The Swamp’s Got Another Bright Idea, And It Could End Up Hosing Every American Who Drives

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Americans already pay plenty to own a car. They pay sales taxes when they buy one. They pay gas taxes every time they fill up. They pay tolls, insurance premiums, registration fees, inspection fees, and in many states, yearly property taxes simply for the privilege of owning a vehicle.

Now Congress wants to add another bill to the pile: a new federal annual vehicle registration fee. (RELATED: Experts Urge Lawmakers To Fix Highway Trust Fund As Shortfall Nears)

Some in Congress are calling it an “EV fee” aimed at electric and hybrid vehicles. Americans should not assume it will stop there. (RELATED: The Harsh Truth About China’s Critical Mineral Stranglehold)

We have seen this movie before.

In 1997, Virginians revolted against one of America’s most despised taxes: the local personal property tax on cars. Families bought a vehicle, then got taxed on it every year. The tax became a symbol of everything people disliked about government: recurring, unavoidable and disconnected from ability to pay.

One of us, Jim Gilmore, ran for governor promising to phase it out. Political experts dismissed the idea. Editorial boards mocked it. The establishment insisted repeal was impossible.

The voters disagreed. (RELATED: The Hidden ‘Tax’ That’s Bleeding Your Wallet Dry)

Virginians understood something politicians often forget: a car is not a........

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