Working from the assumption that people with higher incomes use Portland roads more than their less well-off counterparts, The Little General has come up with the following "street fee" payment chart, which Streetcar thinks is wonderful:
| Portland Residential User Fee: How much would you owe? | ||
| Annual Income Range | Average Annual Gas Spending | Yearly Fee |
|---|---|---|
| ≤$13K | $1,231 | $36 |
| >$13K - $27K | $1,850 | $60 |
| >$27K - $46K | $2,622 | $89.4 |
| >$46K - $82K | $3,284 | $108 |
| >$82K | $4,071 | $144 |
So, according to the reckoning of The Little General, we spend $4k+ each year on gasoline. Funny, but I filled the tank on my Honda Fit with nine gallons of gas every five weeks during the past year - and over an eight-year period, I put 28,000 miles on the car (including annual trips to the central Oregon coast). His numbers seem to be a little off, as at even peak prices, it's never been anywhere near $4k a year for gas.
And I know of people in NE and SE Portland's flatlands who ride bicycles to work, and people who are able to take light rail to get between home and work. Somehow, I don't think The Little General's cunning "fee" plan is going to go unchallenged; after all, since he bases payment on income, it's an income tax - not a fee.
As we already have a Library Tax, a Children's Tax, an Arts Tax (although that's still in litigation), a Sellwood Bridge Tax, along with property and income taxes, I don't see another income tax gaining much traction - particularly since most of the road damage is down to commercial trucks and buses, both of which The Little General wants to exempt from payment. There's also the little matter of fact: the City of Portland has consistently deferred road maintenance for over a quarter of a century in order to fund pet projects. Some people have a problem with that.
They also spend several million in taxpayer funds each year to support their "Bureau of Equity", "diversity training", and other things that are completely unrelated to core city government functions. Some people have a problem with that, too. There's a growing realization that the city could maintain its streets by diverting funds from the pork, but they're unwilling to take that basic step.
It's really pretty simple: you use your money to take care of what's needed, and then if there's any left over, you put it toward stuff that you'd like. Portland runs in the opposite direction.
