Cliff Notes: The people complained about truck use, but not the trucks and the people have to pay the use tax.
the issue started prior to the 1987 completion of the road... the planning and development of the road didn't plan for expansion. well its over 30 years later so we are stuck with the following issue.
As you seem to be defining a use tax, you think this is okay. As other people see the use tax, it isn't okay.
The locals complained to Richmond, "there is ever increased TRUCK traffic on I81, causing accidents and traffic 24 hours a day"... the SOLUTION being proposed is "Bob and Mary pay me an annual fee and we will toll the trucks." The issue is the trucks, not Bob and Mary.
This is where the use tax issue is getting misunderstood. Bob and Mary already pay a use tax through fuel that is supposed to hand road issues. As has been pointed out, the 16 wheelers can cross the entire commonwealth without stopping for their fuel.
They are holding at least 200 gallons of diesel... and they happen to be required to map out their routes, fuel stops, etc. for various company policies and state/fed regulations. so the diesel tax (use tax) isn't helping the roads as much as they thought.
Instead of fixing the diesel use tax issue alone, they are bringing in Bob and Mary. That's the issue people have with it.
This is a fairly simplistic view... its actually quite complicated. Local governments acted in certain was to get trucking and warehouse jobs along I81... land was "cheap," the jobs fit the demographics for skills, etc. This was done with little forethought and piled onto the poor planning by Richmond on the roads.
The low skilled wages haven't kept up with what is being proposed... that's going to force more traffic onto a 2 lane road we call Route 11. It could be some college kids mom and dad that don't have an EZpass, a local, etc. No one likes traffic, and traffic in the valley is when you have 3 people in front of you at a traffic light. "oh many its crowded out here."
Scotty is right, that if you toll the trucks, it will make its way to the consumer. My buddies that run breweries are already talking about it. BUT if you make it pass through more layers, there is more easing the pass down.
Here is a 12 year old study... where they admit they know the trucks are the problem.
http://www.virginiadot.org/news/resource...ne2007.pdf
in 2007, the law only allowed for the tolling of trucks... nothing happened. increasing the issues on the roadway. now they have changed the law to tax more people (cars)... before the made a decision on how to proceed with the road... 12 years have passed. They are really good at finding money, they are really good at spending money... they are terrible at making effective change in a timely manner.
the issue started prior to the 1987 completion of the road... the planning and development of the road didn't plan for expansion. well its over 30 years later so we are stuck with the following issue.
As you seem to be defining a use tax, you think this is okay. As other people see the use tax, it isn't okay.
The locals complained to Richmond, "there is ever increased TRUCK traffic on I81, causing accidents and traffic 24 hours a day"... the SOLUTION being proposed is "Bob and Mary pay me an annual fee and we will toll the trucks." The issue is the trucks, not Bob and Mary.
This is where the use tax issue is getting misunderstood. Bob and Mary already pay a use tax through fuel that is supposed to hand road issues. As has been pointed out, the 16 wheelers can cross the entire commonwealth without stopping for their fuel.
They are holding at least 200 gallons of diesel... and they happen to be required to map out their routes, fuel stops, etc. for various company policies and state/fed regulations. so the diesel tax (use tax) isn't helping the roads as much as they thought.
Instead of fixing the diesel use tax issue alone, they are bringing in Bob and Mary. That's the issue people have with it.
This is a fairly simplistic view... its actually quite complicated. Local governments acted in certain was to get trucking and warehouse jobs along I81... land was "cheap," the jobs fit the demographics for skills, etc. This was done with little forethought and piled onto the poor planning by Richmond on the roads.
The low skilled wages haven't kept up with what is being proposed... that's going to force more traffic onto a 2 lane road we call Route 11. It could be some college kids mom and dad that don't have an EZpass, a local, etc. No one likes traffic, and traffic in the valley is when you have 3 people in front of you at a traffic light. "oh many its crowded out here."
Scotty is right, that if you toll the trucks, it will make its way to the consumer. My buddies that run breweries are already talking about it. BUT if you make it pass through more layers, there is more easing the pass down.
Here is a 12 year old study... where they admit they know the trucks are the problem.
http://www.virginiadot.org/news/resource...ne2007.pdf
in 2007, the law only allowed for the tolling of trucks... nothing happened. increasing the issues on the roadway. now they have changed the law to tax more people (cars)... before the made a decision on how to proceed with the road... 12 years have passed. They are really good at finding money, they are really good at spending money... they are terrible at making effective change in a timely manner.
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IPGparts.com, AutoFair Honda, Amsoil, QuikLatch Fasteners
NASA-MA Tech Inspector (Retired)