Comments on: It makes no sense to penalize hybrid owners

By: pammala

pammala — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 12:43:00 +0000

see how the libs dont like their own crap being forced on them….lol

By: Lauren

Lauren — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 00:21:09 +0000

Scott, I agree with you. And here is the clincher. It would be one thing to say that as a Hybrid driver you use less gas and gas tax is how we fund roads, so you should pay a penalty because you are using less gas. McDonnell’s plan, however, is to get rid of the gas tax altogether. If no one is paying a gas tax, then it makes no sense to penalize the Hybrid driver. This plan only makes sense if we keep the gas tax.

By: John Wilburn

John Wilburn — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 19:30:01 +0000

Other John, I’m going the other way. I like consumption-based taxes and don’t want to report yet another thing and give up more privacy. But you’re right with the miles driven thing.

By: Bubba Greene

Bubba Greene — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 21:51:10 +0000

But Scott, it’s only “fair”. First of all, only rich people can afford these cars and you know we must do something to get into the pockets of you rich folks. And for crying out loud anyhow, what’s a $100!

By: sherry

sherry — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 20:22:54 +0000

Scott, when I put new energy efficent windows in my home in WV, the property tax went up $100.
Scott, you are saving money with that hybrid. Surely, you didn’t think you were going to get to keep it now did you?
Conversely, I put new windows in my home in Roanoke, and the tax didn’t go up any more than usual.
Fancy that.

By: Other John

Other John — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 19:42:45 +0000

I would personally love to see the fuels tax abolished, and replaced with a Vehicle-Miles-Traveled tax, with rate categories based on vehicle weights and types, to better apply taxes that fund highway construction and maintenance to the vehicles that cause the most physical wear on the roads. The fuels tax sort of gets that right, because heavy trucks at 50,000 pounds pull a low 5-7 mpg on diesel, while cars like mine that weight around 3,000 pounds get 35 mpg…but it’s not entirely representative. The problem with going to that method of taxation is how on earth does it get implemented, and how would the revenues for multi-state travel get distributed? Another government beaurocracy to handle it? No thanks.

Just change the gas tax rate and call it a day…rather than proposing all these seemingly random gimmicks.

By: Other John

Other John — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 19:32:05 +0000

I think Scott should check his stats…the hybrid version of the Escape weighs more than the conventional version (using the 2012 model year, the last that a hybrid was available for the Escape). Curb weight of the hybrid (Limited and Sport) is 3,850. Curb weight of the conventional is 3,536 for the XLS and Limited, and a much lighter 3,390 for the XLT.

By: Kendra

Kendra — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 19:10:04 +0000

We don’t need any more gas, we have enough that is generated from the liberal media.

By: Frank

Frank — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 18:57:10 +0000

hey, it’s just a little redistribution of wealth…

poor people don’t buy hybrids, ya know.

seriously, what’s your beef?