A 'Mileage Tax' Tanks

What can a mileage tax do that a gas tax cannot ["Mr. LaHood's Good Idea," editorial, Feb. 23]?

Both a mileage tax and a gas tax can be adjusted to raise either more or less revenue as vehicles become more fuel-efficient.

Both a mileage tax and a fuel tax can be collected at the point of sale for any fuel that requires a special fueling station. Once again, the fuel tax can be adjusted to reflect the average fleet fuel economy for that type of fuel.

A gas tax might not work for cars that run on electricity or other energy sources that do not require a special fueling station, but neither would a mileage tax assessed at gas stations.

A GPS-based mileage tax has an advantage if the goal is to charge vehicles more for driving on congested roads at peak hours. However, as toll roads with variable pricing become more common, this advantage will be less important.

But a gasoline tax has a major advantage in encouraging fuel conservation. For this reason alone, I would say that the gas tax is a better choice.

JOHN Z. WETMORE

Bethesda

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