Our Legislature is foolishly considering an increase in the gasoline tax. Our federal government has decreed that in the near future, all automobiles must get 45 mpg. Car manufacturers are building cars that use less gas every year. Less gas being sold equals less revenue from the gas tax. The increasing popularity of hybrid autos, electrics and hydrogen vehicles makes the gas tax an ever-decreasing source of revenue.
The best thing our Legislature could do is concentrate on making our automobile taxes productive and fair. Buying a Ford Fiesta for $16,050 and paying the same registration fee as a Chevrolet Suburban that costs $69,000 is not fair. Highway wear is dependent on vehicle weight — the Ford weighs less than half of what the Chevrolet weighs, obviously causing less highway wear. The 1-liter three-cylinder engine in the Ford burns less fuel (35 mpg) than the 5.3-liter V-8 engine (16 mpg) of the Chevrolet and pollutes less.
Why aren’t we taxed by the cost of the automobile and by the damage the vehicle causes to roads and atmosphere, instead of one tax that benefits only a few who drive big, heavy, expensive and environmentally unfriendly automobiles?
Robert Emery
Centerville