Mileage Tax Gaining Speed in Congress

By Rob Hotakainen | McClatchy Newspapers

WASHINGTON — Despite opposition from the White House , a proposal to tax motorists on the number of miles they drive each year is gathering speed on Capitol Hill .

Its popularity is increasing as Congress searches for alternatives to the federal gasoline tax, which isn’t indexed to inflation and hasn’t been raised since 1993.

Supporters say that a mileage tax would be a more reliable source of funding for the upkeep of the nation’s roads and bridges. Many environmentalists endorse it, saying that it would lead to less driving and less pollution.

However, the proposal is raising privacy concerns — particularly if GPS devices were to monitor mileage — and opponents say that the last thing people need is a new tax, particularly in the middle of a recession. Some critics, moreover, fear that it would have a disproportionate impact in states such as California , which has longer-than-average commutes …

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Budget Winners and Losers

By JOHN WARD ANDERSON | Politico

In a $3.7 trillion budget, there should be something for everyone. And there is, including — as hard as it may be for some to believe — pain.

In shifting the nation’s spending priorities, President Barack Obama highlights his plans for the rich to pay more and for the poor to get more. And he also focuses on key campaign pledges to make the country greener and more energy independent, to expand access to affordable health care, and to improve the nation’s schools.

The full details will not be known for weeks, but the 134-page snapshot of Obama’s 2010 budget that was released Thursday gives a clear indication of who gets the elevator, and who gets the shaft. So herewith, five big losers and five key winners in Obama’s spending blueprint …

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Breaking it Down: Obama 2010 Budget Highlights by Agency

By The Associated Press

Available details of President Barack Obama’s proposed government spending for the 2010 budget year that begins on Oct. 1. A more extensive budget outline is expected in April. In most cases, the figures are for discretionary spending and do not include mandatory entitlement programs like Social Security. The percentage change is based on what Obama wants to spend next year compared with what he anticipates the government will spend in 2009 once Congress completes appropriations for this year.

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Health budget aims toward universal coverage

Agency: Health and Human Services

2010 proposal: $821.7 billion ($78.7 billion for discretionary spending, plus $453 billion for Medicare and $290 billion for Medicaid)

Change from 2009 estimate: 7.5 percent increase

Highlights: The government’s gargantuan health insurance programs for the elderly and poor would grow more slowly under Obama’s proposed health care budget …

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