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EV owner thinks alternative fuel fee is fair

September 26, 2025

I disagree with my fellow electric vehicle owner who wrote last week to oppose the forthcoming tax on vehicles that don't burn gasoline. Most of what he said is correct. Gas-burning vehicles do worsen our climate problems. I think they should be replaced as quickly as possible with less-harmful alternatives, and piling taxes onto the cost of such alternatives doesn't help that effort. 

But we all benefit from having decent roads, and we should all contribute to the costs of their construction and upkeep. Most Americans make that contribution a little at a time when they buy gas. Taxing gas at the pump may not be the fairest and best way to distribute our roadwork costs, and maybe, as last week's writer suggests, that gas tax should be put to some different use altogether, but, since I don't buy gas anyway, I think it quite fair to pay my share in a lump sum.

Richard Occhetti
Lewes
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