.

It's as stupid as the soda tax that the Paterson fool has proposed up in NY State.

Charging drivers by the mile has been proposed in several states already but failed miserably. This isn't going to work out well, if it did ever pass all hell would break loose. This state can go fuck itself if they think I will pay extra to drive my car to school and work on already shitty roads where none of the lights are timed right which wastes my gas. It's just hilarious how big of a fail this state is becoming, we are going to look like Michigan soon.

^^
At least Detroit is gonna have rail soon. Tampa.......WON'T :bash:

Haha true...

Who proposed this again? Does he have any friends in the GPS business?

Don't give up on Tampa rail so easily. If certain things fall into place it could happen rather quickly. Also, don't praise Detroit too quickly either; they are already having massive issues in their current transit and city/county development and funding, this current private/public plan could fall apart real quick. It may be partly privately funded, but I would not bet the house on their plan to get built any time soon.

Steve