Feb 13, 2008 11:10 pm US/Central
Reality Check: The Rising Costs Of Driving
(WCCO)
This legislative session some lawmakers are pushing for a plan that would change how much it costs to drive in Minnesota. It's a phased in tax-and-fee hike to pay for roads, bridges and light rail.
No matter how much or how little you drive, the proposed transportation bill is going to cost.
IN FACT...
For the average Minnesotan, driving 15,000 miles a year at 20 miles a gallon, a 7.5 cent gas tax hike will cost an additional $56.25 a year.
It's TRUE... and that's not the total cost.
The maximum amount you pay on your license tabs right now is $189, and that won't change as long as you keep your car. However, for any future car you buy, the tab fees are going up.
For people purchasing an average $25,000 car, those tab fees will increase by $102.
There's MORE.
To pay for light rail transit and buses, this transportation bill would increase metro sales tax by .5 cent.
The average Minnesota household now pays $752 a year in sales taxes. A half cent increase would add $58 more a year.
BOTTOM LINE:
The transportation tax hikes would make it more expensive to drive in Minnesota; for the average driver about $216 more a year.
That's Reality Check.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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