General Road and Highway Discussion

[p2ee]

Additionally, a number of toll roads have repeatedly gone bankrupt, or had the state bail them out rather than raise tolls to cover maintenance costs.

As for GST on cars, that is a sales tax, not a road use fee.  If I instead bought a bicycle and then also went to the movies, I'd still pay that same tax, so it in no way contributes to roads.  Same for the GST applied to gas.  Only the fuel excise tax is a fee in excess of the standard sales tax we already pay.

The opinion piece mentioned that vehicle drivers are subsidised heavily by taxes.  The sales tax on vehicle purchases is going to the government as tax, later to be used as subsidies, and that tax is no small amount.  The revenue generated from those taxes would not exist if the vehicles were not purchased.  So why should it be excluded?  I understand it is not 'road use tax' per say, but we're talking about drivers getting subsidised by the state.  And the fact that HST on the gas is not being included is even worse.  Why should that not be included?

2)  Every time a car is sold and then re-sold, there is the HST that has to be paid.  A cheaper new car with $20,000 value generates $2600 in taxes, not to mention the taxes generated on the re-sales.  That tax revenue is not being considered and is probably at least $500 a year on average.

As Dan points out, this is a sales tax so not really relevant.  In addition, you pay it only on the incremental value of the purchase ($20K new car with a $10K trade-in generates only $1300 in sales tax).

Mentioned above, I don't see how it's not relevant.  And yes it's only paid on the incremental value, so a $20k car would initially generate 2600 in taxes and then 1300 when it's sold at a market value of 10k.