The Tennessean has a follow up on Kate Howard’s article referencing a “user tax” for drivers that appeared yesterday:

Tennesseans gave a big thumbs down Thursday to the idea of replacing the gas tax with a user fee based on miles driven.

Internet message boards and talk radio shows were abuzz with opposition after an article in Thursday’s Tennessean said that state Sen. Mark Norris was floating the idea. Among more than 5,000 people in an unscientific online poll, 93 percent opposed the idea.

While the article allows Sen. Norris the ability to clarify, it does not retract.  Instead, quotes are used.  It would be nice to know however, for the full record, to know what falls between the words “concepts” and “like”.  I’ll see if Ms. Howard would be willing to send it over.

During that interview, Norris said: “Gas-tax revenues are static, and they don’t necessarily increase with the transportation needs that have to be met. We need to look at more forward-thinking concepts … like doing away with the gas tax and going to a user-driven system.”

Thursday, Norris said that statement referred to “theoretical concepts mentioned by others” during a hearing he attended on Nov. 15 in Memphis, conducted by the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission.

Norris called in yesterday to Steve Gill’s show to clarify his position and go on record as opposing the idea of the user tax.  Good to hear it and glad to know Norris is listening to Gill.

As far as the “user tax” idea for gas, I’m sure the idea is out there, after all, the big Transportation bureaucrats are pushing the idea in their insider journals:

http://www.tfhrc.gov/pubrds/06mar/06.htm