http://politics.blog.ajc.com/2015/01/29/the-hipster-tax-in-the-house-transportation-package/ The ‘hipster tax’ in the House transportation package January 29, 2015 | Greg Bluestein, Daniel Malloy, Jim Galloway
[image https://cmgajcpolitics.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/011713-electric-chargers-hs02.jpg Electric vehicle charging stations on the lower level of the Bloomingdales’ parking at Lenox Square Mall [GA]. AJC file/Hyosub Shin ] At the federal and state level, lawmakers are often engineers who attempt to mold society through tax policy – discouraging disreputable habits with heavy levies. Cigarettes and alcohol are often favorite targets. And now, argues Todd Rehm of GaPundit.com, so are Atlanta-centric bohemians. Here’s his description of a piece of the House transportation package announced Wednesday: * A hipster fee on fully-electric vehicles of $200/year for personal vehicles and $300/year for commercial vehicles – it’s hard to imagine a fee more narrowly tailored to primarily hit liberals – proceeds dedicated to transit. ... Because the gas tax is the current means of funding, electric vehicles pay no taxes for the roads they use — a growing concern among transportation experts. Secondly, we know many Republicans who are into EVs, including a certain lieutenant governor. One of the AJC’s number-crunchers, Isaac Sabetai, has quantified the $200 hipster fee in gasoline-burning terms. Assuming 29.2 cent per gallon tax, you’d have buy nearly 685 gallons of fuel per year to pay $200 annually in the excise tax. That would put EV owners on a tax-paying par with those who buy an average 13.2 gallons of fuel per week. Which is about a tankful on most midsize cars ... [© ajc.com] http://wabe.org/post/house-bills-put-electric-car-owners-defensive House Bills Put Electric Car Owners On The Defensive By Jonathan Shapiro January 29, 2015 The state’s electric vehicle owners are on the defensive due to a pair of new bills backed by Republicans in the Georgia House. One of the bills would completely eliminate a popular $5,000 state tax credit to help purchase electric cars. Another would impose a $200 annual fee on most electric car owners. The fee is part of a broader bill aimed at raising a billion dollars for the state’s ailing network of roads and bridges. Georgia Public Service Commissioner and electric car advocate Tim Echols says elimination of the tax credit would have a devastating impact on electric car ownership. “They’re trying to solve a transportation problem. I feel their pain,” said Echols. “It’s just we only have 10,000 electric vehicles in the state. You cannot build a transportation system on the backs of electric vehicle owners.” Echols, a Republican, is urging his fellow Republicans in the House to take a more gradual approach – for example, phasing out the tax credit over 10 years. [image] New bills in the Georgia House would eliminate a $5,000 state tax credit to help purchase electric cars and would impose a $200 annual fee on most electric car owners Credit Mel Evans / Associated Press The state’s roads and bridges are largely maintained by revenue generated from gas taxes. State officials say more fuel efficient cars have led to less money for Georgia’s crumbling transportation network. Both bills are backed by top GOP leaders, including the chairs of the transportation and appropriations committees. Chris Campbell, an electric car advocate and manager of the website ElectrifyAtlanta, says the bills neglects all the positives that come from electric car ownership. “Not only do they help clean up our air and get us off fossil fuel but [analysis] has shown the tax credits are revenue positive for the state,” said Campbell. He says lawmakers should go after new revenue from those that actually do the most damage to the roads - by charging drivers by mileage and vehicle weight. Campbell recognizes that’s unlikely, but he’s keeping a level head. “Both bills are opening moves to this process. There will be negotiations,” said Campbell. “They’re looking for money to close their budget and maybe they picked on a group that they think is politically weak in this state but I think they’re going to find that they’re wrong.” [©2015 wabe.org] For EVLN posts use: http://evdl.org/evln/ http://www.evdl.org/archive/index.html#nabble+template%2FNamlServlet.jtp%3Fmacro%3Dsearch_page%26node%3D413529%26query%3DEVLN%2Bbrucedp2%26days%3D0%26sort%3Ddate {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVLN-200-yr-GA-EV-hipster-tax-tailored-to-hit-liberal-bohemians-tp4673671.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
