Democrat Senate boss wants to tax Illinois drivers by the mile

Channahon, Illinois

Another factor in declining Illinois gas taxes is that the state is suffering from an anemic economy and negative population growth, which the Daily Herald fails mention.

A new proposal to pay for fixing Illinois' roads could use devices to track how far Illinois drivers have traveled and tax them by the mile.

The plan from Senate President John Cullerton, a Chicago Democrat, is aimed at gasoline tax revenues that have fallen as drivers have bought more fuel-efficient cars.

Cullerton says cars that get better mileage still create the same wear on roads, so the state needs to find a better way to collect taxes and pay for those repairs.

"If all the cars were electric, there would be no money for the roads," Cullerton said.

What a bunch of crap. While cars are becoming more fuel efficient, and that's a good thing, there are very few fully-electric cars on the road. Trucks, not cars, cause far more damage on our roads. Weather is an enormous factor too.

Have you ever seen an electric truck?

And will Cullerton's tax really fund roads? In the same manner, ahem, that the Illinois Lottery funds schools?

Why not tax plug-in cars? Owners of these pricey vehicles already receive a federal tax credit. They can afford to pay more.