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What Is a Road Charge (and Why Does California Want One?)

 

 

California is poised to begin a pilot 'Road Charge' program, where drivers would be charged (taxed) based upon the number of miles they drive, not the gallons of gas they buy. 

 

Advocates for a Road Charge system argue that it is more 'fair' - a “user pays” system where all drivers pay to maintain the roads based on how much they drive, rather than how much gas they purchase. 

 

Critics (like us) say that the concept of tracking drivers is antithetical to the First Amendment, encumbering them with unprecedented government intrusion into their daily movements. 

 

You can learn more about California's take on its "Road Charge" program here. 

 

What you won't see in any of their propaganda puffery is any mention of the array of pricing possibilities that their digital tracking technology could allow them to implement -- what has euphemestically been called 'dynamic pricing' in the ride-share world. 

"Dynamic pricing" is a form of social engineering, designed to reward or punish (and thereby influence) consumer behaviors. 

 

Here is an excerpt from an article by Thomas Buckley in the California Globe, detailing pricing possibilities should the state gets its way in forcing a Road Charge (mileage tax) on drivers: 

First, there is the idea of congestion pricing, meaning that driving on road X during rush hour will hike the per mile tax. 

Second, there is the option of cordon pricing, meaning that when a driver enters a designated zone, the fee will go up (or an additional flat fee will be charged) as well.

 

And third, there is the type of roadway taxing possibility; that would mean the tax would X when driving on a surface street, Y when driving on a main throughfare, and Z when on a highway.

 

Additionally, every tax whispered or loudly talked about has an income component, with low-income drivers getting a break on the per mile rate.

 

So not only does the program need to know when and where your drive, it needs to know how much money you make to properly calculate the tax. 

 

Like many policies before it, the state Road Charge program is full of pie-in-the-sky green promises, and very short on implementational details. When I corresponded with the Road Charge program staff (who, to their credit are very responsive in answering questions), they demurred that all details would have to be worked out later by the California Legislature. 

This sounds a lot like Nancy Pelosi's "we have to pass it first to know what's in it" line of reasoning. 

NO to any Road Charge - local, state, or federal. There are many other ways to make up decreased gas-tax revenue (including a straight across vehicle registration surcharge, with EVs paying more since they pay no gas tax now.) 

Since the average driver pays approximately $300 per year in gas tax, a far simpler solution would be to increase the $100/year surcharge already imposed on EV drivers to $300/year. 

Fair, equitable, and boon to those of us who are deeply concerned about #PrivacyJustice