[Vwdiesel] Diesel prices

[LBaird119 at aol.com]

In a message dated 3/12/2008 10:30:49 AM Pacific Daylight Time, 
eriklane at gmail.com writes:

> Those taxes go to pay for the roads that we drive on. I think they're
> too low. Here in Oregon I looked up the budget, and the gas taxes only
> covered about 1/4 the cost of the roads. So the roads, even with the
> road taxes, are heavily subsidized by the general populace. I don't
> think that can be put in terms of the government "making" money off of
> those who drive.

  IF all the money actually went to roads and maintenance then 
I think I'd tend to be less cynical about it.  It seems that every 
time they want to tack on another "road tax" there's no provision 
for it to go into the road budget exclusively and (I'm no expert, nor 
have done in depth research into it) we keep hearing reports of 
how the road budget is far less than the fuel taxes yet they keep 
bumping them up to cover road repair.  <shrug>

> 
> I'd love it if they could even add insurance into the taxes at the
> pump so that everything you drove was automatically covered. (I've got
> a couple vehicles I don't drive now that I would then.) It would take
> care of the majority of uninsured drivers. And be extra incentive to
> drive a smaller, more efficient vehicle. Yes, there are also
> complications with that etc. I don't think it will ever happen.
> 

  Ouch!  One thing I DO NOT want is the government picking 
my insurance company for me!  If we were simply allowed to 
insure the driver instead of the car (same with a portable 
car license plate, so to speak) then that would be sensible 
also.  You can only drive one car at a time so why insure several?
Same for annual car tax.  If it sits it's not using the road much.  
WA has implemented a bunch of add-ons to the $30 tab thing 
we had.  Not so bad on a car but I bought a Honda Spree a few 
years back as a money saver in town.  Not anymore.  Annual 
fees could easily be in the $60 to $70 range this year instead 
of the $7 it was when I bought it.  I simply don't, make that 
CAN'T save that much fuel to pay the difference.  I'm already 
driving exclusively VW diesels!  :-)  I just don't put THAT many 
miles on in a year.
     Loren


**************
It's Tax Time! Get tips, forms, and advice on AOL 
Money &amp; Finance.
      (http://money.aol.com/tax?NCID=aolprf00030000000001)