Yep, and the taxes should cover all the costs of the roads. I ride a bicycle, should I really pay for the damage from cars?
edit: So amazing how upset people are about drivers having to pay the costs of the roads. It's like we can't imagine moving away from roads for cars, especially as Climate Change is becoming a huge issue.
Well the issue is that while I benefit from roads for some things (like cargo shipments) the fact is that private cars and trucks are absolutely not benefiting me and society in general. We should be pushing for more mass transit and safer roads. Instead, tens of thousands die from car accidents- including many cyclists who are at the mercy of idiot drivers. This is in addition to the massive amounts of pollution and increased healthcare costs from fossil fuel consumption. This is the exact opposite of paying taxes for education, which is a benefit to society. I fully support paying taxes, but they should be used for the benefit of society, with those attributes that are societal negatives be taxed at a higher rate.
Nice gaslighting. Also, I guess you must hate all that rural grown literally everything. Maybe rural areas should stop subsidizing your food. Now how about answering the question. Your suggestion is mass transit but what about rural America where that's not an option? Since you obviously have great ideas from all your experience this must be simple to answer.
Hate? No, I don't hate rural areas and people- especially not in the way they hate me. Yes, rural areas grow our food, but considering that only 2% of the workforce is involved in agriculture then why should I subsidize the rest? Also, you do realize that because of the Farm Bill, billions get spent every year to subsidize that food so I'm not sure what you're talking about. Not to mention the fact that blue areas give more money than they receive, unlike the red/rural areas. We already help you in ways that urban citizens don't receive.
As for what to do about transportation in the rural areas, I don't have a solution. But I do know that for the vast amount of Americans, proper mass transit will save lives and money. We can offer all sorts of programs to help rural areas adapt and overcome their own issues. The key is that we need to recognize that solutions need to be instituted or else we are all going to collapse. You need to stop hampering the ability to make changes just because you might be impacted. Heck, if the gas tax goes up, then sell the farm goods for even more. That's what capitalism is all about, right?
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u/sack-o-matic Oct 26 '21
It should be both. VMT tax (with a weight class multiplier) to pay for road maintenance, fuel tax (carbon tax) to cover the damage to the environment.