14 Jun 2009 Raising Taxes by the Mile

Project 21’s Ak’Bar Shabazz has an op-ed opposing a new federal tax on driving in Sunday’s Washington Examiner.

It begins:

During the 2008 presidential campaign, President Obama endeared himself to many voters with a promise that 95 percent of Americans would get a tax cut and those making under $250,000 “would not see a single dime of tax increase – not on anything.”

Since Obama won and he’s already spent so much, it was only a matter of time before his pledge went by the wayside. First came new taxes on tobacco to pay for middle-class kids’ health care.

Now Rep. James Oberstar, D-MN, chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, wants a vehicle mileage tax (VMT) imposed on every vehicle. And he wants it right away.

When a colleague suggested state-level pilot programs to test the feasibility of the tax, Oberstar replied: “It’s going to be done, it’s something we have to do. Why not just move it along?” Oberstar hopes for a vote as early as June.

Obama’s transportation secretary, former Illinois Republican Rep. Ray LaHood, promoted a VMT back in February. Although the White House backed off LaHood’s trial balloon then, Congress may now try to ram it down Americans’ throats…

Read the rest here.

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Labels: Congress, Project 21, Radio, Taxes, White House