(Elizabeth Crum) – Gino for Governor is a man with a plan. I absolutely love it, so much so that I have given it a pet name: The Ricky Bobby Go Fast Revenue Plan. (Disclaimer: If you have not seen Talladega Nights, you will not find that name very funny.)
Check out Gino’s website (www.ginoforgovernor.com), but here is the gist of the $1 to $2 billion revenue plan that will “enrich” all our lives (I know it will mine):
Nevada drivers will be able to pay a fee to be able to drive quite a bit faster than the speed limit — at what will be called a “Pay Limit” (vs. a Free Limit) — and because lots of us WANT to go fast, Bam! the billions will pour in.
Yes he is serious.
Here’s Gino’s math:
NDOT says NV has about 1.7 million licensed drivers and about 1.8 million passenger cars.
Highway Patrol says the typical unmonitored speed is about 80-85 mph.
Gino took this information and questioned “numerous” NV Highway Patrol Officers:
Question: If there was a law that allowed people to purchase the privilege to drive fast, say up to 90 mph for $25 a day, on any given day what percentage of drivers would do it?
Answer: About 30 – 40%
Which is exciting because:
That is about 3 or 4 out of 10 drivers! WOW!
However, Gino, being a conservative guy, wants to go with an assumption of just 10%. So:
10% of 1.7 Million drivers = 170,000 drivers
On any given day, at $25 this comes to: $4.25 million per day
Assume only 6 days per week we get: $25.5 Million per week
Each year this comes to: $1.3 Billion per year!!!
And this only accounts for domestic passenger vehicles!
If we add tourism (about 100,000 vehicles per year) and we add commercial vehicles the story just gets better. In fact, it nearly doubles to about $2.5 to $3 BILLION per year!!!
However, Gino cautions:
• The plan shows well over $2 Billion dollars per year is achievable. However, one must be exceptionally cautious with the data. While the data supports remarkable revenue opportunity, it is folly to expect contributions to the plan will be on these averages the first few years the plan rolls out. Consequently, conservative planning is prudent and was incorporated in the revenue expectations. To evaluate revenue expectations conservatively, compounding percentage reductions were calculated into the plan.
Whew, ok. I was worried about compounding percentage reductions, but Gino has it covered:
• With substantial conservatism employed, the plan shows just over $1 Billion revenue per year is possible, after it is fully adopted. Adoption time can take three to eighteen months. Translation: Under this plan and with-in a year and a half Nevada could be generating nearly $1 Billion dollars of additional revenue.
I am eager to get started and Go Fast but first, I have a few questions:
How is this $25 fee which gives you the freedom to legally drive like a mad man on Nevada’s highways and byways going to be collected? Do you actually pay daily? Or is this something you pay on an annual basis (which would work out to $7,800 per year based on 52 six-day weeks)? Can you pay with a credit card? On a website?
Is there an office at which you’ll have to go stand in line? Because, being a person who loves to Go Fast, I am totally willing to shell out eight grand a year for the privilege of doing so, but I really hate waiting in long, slow lines so that might hold me back.
Also, who will log all the driver data into the system and issue the Go Fast Passes? And do the passes come in different colors? And how much will the administration of all that cost? And did Gino remember to apply a compounding percentage increase to that side of the equation (because we all know that is how bureaucracy works)?
And how will highway patrol know you have paid your fee as you go zipping by at 90 mph? He won’t be able to see a decal or anything, so will he pull you over and then let you off without a ticket when you show him your Go Fast Pass? And doesn’t that kind of defeat the joy of driving fast in the first place?
Or will there be some high tech device on your car that tells his radar device know you have paid your Go Fast fee? And how much will those devices and the new tricked-out radar devices cost? Is that built into the fee, or is there an additional equipment cost?
I’m sure Gino has it all worked out, so I’ve emailed his campaign and will report back with answers.
(Ms. Crum is editor of the Nevada News Bureau)
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