On Top of the Highest Gas and Car Taxes in the Nation, California Democrats Now Want to Impose a Costly Mileage Tax on All Drivers
If you thought it was expensive to own a car and drive in California before, you need to grab your wallet because it’s about to get a lot more expensive under a proposal from California Democrat politicians.
Under the so-called Mileage Tax proposal being advanced, every driver would be charged 4 to 6 cents per mile that they drive. What’s worse, every driver’s mileage would be tracked and reported for billing purposes to local governments - raising serious concerns about privacy.
California Democrats say the new Mileage Tax would raise increased revenue that they want to spend on transit programs, and that it would discourage Calfornians from driving cars by making it more costly.
Critics of the Mileage Tax are already organizing and launching a campaign in opposition.
Carl DeMaio, who serves as Chairman of Reform California, called the Mileage Tax “one of the most outrageous and absurd tax hike proposals I have seen in a long time — and remember, we’re talking about California where tax-and-spend Democrats have been raising taxes for a long time!”
DeMaio explained that the Mileage Tax is a regressive tax that hurts working families and the lowest income families the most.
“It would cost the typical driver between $600 and $900 per year, assuming they drive only 15,000 miles per year,” DeMaio noted. “The Mileage Tax would be the death blow to many families, pricing them out of our state,” said DeMaio.
DeMaio is leading the statewide fight through his Reform California campaign committee to block the Mileage Tax from being imposed - and he’s targeting most of his efforts to block the first Mileage Tax pilot project in San Diego county.
In December, the San Diego County Association of Governments (SANDAG), the county regional transportation board, approved the regional transportation plan — which included a Mileage Tax in it.
In addition to the Mileage Tax, San Diego politicians are placing a massive Sales Tax on the ballot in November. DeMaio says stopping these two taxes in San Diego is the focus of his campaign, as it sends a message statewide that politicians should not be considering a Mileage Tax or any other tax increase at this time — what DeMaio labels a “crazy and costly idea.”
“If we can kill the pilot project and show Democrats that the idea is radioactive then we have a good shot of killing this crazy tax before it is imposed statewide on all drivers,” DeMaio explains.
DeMaio warned local politicians that he will make this a political issue in candidate races, pledging to work toward the defeat of any politician who supports the tax hikes.
To organize opposition to the Mileage Tax and Sales Tax in San Diego, DeMaio is hosting a series of town halls in the county to recruit volunteers and supporters. These forces will wage the grassroots campaign this year to defeat the tax hike proposals — and to defeat politicians associated with the proposals.
The next town hall opposing the Mileage Tax and Sales Tax will be held February 10th and will feature San Diego Supervisor Jim Desmond and State Assemblywoman Laurie Davies speaking against the proposals.
RSVP: Town Hall Opposing the Mileage Tax HERE!
DeMaio is asking all Californians — not only in San Diego, but statewide — to contribute immediately to the Reform California grassroots campaign to stop the Mileage Tax.
Get More Information on How To Stop the Mileage Tax in California HERE!
Photo Credit: Getty Images