There is one product that, for a century, has towered above all others as a symbol of choice, control and personal freedom in America: the automobile. There are more than 10 million registered vehicles in Illinois, according to the secretary of state’s office.
One candidate for governor has ticked off a lot of their owners. And now he’s trying to walk it all back.
In January, J.B. Pritzker told the editorial board of the Arlington Heights-based Daily Herald that Illinois should explore the idea of taxing people by how much they drive. This is called a vehicle miles traveled, or VMT, tax.
“It’s only fair if you’re on a road and traveling on that road then you should pay your fair share on the road like everybody else is paying,” Pritzker said.
There are a slew of reasons why Illinoisans should be skeptical of this proposal.
First, Illinois hoses drivers at the pump with layers and layers of gasoline and sales taxes already. When gas prices are high, those taxes stand among the highest in the nation. Even if a VMT tax completely replaces the gas tax, the idea behind it is to raise more revenue. You’d likely pay more.
Second, a per-mile tax program would be an administrative nightmare. Illinois state government, especially the secretary of state’s office, is not exactly known for being tech savvy.
Third, Illinois needs to get far more bang for its buck before devoting a single new dollar to infrastructure improvements. Prevailing wage laws, for example, mandate inflated wages for certain construction workers on all government projects to the detriment of other construction workers, and taxpayers at large. Workers’ compensation costs on those projects are far higher than neighboring states.
Finally, there are serious privacy concerns. VMT tax programs can require drivers to install a tracking device on their cars to monitor their use. How’s that for a symbol?
In a different world, the VMT tax might not hit such a raw nerve with the public. It could be a more efficient way to charge people for the public infrastructure they use, whether they’re driving a Tesla or a Model T.
Illinois is not that world. People here are tired of talk of more taxes.
Pritzker recently released an ad saying he never proposed a VMT tax plan, but why he would even go near the idea in the first place is politically confusing. In the eyes of much of the public, especially rural voters, a VMT proposal is like the soda tax on steroids.
Just ask Senate President John Cullerton, D-Chicago.
In 2016, Cullerton advanced Senate Bill 3267, which would have instituted a VMT plan in Illinois. All drivers would have to pay a per-mile road-user fee and pick one of three tracking options: two plans that used tracking devices, or a third option where drivers would pay a flat $450 per year.
The backlash was so intense that Cullerton publicly walked back his intentions to move the bill out of committee.
One wonders how many times an unpopular idea must be knocked down before it rises back from the dead. Especially when it means more money for the state. And especially in Illinois.