Massachusetts to Create "HUMMER Tax"

Boston.com reports that Massive Taxes’ Governor is pledging to freeze toll charges throughout The Bay State. Before you get out your huzzahs, see: above. “Governor Deval Patrick said today he is looking at a Hummer tax—adding higher registration fees for gas-guzzling cars [ED: presumably SUVs will be rounded-up and shot] and offering discounts for those that do less harm to the environment.” The battle lines are drawn across entirely predictable boundaries, with common sense going out for a cup of Clover (at the taxpayer’s expense).

“The social costs of larger vehicles include not only the additional pollution, but also higher crash risks to other vehicles,” said Representative William Brownsberger, a Belmont Democrat who is cosponsoring two bills in the Legislature that would penalize expensive and heavy cars with higher taxes or fees.

But opponents say such fees could penalize families and small businesses who need big cars or trucks and already pay higher fuel prices. And at least one influential player in the transportation debate worries that adding an environmental component to the debate could complicate it, and ultimately delay important plans to fix the state’s broken road and public transit system.

So, as my father would say, how much is this boondoggle going to cost me? Not stated. Of course.

Meanwhile, as part of the whole raise revenues by saving the planet thing, the Patrick administration’s also looking at hoiking-up the gas tax. Although Deval was apparently encouraged by a not-entirely-scientific show-of-hands poll whilst addressing a not-entirely-representational group of potential voters, the Gov gets the whole petard hoisting deal.

But Patrick cautioned that even if lawmakers raise the gas tax rate, the state would probably collect less money in the future as drivers buy more fuel-efficient cars and need less gas. Because of that, he is also considering a replacement that would charge drivers a fee for every mile they drive.