Vehicle (Excise) Tax renewal

[TreeClimber]

You heard me. Our beloved Gov'nor wants to bring back the lovely excise tax on vehicle tabs. Your renewals will go up a few hundred smackers (each rig) every year!

 

[CrustyJeep]

Not without a fight.

I'd be happy to pay more, but I will NOT be happy to pay an amount derived from the value of my fawking car.

 

[TreeClimber]

Plan for roads and transit coming to ballot


[SIZE=-1]06:29 PM PDT on Tuesday, August 7, 2007

[/SIZE]
[SIZE=-1]By ROBERT MAK / KING 5 News[/SIZE]

SEATTLE - A multi-billion dollar plan has been years in the making and now this fall voters will be asked to raise two different taxes to pay for it.
With that bridge collapsing in Minnesota and summer construction around here, suddenly a lot of people are paying attention to infrastructure and our roads.
This fall, you'll have something to vote on. The question is: Is this the right package?
Are you willing to bring back the license tab tax?
Everyone has a gut reaction:
"When they were charging us like 300 bucks for like per vehicle, I think it's ridiculous," said one woman.
But this November that's exactly what voters will be asked: a new tax of $80 a year on every $10,000 of your car's value.
"Painful, but necessary," said one man. He said he would be willing to pay.
Supporters say the money raised would pay for dozens of road projects in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties.
At the top of the list: roughly a billion dollars toward a new 520 bridge.
Also, several projects on I-405, improving intersections, and adding more lanes from Renton through downtown Bellevue; near the airport completing State Route 509 and hooking up with i-5.
In Snohomish County, the big projects include widening State Route 9, and along I-5 adding interchanges and improving ramps.
Already lining up in opposition is the Sierra Club.
"Building more freeways isn't going to answer the problem," said Mike O'Brien, Sierra Club Cascade Chapter. "When the freeway opens up, sure, we'll have reduced congestion for a little while. But within five or ten years, we've seen case after case, 90 percent of that roadway is filled up."
But other environmental groups, such as the Transportation Choices Coalition, are backing the measure. They point to projects like one near Puyallup where 167 dead-ends. A new link would allow trucks to get to the Port of Tacoma.
"A truck that's moving is a truck that pollutes less, it's a truck that's good for our economy and it's a truck that's better for the environment," said Rob Johnson, Transportation Choices Coalition.
Supporters are also swayed because it's not just a matter of license tab taxes and roads. If you vote yes, the measure also bumps up the sales tax, raising billions of dollars to extend Sound Transit's Light Rail.
"Is it the best plan? Is it the best that we'll ever do? I don't think any of us, the environmental community, the business community are ever going to agree on what a best plan is," said Johnson.
"Light Rail specifically is great. It's a tool to reduce global warming. But if simultaneously they're adding 150 new lanes of highways, we're going to have more cars on the road, more global warming, even with the Light Rail," said O'Brien.
That's the rub. By putting both roads and Light Rail on the same ballot, you have to vote yes or no to both.
Some see it as a hard-fought compromise. Others complain that the majority of money goes to Light Rail. Still others say there's too much money for roads.
In the weeks ahead we'll be reporting a lot more on what's in the package and how much it's going to cost.

 

[CrustyJeep]

$80 / $10K is a heck of a lot less than it used to be. I won't vote for it though. I see no logical reason to link value with tax amount. If you want to link it to something, link it to weight.

 

[Poohbair]

None of my vehicles are worth anything... :flipoff:

 

[TreeClimber]

This is just the wedge to open the door. Once the tax is re-established, the taxation value will go up (and it wouldn't surprise me if it had a predetermined inflation index). If this is approved it will be equal or greater than before --- just a matter of how soon.

 

[CrustyJeep]

This is just the wedge to open the door. Once the tax is re-established, the taxation value will go up (and it wouldn't surprise me if it had a predetermined inflation index). If this is approved it will be equal or greater than before --- just a matter of how soon.

Yup.

Well, we voted for $30 a year, so why would we vote for $80 / year / $10K? Let's hope this **** goes down in flames.

 

[FiFo]

As someone who just bought a new Diesel truck I would defiantly have to vote against this.

And didn't we just increase the gas tax to pay for this exact same thing?

 

[Shifty*EBP*]

They need to base it off of mileage driven during that tax year.

 

[junkyard jim]

You pay tax when you buy a vehicle. End of story (or it should be) They want to tax people out of cars that can't afford to pay any more than they do now to turn poor people into pedestrians. The rich don't want to share "their" roads!

 

[TreeClimber]

And didn't we just increase the gas tax to pay for this exact same thing?

Yup.

Plus, there is an automotive surcharge on your sales tax of 2/10ths of a percent when you buy a vehicle also.

For example, we're 8.9% tax on cars, but 8.7% on everything else here in Bremerton

 

[bharris68]

I'm going to speak up a bit and point out a few items that I think some of you may be forgetting.

1) we live in a state with NO income tax - one of very few I will add
2) the car-tab tax was the ONLY progressive (more you make, more you pay) tax that we had in this state: i.e. if you wanted to drive a $100,000 Mercedes you paid way more than someone with a $25,000 Pickup truck.
3) we have insanely high gas tax trying to backfill what we've lost since the repeal of the car-tab tax
4) we need to replace a huge number of major infrastructure items SOON
5) we need to build new infrastructure (Light Rail) if we're to remain a competitive Port, and a State whose economy can grow and expand in the next 10 to 20 years.

:stirpot:

 

[Jeepasaurusrex]

I say F' it, let all the roads go to hell and collapse. Then, instead of a commute at 5mph, you could wheel to work at the same speed. :cool:

Would keep all the cars home. :flipoff:

 

[Shifty*EBP*]

I'm going to speak up a bit and point out a few items that I think some of you may be forgetting.

1) we live in a state with NO income tax - one of very few I will add
2) the car-tab tax was the ONLY progressive (more you make, more you pay) tax that we had in this state: i.e. if you wanted to drive a $100,000 Mercedes you paid way more than someone with a $25,000 Pickup truck.
3) we have insanely high gas tax trying to backfill what we've lost since the repeal of the car-tab tax
4) we need to replace a huge number of major infrastructure items SOON
5) we need to build new infrastructure (Light Rail) if we're to remain a competitive Port, and a State whose economy can grow and expand in the next 10 to 20 years.

:stirpot:

Then maybe this state needs to be friendlier to business. **** the mayor, he is an idiot, and the govoner, well it is a hard K sounding word. Maybe if the money was spent in wisely there could be less tax. Who really needs a 1 million dollar toliet to shoot up in anyway? The state needs to be run like a business with a hell of alot more fiscal accountability.

 

[CrustyJeep]

They need to base it off of mileage driven during that tax year.

Combination if mileage and weight would seem like a fair deal to me. But, keeping track of everybody's mileage would be rather problematic, to say the least. Gas tax does track mileage very roughly, however.

 

[BlackToySteve]

As a true east-sider, I will vote as most of us vote on such matters: HELL NO.

We probably see 20 cents on the dollar, if even that, over here. I pulled that out of nowhere, and it may be better than that, but the number actually feels like 5 cents on the dollar. If we could divert some of that and get our north-south freeway built in Spokane, I might think about it.

edit: Of course, my cars were so old that when they did away with the tab tax a few years ago, my license fees actually went up.:stirpot:

 

[BobR]

anytime the government needs money, people will ***** up a storm.
no matter what tax or fee structure is imposed because it is imposed. period.

yes weight and milage are good ideas also but whare do you draw the lines. pre ton times milage? impose a tamper resistant odometer to be put on all our cars? (not likely)

the money needs to be spent and folks are gonna *****.


Bob

 

[Boxxerace]

Governer Gregoire promised not to raise the gas tax during her Campaign. Not only is she a liar, she's ugly. :haha:

Wishing we had a fiscally responsible, millionare conservative in office right now. Maybe this next time around...

 

[Jeepless]

nobody likes to pay the taxs which are meant to keep our roads and bridges uptodate when they don't use the moneys appropreatly and effeciently. not to metion every project seems to go over budget and is streched out well past the end date. I drive so no matter what they do I will pay in discust. IMO they are going for more to stop driving and use the mass transit options.

 

[bharris68]

IMO they are going for more to stop driving and use the mass transit options.

Ding! Ding! Give the man a cookie!

That's exactly what they want - today is the first time in a couple of weeks that I've driven to work - normally I commute by bus.

I agree, the million dollar toilets turned out to be a hugely bad idea - however, we're not funding toilets with our gas tax that I'm aware of, so if we have a point to make about infrastructure and tax then let's keep it on point ;)

I'll vote FOR returning the tab tax. My Jeep won't cost more than another $80 and the older Ford Expedition that I've got likely won't cost more than $150 anyway.

 

[Grommit327]

It really sucks when they talk about taxes for all these projects and 1. you know they're not using the money efficiently and 2. most of these big projects are in the Seattle/Tacoma area where I only drive maybe 3 times a year.

 

[1 grumpy]

None of my vehicles are worth anything... :flipoff:

Yeah I'm with you there!

As a true east-sider, I will vote as most of us vote on such matters: HELL NO.

edit: Of course, my cars were so old that when they did away with the tab tax a few years ago, my license fees actually went up.:stirpot:

And mine went up $15 :wtf:

 

[nick c]

It really sucks when they talk about taxes for all these projects and 1. you know they're not using the money efficiently and 2. most of these big projects are in the Seattle/Tacoma area where I only drive maybe 3 times a year.

First, the whole jack up the tabs annoys the hell out of me but Ill pay it in disgust either way.

As for your comment, you may only drive up here 3 times a year but you are affected by it everyday. The majority of the products you buy and own come through the Puget Sound at some point.

 

[Kat]

$80 / $10K is a heck of a lot less than it used to be. I won't vote for it though. I see no logical reason to link value with tax amount. If you want to link it to something, link it to weight.

grabs crustyjeep and wiggles my big butt in his face

 

[ZedMikey]

Gas tax does track mileage very roughly, however.

As annoying as high gas prices are, I think fuel taxes are the single best way to raise money for transportation infrastructure.

As you said, Crusty, linking the tax to the value of the car is stupid. Linking it to the weight is better, though... that takes into account the increased wear and tear of heavier vehicles.

Linking it to mileage is good, too...

The gas tax kinda wraps those into one... kinda... heavier vehicles tend to use more fuel, and more miles means more fuel. It will also help encourage cleaner fuels/vehicles/commuting.

 

[ZedMikey]

I should add that I think a combination of increased registration costs by weight and increased fuel taxes would be the best real world solution.

 

[nappy_TJ]

I say they can eat a big piece of ****!!! We are a state with no income tax but they guage us everywhere else. What happens to the tax when we sell a home goes right to the state.....I forget the rate they charge maybe it is right around 3-4%. On a $200,000 home sale you are paying the state $8000 and evrey ****ing year the county jacks up your taxes when the good ole assessor assesses the "fair market value" of your home. We do need taxes though to pay for infrastructure and thinhs of that sort. But like most people say there needs to be more accounability more fiscal reponsibility.

VOTE = FAWK NO!!!

 

[ZedMikey]

But like most people say there needs to be more accounability more fiscal reponsibility.

VOTE = FAWK NO!!!

I'm with you on that! x2!!

 

[Jeepless]

grabs crustyjeep and wiggles my big butt in his face

This is pretty funny.....:haha: :haha:

 

[JThompson]

The tabs for my rigs have gone up every year in some way since the $30 thing went into effect... They just nail nonsensicle "fees" onto it anyway. This year, my car is $64! For what? My girlfriends car was $115 last year. She is afraid of what it is going to be this year. My truck went from, say $35 last year, to $45 this year. For what?