Mileage tax: A fair way to distribute road costs

Re: “Mileage tax punitive to middle-class families,” (TNT letter, 1/25).

I guess that the letter writer expects that one of two options should be selected so as to not harm him:

1) someone else pays for his family’s share of the wear and tear on the road system, or 2) just let it all fall apart.

In order to drive a car you need a road. In order to have a way across ravines and rivers you need a bridge. Those are paid for by taxes. No way around that, I’m afraid.

Is it his position that people with high-efficiency vehicles, or electric cars, should not pay for the stress their vehicles put on the road system? They will not pay gas tax, which is becoming more and more inadequate to maintain/improve the network of roads.

Do his teenagers drive to school? That seems a great opportunity for them to face some real budgeting choices.

This attitude of “someone else has to pay the cost of my existence” is too much to let pass without comment.

This story was originally published January 30, 2018 at 4:09 PM with the headline "Mileage tax: A fair way to distribute road costs."