Time to Think

Taxes, Fees and Fallacies                                                                        #228 By Hank Silverberg  I had to do one of life's tedious little chores this week. I renewed the registration on my car with the DMV. I was reminded first by my nine-year-old grandson, who pointed to the "April 23" sticker on my license plates. He then explained that I should renew it for three years to save some money.  This young man is very smart and gives me a run for my money in Scrabble.  Heeding his advice, I went on-line for the renewal. It cost $134 for three years, but I noticed something new in the process that was not there the last time I renewed.  They were charging me $42 for something called a "Highway Use Fee."  The use of fuel efficient or electric vehicles across Virginia has lowered the amount of money coming in from the state's gas tax, even though the tax was raised in 2020 and again in 2021. Then came the pandemic, and people were driving