Massachusetts Considers Pilot Program to Tax Cars for Miles Traveled

Legislation (H.B. 3142) to establish a pilot program to impose a vehicle mileage user fee administered by the Department of Transportation was introduced in Massachusetts.  This bill is intended to supplement the gas tax and implement alternative ways to raise transportation revenue for the state.  Under the bill, the Department must report to the legislature on the feasibility of permanently assessing a vehicle mileage user fee.  The pilot program would include at least 1,000 drivers of trucks, passenger and commercial vehicles.  These drivers would have on-board vehicle-mileage-counting equipment installed on their vehicles which can report the number of miles traveled.  Payments would be collected from participants.
 
We Urge You to Contact the Joint Transportation Committee Members (List Below) Immediately To Request Their Opposition to H.B. 3142

• H.B. 3142 seeks to penalize national efforts to create a more fuel efficient vehicle fleet.  As gas tax revenues decrease due to hybrid and electric vehicle ownership, states are looking for new sources of funding for pet projects.
  

DON’T DELAY!  Please contact members of the Massachusetts Joint Transportation Committee immediately to request their opposition to H.B. 3142.    
 
Please e-mail a copy of your letter to Steve McDonald at [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.].  Also, please forward this Alert to your fellow car enthusiasts.  Urge them to join the [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] and help defend the hobby! Thank you for your assistance. 
 

To e-mail all Committee members, copy and paste the email address block below:
 
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]; [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]; [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]; [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]; [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]; [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]; [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]; [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]; [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]; [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]; [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]; [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]; [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]; [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]; [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]; [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]; [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]; [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]; [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]; [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
 
Senator Thomas McGee (Senate Chair)
Phone: 617-722-1350
Email: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
 
Representative Williams Straus (House Chair)
Phone: 617-722-2400
Email: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
 
Senator Thomas Kennedy (Senate Vice-Chair)
Phone: 617-722-1200
Email: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
 
Representative John Mahoney (House Vice-Chair)
Phone: 617-722-2400
Email: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
 
Senator Gale Candaras
Phone: 617-722-1291
Email: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
 
Senator Marc Pacheco
Phone: 617-722-1551
Email: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
 
Senator Robert Hedlund
Phone: 617-722-1646
Email: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
 
Senator Michael Moore
Phone: 617-722-1485
Email: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
 
Senator Michael Rush
Phone: 617-722-1348
Email: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
 
Representative John Fernandes
Phone: 617-722-2220
Email: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
 
Representative Timothy Madden
Phone: 617-722-2810
Email: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
 
Representative Mark Cusack
Phone: 617-722-2637
Email: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
 
Representative Christopher Markey
Phone: 617-722-2396
Email: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
 
Representative Chris Walsh
Phone: 617-722-2013
Email: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
 
Representative Peter Durant
Phone: 617-722-2060
Email: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
 
Representative Danielle Gregoire
Phone: 617-722-2460
Email: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
 
Representative Gailanne Cariddi
Phone: 617-722-2450
Email: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
 
Representative Michael Finn
Phone: 617-722-2637
Email: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
 
Representative Jerald Parisella
Phone: 617-722-2877
Email: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
 
Representative Steven Howitt
Phone: 617-722-2305
Email: [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

This will definitely not work; they think it will generate more revenue for the state but here's what will really happen if they go ahead and do this:
It will be just like after that hurricane when gas prices went through the roof - people will only drive if they absolutely have to. Businesses all over the state will see their profits drop. Some enterprising individuals will come up with devices that will make these stupid mileage meters show only a percentage of what is actually driven. People who have to drive long distances to work will either look for jobs closer or take public transportation.
Cruise nights and car shows - they are all benefits for various causes - will have less cars in attendance and less spectators coming to see them.
More people with classic cars who have regular plates on their cars will turn them in and get antique plates because they won't drive them as much as they used to - which will make the state - and the MA insurance industry - take a big hit in the revenue they think they will get from instituting this STUPID program.
Also - with less people driving there will be less drivers getting speeding tickets - which will generate even LESS revenue for the state.
This legislation is a bad idea in so many ways. It will not generate revenue; it will have the exact opposite effect. They will be shooting themselves in the foot several times if they do this...

I see a number of problems with the plan... but implementation would be fairly simple. Many of the systems needed are already in place, they just need some modification... Modern vehicles already have a "Black Box" ...ie OBDII & OBDIII. Then there's the expansion of the Fast Lane transponder system, something that the State has been pushing fairly hard over the last few years... mandating anything is easy on automobiles because they are a priviledge, not a right.

What seems most logical is that the plan will include using a combination of your odometer mileage taken at inspection time each year... It could also easily include setting up a network of Fast Lane transponder stations all across the state. Those "transponder stations" would be simply be strung up across a number of the busy points on every highway, places where they bottleneck or interchange. The systems would be faster than what is currently used. They upload data taken by the transponder and that info is used to verify the actual mileage reading. A formula could be created to "find" your mileage tax owed. Older vehicles could be mandated to use a transponder or even have a flat tax penalty levied. Another thing being tossed around is an expansion of tolls on other pieces of the State's highway system... thus more transponder locations.

No matter how good your vehicle mileage is or how well you manage your leadfoot, you get penalized. People also can understand a .41 cent tax on every dollar of gas because we colectively see it at the pump (which is already disgusting)... Its the State Gasoline Excise Tax portion that will be used, the other part, the State Sales Tax will remain. It will be even easier to confuse people if its done. The Sales Tax could be increased on its own. The Excise Tax Formula could also be manipulated to get more money because the average person wont readily be able to translate Tax per Gallon and Tax per Mile together... worse, you pay more overall, especially with your mileage outside the state... its not easy to split apart... and you get an extra whack if you buy fuel outside of the Commonwealth.It may slow the number of miles travelled initially, but just like with gas hovering below $4 a gallon, the effect will only be temporary... people are creatures of habit and are once again buying big trucks & SUVs in large numbers...