>So it's time to pay the ad valorem taxes on my cars, but I received a
>notice to call the local tax commissioner to compute the tax on my TR6.
>I try to call them.six times before I have the privilege of being put on
>hold for 35 minutes. Finally, a voice appears on the other end and asks
>me "what did you pay for your car?" Without thinking too much and being
>basically honest, I replied "5,000 dollars" (which isn't exactly right
>either) and was promptly told my bill was $107.04. I'm still trying to
>figure out the answers to two questions: one, what do they do will all
>the tax money and two, why I didn't reply "oh, maybe a thousand."
Ashford:
I'm fortunate to live in a state that doesn't base its vehicle
registration fees on what I may have paid for a car. In Oregon,
vehicle registration is a little over $30 every two years (last I
checked) whether you have an old beater or a brand new Ferrari.
And since I live in Oregon, I can easily say that if they asked me
what I paid for anything I have in my possession, car or otherwise,
I'd tell them it isn't any of their damned business. State
governments only do this because state residents (voters) allow them
to. That any state bases its registration fees on what a particular
car costs is incredibly offensive to me, as what a car costs has
nothing whatsoever to do with the extent to which each car
contributes to wear and tear on roads etc. If I own a Mercedes, why
should I pay more than the guy next door who might own a Honda? My
Mercedes (as if I own one) doesn't 'use' the roads any more than his
Honda. The mentality is basically one of class envy. That guy has a
better car than mine, and obviously has more money than I do, so
let's hit him harder with the registration fees.
The governor of Oregon has recently floated one idea of basing the
fees upon vehicle mileage for each year. Generally speaking, I
vehemently disagree with most of what spews forth from Kitzhaber's
mouth, but I have to admit that this idea has some merit, since the
more miles you put on your car, the more you are USING the state's
infrastructure. That seems to make some sense to me. I hope Oregon
never falls into line with the other states' ill-conceived
registration fee structure.
End of rant.
--
Pete Chadwell
1973 TR6
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