³ÉÈËXÕ¾

SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

Dori: Pay-per-mile tax the fight of our financial lives

Dec 17, 2019, 1:16 PM

pay-per-mile tax...

(WSDOT)

(WSDOT)

For 20 years, I have closely chronicled the tsunami that is going to crash over every single family in Washington. On Tuesday afternoon, the Washington State Transportation Commission on this tsunami in the form of a pay-per-mile tax — the next step in making every single road in the region a toll road.

People have accused me in the past of hyperbole. They say, “No way, Monson — there’s no way that could ever come true. They cannot toll every road.” But 20 years ago, in 1999, I told you it was the state’s 20-year-plan. I had the documents. A mole in the planning meetings passed them to me. And here we are, 20 years later, and it is unfolding exactly like I said it would.

This Tuesday it is happening. They are voting on the plan to make every road a toll road.

Now, they don’t call it that of course. They’re calling it a pay-per-mile tax. You see, people are being so efficient with electric and hybrid cars that the state is losing its gas tax revenue. (Never mind that we have the second-highest gas tax in the country.) So they are pitching this pay-per-mile plan to make up for that.

Could pay-per-mile lead to the state automating speeding tickets?

No doubt they’ll tell us that they’ll just do an odometer reading at a government location once a year. But that is not what they are going to do. I’ll tell you how they’re going to read your mileage.

You know those commercials for the Seattle Tunnel that encourage you to get a GoodToGo pass? Why do you think there is this massive ad campaign to get a transponder in your vehicles? It’s because the eventual goal is to have a transponder in every single vehicle. This is the way to slowly get you comfortable with the idea. Then they will be able to track every inch you travel.

Do you trust partisan politicians like Bob Ferguson not to abuse that wealth of data they will collect through those transponders? He could get information about where people he disagrees with travel. I have no doubt he would abuse the privilege.

Furthermore, the state will not eliminate the gas tax. It won’t be a trade-off. It will be an increase only. Then once they get the transponder in there, they will charge you more for driving during rush hour. They will charge you more for driving in high-demand, congested locations, like downtown. They’ll track your transponder and automatically take the money out of your bank account.

This is what is being debated Tuesday afternoon in Olympia. I want your help. I want your pledge. Together, you and me, this is going to be the fight of our financial lives. Once they get this pay-per-mile tax in place, you will see families soaked for as much as thousands of dollars a year. It will hit you. The social engineering part of this is that they hate cars, and want everyone forced, out of financial necessity, to abandon their cars and take light rail.

We must not allow tolling every inch of every road to happen. We are in this for the long run. We will storm the streets. We will march to the Capitol. We must not let this happen.

Listen to the Dori Monson Show weekday afternoons from 12-3 p.m. on ³ÉÈËXÕ¾ Radio, 97.3 FM. Subscribe to the podcast here.

President Donald Trump talks with reporters on Air Force One as he heads back to Washington, Sunday...

Associated Press

The Latest: Trump orders crumbling Alcatraz prison to be rebuilt and reopened

President Donald Trump made some more announcements in Alcatraz, the notorious and crumbling former island prison in San Francisco Bay. And he threatened a 100% tariff on foreign-made films, leaving unclear how that could possibly be implemented. Earlier on Air Force One, he accused Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum of being too fearful of drug cartels […]

9 minutes ago

WA cpngresswoman reacts job cuts...

Jason Rantz

Rantz: Pamila Jayapal leans into lazy, desperate, and embarrassing vulgarity strategy

Seattle Democrat Rep. Pramila Jayapal adopts vulgarity tactics, aligning with far-left colleagues to gain media attention.

39 minutes ago

FILE - This file photo taken Feb. 5, 2010, shows a "Pratt & Whitney Dependable Engines" emblem at t...

Associated Press

Thousands of machinists union members go on strike at jet engine maker Pratt & Whitney

EAST HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — About 3,000 labor union members went on strike early Monday at jet engine maker Pratt & Whitney in Connecticut, as negotiations over wages, retirement benefits and job security broke down. Members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers were picketing at manufacturing locations in East Hartford and Middletown, […]

50 minutes ago

FILE - Georgia state Sen. Josh McLaurin, D-Sandy Springs, speaks to reporters on Feb. 24, 2025 at t...

Associated Press

Democrat Josh McLaurin announces run for Georgia lieutenant governor in 2026

ATLANTA (AP) — Democratic Georgia state Sen. Josh McLaurin announced Monday that he’s running for lieutenant governor in 2026, saying he would make opposition to President Donald Trump’s policies a key part of his campaign. Burt Jones, the current Republican lieutenant governor, is expected to run for governor next year, and could announce his candidacy […]

56 minutes ago

Lynnwood Council appointee Rebecca Thornton withdrew an hour before her appointment....

MyNorthwest Staff

Lynnwood may soon allow marijuana retail shops within city limits

Lynnwood may soon permit marijuana retail sales, a significant shift for the city. Discover the implications for residents and businesses.

59 minutes ago

Associated Press

32 people rescued from yacht that began sinking off Miami Beach

MIAMI (AP) — Thirty-two people were safely rescued when a Lamborghini yacht began sinking off Miami Beach over the weekend, the U.S. Coast Guard said. The 63-foot (19-meter) boat began taking on water off Monument Island late Saturday afternoon. Crews from the Coast Guard, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and marine patrol units from […]

60 minutes ago

Dori: Pay-per-mile tax the fight of our financial lives