The fuel tax rates are shown, as required, on a pump at the Mobil station on Pacific in Albany. (For a closer look, see below.)
Because I had never seen this posted, I didn’t know there’s an Oregon law that says gas stations must post all the fuel taxes where customers can see them.
What got me started on this train of thought was an email from ODOT. It said the “Road User Fee Task Force” would have a meeting on April 19.
That was a surprise. I thought the idea of a road user fee had died after not getting anywhere the last two or three times the legislature met.
But no, the task force is still in business to explore, as the agenda says, “options to generate sustainable funding for Oregon’s transportation system.”
The original idea, started a few years ago, was to have electronic devices in vehicles record miles driven, report that information to some entity via the cell phone system, and then bill the vehicle owners for the amount they owed based on how many miles on state roads they had driven.
For a year or two I took part in this program, called OReGO, to see how it worked. But instead of me paying the state per mile, ODOT had to send me a few bucks because for my GMC pickup with a small V-8, I was paying more in gas tax than the mileage fee in effect at the time.
Anyway, the Road User Fee Task force is still beavering away. This month the agenda items include discussions on “why a road user charge and why now.” Another one says: “Discuss legislative concept approach and content.”
All this is driven by the thought that the gas tax will not raise enough money, or any money, if everybody drives an electric vehicle, as the politicians now in charge watnt everyone to do one of these years.
Which made me wonder: What’s our gas tax now?
I had to look it up. The Oregon fuel tax keeps going up. It went up 2 cents in January and is now 38 cents per gallon.
Looking it up, though, I came across an item on the ODOT web site saying gas stations have to post local, state and federal fuel taxes.
Really? Yes, it’s required by ORS 646.932. This law says gas stations shall post the tax information, plus the total tax per gallon, “in a manner visible to customers.”
Off to the station I went to gas up, hoping to find such a notice.
I asked the attendant, and he pointed it out, right there on the pump.
In the 20-some years this law has been on the books, I don’t think I had ever looked at this little sign before. It’s visible all right, as the law says. But you have to look for it and know where to look.
When you find it, you see that the gas tax is a very simple way of collecting money for roads. And you realize again that no matter how often the task force meets, it will never find a road user fee as simple as what we have. (hh)
What we have is a simple answer
The heavy rigs, that bear more load on the paving, use more fuel.
The litte rigs bear less load and use less fuel.
What to do with the all-electrics? No fossil fuel delivered to the vehicle. They do have road wear.
Sounds like the program attempted to bring them in, but didn’t have legs.
Forget another “task force.” Just focus on “force.”
1. OReGO works fine. The only problem is that it’s voluntary. Solution – impose it. Force every vehicle owner to pay for every mile traveled. Double the rate for EV owners.
2. Match California’s gas hog tax: 51.1 cents per gallon.
3. If the following don’t already exist, pass a law to impose them immediately.
– A use tax charged when a vehicle title is transferred. Double the fee for EVs.
– A state & local property tax charged each year on the value of each vehicle registered. Double the tax for EVs.
This isn’t rocket science. Government should do what it does best: tax, tax, tax, and spend, spend, spend.
GS
Seems that tongue is so far into cheek, it must be painful.
Mister “the taxpayers didn’t get to approve ” is advocating authoritarianism.
The only equitable solution is an annual mileage fee based upon vehicle weight. You drive a Ford F-350 King Ranch dually for 12000 miles you pay $0.xx per mile driven. You drive a Fiat 500e for 2500 miles you pay $0.xx per mile driven.
However, this would mean the requisite drop of the current $0.38 per gallon tax and we know that won’t happen.
Look for ODA Division of Weights and Measures sticker, too. $43/yr/pump to license.
https://apps.oregon.gov/SOS/LicenseDirectory/LicenseDetail/479
ODA alludes to an octane check program, but doesn’t give any details on how/where/when it checks fuel grade.
And, get your gas at dawn when it’s cool and the density is greatest.
The tanks are in the ground which results in the fuel temperature remaining very stable. Even when trucks dump a fresh load that’s been warmed in the hot summer sun, it only takes a few hours for the ground temperature to put things back to normal.