'miles driven' tax

[WillK]

ok let's say the state puts a chip in your inspection sticker to monitor the miles you drive annually.

you get 12k miles free.  anything over 12k would be taxed at 5 cents per mile.

the benefit would be that people would curtail their driving which means less greenhouse gas.  secondly, the money could be used for public transport, development of green technologies and infrastructure improvements.

Why give 12K miles for free?

[WillK]

I would be opposed to this. Mass transit is not readily available everywhere and some people must drive longer distances than others out of necessity. It would impact the residents of some states and communities more than others - though perhaps you could persuade me with your rationale?

People have made choices about where to live and where to drive. 
Those choices relate to costs on society. 
It should impact some communities more than others.

[WillK]

the gasoline tax is regressive and punishes the poor.

I do not think this has been adequately proven.

[WillK]

I do not think this has been adequately proven.

Do people that make 10 times as much as you tend to drive 10 times as much as you?  Do people that make $25k a year drive half as much as people that make $50k? 
[/quote]
Those are not measures of repressiveness of a tax on distance driven.     

Personally I dont drive much.  I walk and take the train.  So it is quite possible that richer people drive 10 times more than me.
 

[WillK]

A number of states already have toll roads where the toll is based on miles driven. 
This idea would expand the system to all roads.