Snyder Wants 60% Car Registration Fee Hike

[detroitjim]

The only fair way to do it will be to raise the gas tax .

That way those that be dryben the mose gunbe payin the mose.

Plus you will collect tax from those that juss passin through.

[Roq]

Gas prices in Germany $8+ per gallon... but regular Germans drive economy cars, that get superb gas mileage. Ever come across a pothole in Germany? Much less auto maintenance costs...

Exactly. Not to mention, Germany has an excellent public transport situation that allows one to walk, ride the streetcar, subway, or train easily -- you don't HAVE to have a car there unlike here where not having one significantly limits your options on getting around.

[313hero]

Oh Well. More people driving w/ expired tags. More police giving tickets, more tickets getting unpaid, more driver responsibility fees, more suspended licenses, less cars being purchaced, less people w/ the ability to drive to work and feed their families. But hey the roads will be nice for the few rich people that can afford to drive on them. Yeah that sounds bout right. $300-$400 for down payment on NO FAULT insurance, then another $300-$400 to register a car. so the average Detroiter would have to pay $600-$800 a year just to get a little sticker on their licence plate. BULLSHIT

[313WX]

The only fair way to do it will be to raise the gas tax .

That way those that be dryben the mose gunbe payin the mose.

Plus you will collect tax from those that juss passin through.

Yes.

But that ain't happening in this political climate.

[DetroitPlanner]

The only fair way to do it will be to raise the gas tax .

That way those that be dryben the mose gunbe payin the mose.

Plus you will collect tax from those that juss passin through.

This scenario no longer works. You can live far away and only pay a fraction of gas tax as someone who live much closer. Why is that? Because of Cars like the Prius and the Volt get far better gas mileage. These cars ain't cheap either so it is better to get money through a registration fee as registration fees are based on a car's value.

We have a transportation funding program based upon the model of consumption, but new federal EPA policies are based on convservation. The EPA policies have destroyed the old transportation funding policies. Transportation funding also pays for transit and bike paths. We should have the choice users [[drivers) help pay for transit and non-motorized because these help to reduce congestion. If you can't get enough revenues to keep your road infastructure in order, how can you justify spending funding on transit or bicycle paths?

The optimal way to charge would be something like a penny per mile driven. This however sets-up a more beaurcratic system that is frought with technical issues. These issues include putting a GPS unit in enreyone's car that can't be turned off. Watch the Orwellians go bezerk. You could also have everyone get thier mileage checked at the Secretary of State, but it is relatively easy to disconnect spedometers on some cars.

[iheartthed]

The optimal way to charge would be something like a penny per mile driven. This however sets-up a more beaurcratic system that is frought with technical issues. These issues include putting a GPS unit in enreyone's car that can't be turned off. Watch the Orwellians go bezerk. You could also have everyone get thier mileage checked at the Secretary of State, but it is relatively easy to disconnect spedometers on some cars.

You wouldn't have to go that far. Michigan could set up a toll/EZ Pass type system on key roadways that would do the trick.

[RO_Resident]

Novine, this may be somewhat peripheral to the discussion, but anyway... this summer Little Mack Rd. in SCS was rebuilt between 10 and 12 Mile Rd. because of the quick deterioration of the roadway that was rebuilt 10 years ago. Not sure of the specifics of who [[if anyone) got sued in order to redo the 10 year old stretch of quickly deteriorating roadway.

But after this summers repaving... a regular SCS citizen went along the route and did a visual inspection of the work, took photographs of parts that he thought wasn't quite up to snuff.... took the photos to a SCS city council meeting, which got the ball rolling to have each and every defect fixed. This delayed the reopening of the roadway by over a month, but at least it appears to have been done right. I guess the question one would ask is this... who did the roadway inspections before the fixes were demanded by SCS city council?? Macomb County Road Commission or MDOT?

I bet that kickbacks and other perks to "look the other way" happen way more than we may realize in roadway work around the state.

Little Mack is under the jurisdiction of SCS. Ultimately, the city is responsible for the job.

[bailey]

You wouldn't have to go that far. Michigan could set up a toll/EZ Pass type system on key roadways that would do the trick.

I don't know. Don't you think we've past the point where tollbooths could be retro fitted to our system? I mean would we really be saving anything by trying to rejigger and refit a wide open system to a closed one with limited access and toll booths at every exit? Has such a large scale retrofit been done?

[iheartthed]

I don't know. Don't you think we've past the point where tollbooths could be retro fitted to our system? I mean would we really be saving anything by trying to rejigger and refit a wide open system to a closed one with limited access and toll booths at every exit? Has such a large scale retrofit been done?

Well, Michigan would have to implement a checkpoint type of system. It wouldn't look like the Ohio turnpike, but more like the Garden State Parkway or the West Virginia Turnpike with tolls being collected at certain points along the system. It would target those who use the road to travel the farthest.

[Ray1936]

Looks like MI fees will get to be more like I already pay in Nevada.

[riviera]

Looks like MI fees will get to be more like I already pay in Nevada.

It seems ok for a newer vehicle...

The big plus of registering in MI at least if you have an older vehicle is that there is no safety inspection or smog test... If you can afford the insurance.

[wolverine]

Looks like MI fees will get to be more like I already pay in Nevada.

See that's what I'm saying. The fees in Michigan are laughably cheap. Not only do I pay Illinois license fees, but a city license for Chicago which is about $240/year...and no one seems to make a big deal about that. If Michigan needs to make ends meet, here's where it needs to be done.

[markd]

Oh Well. More people driving w/ expired tags. More police giving tickets, more tickets getting unpaid, more driver responsibility fees, more suspended licenses, less cars being purchaced, less people w/ the ability to drive to work and feed their families. But hey the roads will be nice for the few rich people that can afford to drive on them. Yeah that sounds bout right. $300-$400 for down payment on NO FAULT insurance, then another $300-$400 to register a car. so the average Detroiter would have to pay $600-$800 a year just to get a little sticker on their licence plate. BULLSHIT

Wow, this is amazing if you actually believe this.

[Zacha341]

Well I only drive older cars without a note... doing everything I can to keep driving and making it affordable to stay driving.

It seems ok for a newer vehicle...

The big plus of registering in MI at least if you have an older vehicle is that there is no safety inspection or smog test... If you can afford the insurance.

[mikeg19]

Bring it on. Everyone bitch's about the roads, but when it comes time to pay for them, there is a public uproar. Everyone wants everything done for free. I'd rather pay more in taxes if shit is getting fixed. But as a poster already mentioned [[and I echo their sentiment), paying more isn't a problem I have, it's how it's being spent.

[Jowlska]

I'm in favor of raising money for roads and buses. The roads and transit are horrible in Michigan and more money needs to be invested. I would also support narrowing road and closing roads that are under used. I think adding the Trumbull, Grand, and MLK bike lanes is a good example that should be followed on many roads. The money has to come from somewhere, and I agree that taxes in this country are low compared to other countries and in return give us shitty public services and infrastructure. Those wooden boards under the overpasses are not normal...

[Flintoid]

This needs to pass. We need to invest more in our roads if we want them to be nice and respectable. We invest so little in transit in this state, a proposal like this might get us marginally closer to actually investing what we should.

[luckycar]

Cars sold at the wholesale level,dealer to dealer,pay no tax.When cars are sold dealer to dealer,the title is reassigned,and $15.00 is lost each time.There are 5 reassignments per title,$75.00.Ohio has no reassignments on their titles,so each transaction,retail and wholesale a new title must be purchased.Other states do this too.Other states don't have freeze thaw,low bid,bonus for early finish date,poor materials and other such wonders that make our roads the envy of the third world.

[ridgeabilly]

One tough nerd, right? Just more BS that his gated community crowd won't even feel. When the sheep wake up, they will toss his A$$ out.

[313hero]

Wow, this is amazing if you actually believe this.

You Dont??? What part of what I said is UNbelievable??? Now it may be unbelievable for someone who has no idea what it means to live check to check, trying to make ends meet every week, or struggling to pay DTE. Struggling to pay the fees as they are now. What YOU think will happen??? People wil magically start making more money around the time for renewal??? Oh Thats right everybody can afford it anyway, and if you cant, F You. Everything I stated will happen. since you dont believe me tell me why

[cramerro]

This scenario no longer works. You can live far away and only pay a fraction of gas tax as someone who live much closer. Why is that? Because of Cars like the Prius and the Volt get far better gas mileage. These cars ain't cheap either so it is better to get money through a registration fee as registration fees are based on a car's value.

We have a transportation funding program based upon the model of consumption, but new federal EPA policies are based on convservation. The EPA policies have destroyed the old transportation funding policies. Transportation funding also pays for transit and bike paths. We should have the choice users [[drivers) help pay for transit and non-motorized because these help to reduce congestion. If you can't get enough revenues to keep your road infastructure in order, how can you justify spending funding on transit or bicycle paths?

The optimal way to charge would be something like a penny per mile driven. This however sets-up a more beaurcratic system that is frought with technical issues. These issues include putting a GPS unit in enreyone's car that can't be turned off. Watch the Orwellians go bezerk. You could also have everyone get thier mileage checked at the Secretary of State, but it is relatively easy to disconnect spedometers on some cars.

I read two pieces in the last 3 days that both had some level of quotes/interview with Snyder or his top aide. This odometer-based system is what they think would actually be the best way to structure fees/tax/whatever you want to call it.

Problem is that this would require a complete re-working of the whole structure of registration fees and tracking, something that they say will take several years. In the interim, this fee hike brings instant revenue to get started on the roads now. If they waited until they could get another system going, we'd need twice as much per year to make up for the quickly deteriorating condition.

This would be pretty fair IMO, if it could be more fraud-proof somehow. One other comment on your post is that a tax on choice-only drivers would be like pulling the pin on a political grenade... sorting taxpayers into classes that can and can't afford to drive? That would be one hell of a formula.

[Isle_of_fun]

$60 average increase per Car Registration Fee to repair our lousy Michigan roads is peanuts compared to the doubling of our gas price from $1.83 to $3.40 per gallon since the advent of Obama. Snyder is doing a sterling job and is addressing the previous 8 years of do nothing by the previous "Governor"

Did you ever wake up and want to tell someone that they are crackers living in a crumbling world!

and coracle, snyder is not doing a sterling job, he is doing business 101 High school level!

[coracle]

You Dont??? What part of what I said is UNbelievable??? Now it may be unbelievable for someone who has no idea what it means to live check to check, trying to make ends meet every week, or struggling to pay DTE. Struggling to pay the fees as they are now. What YOU think will happen??? People wil magically start making more money around the time for renewal??? Oh Thats right everybody can afford it anyway, and if you cant, F You. Everything I stated will happen. since you dont believe me tell me why

Did you know that back in March 2008 Dingell D-Mich wanted [[and probably still does) to add 50 cents to every Gall of gas you burn. It was a Democrat scheme to reduce our dependency on imports rather than drilling for oil ourselves with American workers. He didn't say what they would use the 50 Cents/Gall for but no doubt they would have given it people who can't afford to pay for the extra Registration Fee for better roads. Since then of course the price of gas has doubled so it's taken care of itself. - the dependency that is.

[Scottathew]

Or if someone threatens to shut down Iranian oil exports, like, say, the president.

Huh?

McCain wants to wipe Iran off the map. Explain how our war loving republican presidents are helping oil prices.

I love all the things that folks want to blame on Obama. Yeah, it has nothing to do with 8 years of George W. Bush and his needless Iraq war...

[Scottathew]

Bring it on. Everyone bitch's about the roads, but when it comes time to pay for them, there is a public uproar. Everyone wants everything done for free. I'd rather pay more in taxes if shit is getting fixed. But as a poster already mentioned [[and I echo their sentiment), paying more isn't a problem I have, it's how it's being spent.

I agree. I'll gladly pay more so that we can repair our roads and bridges and knock out some big projects too.

I think M-DOT has done a great job being fiscally responsible and getting bang for the buck. They're one of the few government agencies that seems to have it together. They've kept contractors accountable, they've done some amazing work on short notice [[9-Mile bridge rebuild), and they implementing technologies that make things more efficient.

Some claim the tax is regressive, but I don't think that's quite true because registration fees a relative to the type of car.