Labeling the Gas Tax

The gas tax should be viewed as that, a tax, and anything else is fundamentally wrong, writes Alex Marshall.

1 minute read

April 11, 2011, 1:00 PM PDT

Marshall says a gas tax should not be considered a user fee because unlike a tax, a user fee gives the consumer a choice to either pay, or not to pay. He sites the fee to enter and park at a national park, as well as the use of toll roads as examples that incur user fees. People have the choice to pay to park, or to use the less traveled tollway.

"To qualify as a user fee, you must have a choice as to whether or not you pay it. It also must relate directly to a particular service that you can accept or reject, and to the number of times you use that service."

Marshall adds,

"Why do all these labels matter? Aren't they just semantics? No, because labels influence policies."

FULL STORY: What to Call the Gas Tax: Not Just Semantics

Tuesday, April 5, 2011 in Governing

Transportation United States Transportation Toll Roads Gas Tax User Fee View More

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