Oregon’s experiment with a mileage tax using GPS technology is over, but the legislature now wants to study a congestion tax. Toward that end, the legislature eliminated a sunset provision that would have killed the Road User Fee Task Force, so this group will be around forever, studying new ways to siphon more cash from your wallet. One of the things they're looking into is a variable-fee scheme in which drivers will be charged for driving; the highest fees would be collected during "peak hours".
It's a safe bet that they'll also look into a plan that will go into effect in some districts around the ever-so-progressive U.K. in the next couple of years: any firm with 11 or more staff parking spaces will be charged £250 a year for each. That cost could rise to £350 within two years. Companies will be free to pass along the costs to their employees; effectively handing them a salary cut.
Even better, the fees apply 24/7, further penalizing those who work odd hours, when public transit isn't running.
