Opinion of this Forbes columnist: "Illinois lawmakers appear to be considering a revival of the vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax—an idea that was first floated in 2019 but proved dead on arrival. Instead of recoiling from it as 'just another tax,' perhaps we should ask a more interesting question: what if the VMT tax is exactly what is needed to internalize the actual cost of road usage—not only in Illinois, but nationwide?"
I totally agree. A gas tax is a sort of mileage tax. The more you drive, the more gas you use, and the more you pay in gas taxes. Pretty simple and a lot less government intrusion into your private life.
JackBolly
11 months ago
Author completely missed the issue of Democrats dog-robbing the road and bridge lock box funds for their pet spending.
Joey Zamboni
11 months ago
This is just the opening salvo…
This will not happen overnight, but it will occur, slowly, but it will happen…
I’m sure they already have plans ready to implement this & much more…
1984 in 2025…
Wally
11 months ago
How will you tax tourists, those just driving through IL, or vehicles without IL plates or registrations? What about interstate commercial vehicles that may pass through IL once a year? A lot of them already buy their gas outside of IL to avoid its high gas taxes. Sounds like IL will miss a lot of anticipated taxes, as usual.
earthling
11 months ago
insane bills like this along with absurd property tax and the severe pension crisis are reasons to seriously consider moving out of IL. for example, starting in 2026 Michigan will no longer tax retirement income, homes are far less expensive and property taxes are half of what they are in IL.
Readers, this is a reminder that we link to opinion pieces from all perspectives. That includes ones that we don’t agree with, like this one. Some of you have questioned this piece as if it is our opinion. It is not. We confine our opinions to our own columns on the right of the homepage, or identify our opinions as our own.
Assuming the gas tax we pay actually goes to repairing the road (which I am sure it does not), electric cars should pay something to drive on the pavement and support their upkeep. But paying a mileage tax/toll to drive in Illinois will require some sort of monitoring device connected to the car like the toll transponder, but instead of just charging tolls and points on a highway, it is measuring and documenting where you drive and when…Nope. So the state and JumboJB will be involved in every move you make in a car. Once this starts, they will start… Read more »
You make valid points, but how would you recommend that the State generate revenue to pay for roads, including from operation of electric vehicles? (btw, they are already “mailing speeding tickets.”)
Yep, understood on the mailing of tickets, this would just be another new and exciting and more effective way of issuing them and then speeding and maybe even red light cameras wouldn’t be needed and the government entity gets to keep all the money. I don’t think the state of Illinois or the counties have a revenue problem, they have a spending problem. These agencies collect plenty of tax dollars from citizens, but they choose to spend these valuable hard earned dollars on programs that do not benefit the tax payer. The average tax payer get little or nothing for… Read more »
Last edited 11 months ago by daskoterzar
Deb
11 months ago
Maybe if Pritzker and the Democrats did not steal the gas tax money to fund illegals and special interest groups IL would have the money to fix roads and bridges. The gas tax was supposed to go to roads, not Democrat’s pockets.
mqyl
11 months ago
If this will be in addition to the gas tax, expect more out-migration of residents and their money.
Wilmette
11 months ago
Horrible tax and horrible overreach required to track what you are doing. Big brother just keeps on knocking – always wanting more oversight and more control over us.
Leaving Soon, just not soon enough
11 months ago
Already some of the highest gas taxes and the roads are bad to terrible. Spend the money you have wisely quit squandering most of it. Almost as many potholes in Illinois as pot heads.
Bill also
11 months ago
All people rely on roads, whether you drive or not. All should pay.
You’re correct that one way or another everyone needs roads. But some make a lot more use than others, and it’d be wise to have incentives to minimize road use, especially at peak hours. How would you recommend this be done?
Why should we be nudged into minimizing our road use . Our state government should stop spending on non essentials. That includes social programs.
See Debts comment above.
A largely unasked question is becoming glaring: Is Illinois doing all it should to use artificial intelligence to make government cost less and work better? So far, the evidence says no.
A mileage tax should only apply to vehicles, operating on Illinois highways, that don’t pay fuel taxes.
I totally agree. A gas tax is a sort of mileage tax. The more you drive, the more gas you use, and the more you pay in gas taxes. Pretty simple and a lot less government intrusion into your private life.
Author completely missed the issue of Democrats dog-robbing the road and bridge lock box funds for their pet spending.
This is just the opening salvo…
This will not happen overnight, but it will occur, slowly, but it will happen…
I’m sure they already have plans ready to implement this & much more…
1984 in 2025…
How will you tax tourists, those just driving through IL, or vehicles without IL plates or registrations? What about interstate commercial vehicles that may pass through IL once a year? A lot of them already buy their gas outside of IL to avoid its high gas taxes. Sounds like IL will miss a lot of anticipated taxes, as usual.
insane bills like this along with absurd property tax and the severe pension crisis are reasons to seriously consider moving out of IL. for example, starting in 2026 Michigan will no longer tax retirement income, homes are far less expensive and property taxes are half of what they are in IL.
Readers, this is a reminder that we link to opinion pieces from all perspectives. That includes ones that we don’t agree with, like this one. Some of you have questioned this piece as if it is our opinion. It is not. We confine our opinions to our own columns on the right of the homepage, or identify our opinions as our own.
Keep your friends close, & your enemies closer…
We must be aware of what others (with influence & power) are thinking…
Right on. And sometimes the other side is right.
Assuming the gas tax we pay actually goes to repairing the road (which I am sure it does not), electric cars should pay something to drive on the pavement and support their upkeep. But paying a mileage tax/toll to drive in Illinois will require some sort of monitoring device connected to the car like the toll transponder, but instead of just charging tolls and points on a highway, it is measuring and documenting where you drive and when…Nope. So the state and JumboJB will be involved in every move you make in a car. Once this starts, they will start… Read more »
You make valid points, but how would you recommend that the State generate revenue to pay for roads, including from operation of electric vehicles? (btw, they are already “mailing speeding tickets.”)
Yep, understood on the mailing of tickets, this would just be another new and exciting and more effective way of issuing them and then speeding and maybe even red light cameras wouldn’t be needed and the government entity gets to keep all the money. I don’t think the state of Illinois or the counties have a revenue problem, they have a spending problem. These agencies collect plenty of tax dollars from citizens, but they choose to spend these valuable hard earned dollars on programs that do not benefit the tax payer. The average tax payer get little or nothing for… Read more »
Maybe if Pritzker and the Democrats did not steal the gas tax money to fund illegals and special interest groups IL would have the money to fix roads and bridges. The gas tax was supposed to go to roads, not Democrat’s pockets.
If this will be in addition to the gas tax, expect more out-migration of residents and their money.
Horrible tax and horrible overreach required to track what you are doing. Big brother just keeps on knocking – always wanting more oversight and more control over us.
Already some of the highest gas taxes and the roads are bad to terrible. Spend the money you have wisely quit squandering most of it. Almost as many potholes in Illinois as pot heads.
All people rely on roads, whether you drive or not. All should pay.
You’re correct that one way or another everyone needs roads. But some make a lot more use than others, and it’d be wise to have incentives to minimize road use, especially at peak hours. How would you recommend this be done?
Why should we be nudged into minimizing our road use . Our state government should stop spending on non essentials. That includes social programs.
See Debts comment above.