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White House dismisses gas tax idea

Posted by Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor February 20, 2009 04:18 PM

Nearly as soon as new Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood floated a trial balloon of taxing motorists based on how many miles they drive rather than how much gasoline they use, the White House shot it down this afternoon.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Lahood said that gas taxes can no longer be counted on to generate enough revenue to keep up the nation's highways and bridges.

"We should look at the vehicular miles program where people are actually clocked on the number of miles that they traveled," the former Illinois congressman said Thursday.

But White House spokesman Robert Gibbs made clear that the idea -- which some transportation specialists see as a long-term solution -- is dead on arrival.

"I can weigh in on it and say that it is not and will not be the policy of the Obama administration," Gibbs told reporters during his daily briefing.

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An easy, stupid idea.

Posted by louisg February 20, 09 05:58 PM
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So, when I drive my lightweight, 4-cylinder, 35-mpg vehicle, I'll be paying the same amount of tax as the dildo who rolls around town in a Lincoln Navigator? Brilliant.

And did any of these brain donors bother to consider just how much money it's going to cost to put a GPS unit in EVERY vehicle in the country? How about using that giant pile of cash to fund road repairs instead?

Unbelievable.

Posted by RolandV February 20, 09 10:01 PM
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Okay, I'm game, lets go with the gas mileage tax, and at the same time eliminate the income tax and throw out the tax code. Bet I could drive non-stop/continually around the U.S. for a year and still pay less. But at least payment would be correlated to some type of rational formula.

Posted by remembermadison February 23, 09 12:04 PM
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