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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Do you really think that the oil industry
is going to support a “By-the-Mile” tax?<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>The tax does sound appealing as it makes
car pooling more financially attractive. But, as less and less fuel is
consumed on our highways (which I support), the big oil companies will watch
their bottom line slowly diminish (something I am sure will not give them a
warm fuzzy).<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>As appealing as this tax appears, I don’t
see it making it down the first hallway in congress.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Tom Hansen<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>Moscow, Idaho <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=navy face="Times New Roman"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;color:navy'>We could learn a lot from crayons: some are
sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, some have weird names, and all are
different colors....but they all exist very nicely in the same box. </span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>
vision2020-bounces@moscow.com [mailto:vision2020-bounces@moscow.com] <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b><st1:PersonName w:st="on">Joan
Opyr</st1:PersonName><br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Tuesday, February 15, 2005
2:57 PM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> Vision2020 Moscow<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> Re: [Vision2020] Tax by
the mile</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'>Professor Budge,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'>I guess my question would be what, comparatively
speaking, is the damage done by a lightweight hybrid that gets 51
miles per gallon as opposed to something that costs $500 a month in
gas? Let's do the math here -- my car (a 1995 Mercury Tracer) gets 37
miles to the gallon, which means that I'd use 54.06 gallons of gas to drive
2000 miles, the number cited by Mr. Jason Just as the total of his monthly
commute. In <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Moscow</st1:place></st1:City>,
at present, gas is $1.88 per gallon, so I'd pay $101.63 for my 2000
miles. Even with his 51 mpg hybrid, Mr. Just says that he's only saving
about $300 per month. Either gas is much more expensive where Mr. Just
lives, or he's clocking up more than 2000 miles per month. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'>Assuming a gas price of $1.88 per gallon (just for the
hell of it), I have to wonder what kind of vehicle Mr. Just was commuting his
2000 miles a month in that could possibly have cost him $500 to operate?
Was it by any chance Ford Excursion? Or a Humvee? Or a combine
harvester? Because (and ya'll feel free to correct my math here) it looks
to me like Mr. Just was only getting 7.52 miles to the gallon. I
also own a 1976 Chevy Suburban that mostly sits in my driveway and drips oil,
but when I do break it out of the mothballs, even it gets about 12 mpg.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'>So here's the thing -- if you insist on commuting
2000 miles per month in a combine harvester rather than a gas/electric
hybrid, then I'd guess that you were doing more road damage than you would
if you switched to a lighter weight, more pavement-friendly Toyota Prius.
Hence, it doesn't really matter if the states are collecting less at the pump;
it should all even out because they'll need to perform less road
maintenance. Or, to put it another way, those vehicles which do the
most damage to the road, AKA large trucks, SUVs, and tractor trailers,
will be justly obliged to pay the bulk of the gas taxes.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'>How's my Democratic answer, Professor Budge?
Did I pass the exam?<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><st1:PersonName w:st="on"><font size=2 face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana'>Joan Opyr</span></font></st1:PersonName><font
size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana'>/Auntie
Establishment<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'><a href="http://www.auntie-establishment.com">www.auntie-establishment.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid black 1.5pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 3.0pt;
margin-left:3.0pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt'>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>----- Original Message -----<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal style='background:#E4E4E4'><b><font size=2 color=black
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black;
font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'> David M. Budge<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> Tuesday, February
15, 2005 1:08 PM<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>To:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> Vision2020 Moscow<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'> [Vision2020] Tax
by the mile<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Verdana><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Verdana'>(I emailed this previously, but it seems to have fallen
into the bit <br>
bucket - if a duplicate is delivered I apologize in advance)<br>
<br>
What say you to this Republicans and Democrats?<br>
<br>
Dave Budge<br>
<br>
<br>
<http://www.cbsnews.com><br>
------------------------------------------------------------------------<br>
<br>
States <st1:place w:st="on">Mull</st1:place> Taxing Drivers By Mile<br>
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">CORVALLIS</st1:City>, <st1:State
w:st="on">Ore.</st1:State></st1:place>, Feb. 14, 2005<br>
<br>
<br>
College student Jayson Just commutes an odometer-spinning 2,000 miles a <br>
month. As CBS News Correspondent Sandra Hughes reports, his monthly gas <br>
bill once topped his car payment.<br>
<br>
"I was paying about $500 a month," says Just.<br>
<br>
So Just bought a fuel efficient hybrid and said goodbye to his <br>
gas-guzzling BMW.<br>
<br>
And what kind of mileage does he get?<br>
<br>
"The EPA estimate is 60 in the city, 51 on the highway," says Just<br>
<br>
And that saves him almost $300 a month in gas. It's great for Just but <br>
bad for the roads he's driving on, because he also pays a lot less in <br>
gasoline taxes which fund highway projects and road repairs. As more and <br>
more hybrids hit the road, cash-strapped states are warning of rough <br>
roads ahead.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</blockquote>
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