Oregon Is First State to Charge Drivers for Each Mile They Drive
Source: blacklistednews.com
When he's not riding his bicycle, Rep. Earl Blumenauer, an Oregon Democrat, said he's driving a fuel-efficient hybrid, and that's a problem, because it means he's not paying his "fair share" for highway maintenance.
Blumenauer says that's why he signed up for OReGO, the nation's first program to charge drivers based on the number of miles they drive.
The program launched on July 1. It is voluntary at the moment, but Blumenauer expects that to change:
"I'm excited to be one of the first 5,000 volunteers in the OReGO program, because I'm convinced that as a state and as a nation we should not pay for transportation based on how much fuel we consume," he said in a videotaped message for OReGO:
He noted that gas taxes are no longer an effective highway user-fee due to inflation and increasing fuel efficiency.
Read more: blacklistednews.com
