Massachusetts may consider a mileage charge

Massachusetts may consider a mileage charge

www.philly.com

BOSTON - A tentative plan to overhaul Massachusetts' transportation system by using GPS chips to charge motorists a quarter-cent for every mile behind the wheel has angered some drivers.

"It's outrageous, it's kind of Orwellian, Big Brotherish," said Sen. Scott Brown, R-Wrentham, who drafted legislation last week to prohibit the practice. "You'd need a whole new department of cronies just to keep track of it."

(visit the link for the full news article)

My cousin from the bay area just sent me this link
He was angry, then not angry
then asked for advice.

I'm guessing you guys might have a better opinion on this than me

So what do you think about this initiative?

Good or bad?

We might be having something similar to this in Vancouver as well.

www.philly.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Well, if my math is right, that would be an additional $300.00 a year to operate automobile, on top of the yearly registration fees, emissions tests, warrant of fitness (if applicable).

I based that figure on the stated average of 12,000 miles a year.

Not sure how they would enforce it really? Probably just cant think of it right now, i'll get it.

I hate how you pay so much just to drive the car as it is, my insurance 320 per month, inspection 39.75 per annum, tags not sure haven't done it yet? Gas 20 per week, now your going to have to pay just to drive the damn thing. Ridiculous.

This will definately stimulate the economy take even more friggin money from the people!!

It may seem like a small price, but I don't know about you I want my money, found a bank error were they took out .10 cents accidently, went up there they apologized, got my ten cents back, petty I know, but I have my money.

Wells Fargo very tricky guys.

Imagine 10 cents taken from every customer.........phew

It's time everyone takes a stand. Stop cowering and bending to the ridiculous slave mentality. We build or pay to have built these roads. Now we should pay to use them.

Without middleclass taxpaying American citizens what are they going to do? It is us who pay for everything they do. It's us who keep this well oiled machine running by the jobs we do. We are America. Without us you have a bunch of overpaid theives with nobody to threaten or rob.

Take our country back and while we're at it, lets have the government and all it;s agencies audited and held responsible for their crimes.

I'm all for it. Any and all ridiculous things that can be done Mass needs to do.

Burn Mass, burn!!!!!!!

Wahahahahahahahahaha

If I were to commit one crime in my life it would be the nuking of Mass.

Sure are getting creative over there when it comes to taking peoples money. How about an air tax? Tax people to breathe as it produces CO2 which is destroying the environment.

What are they going to do for trucking companies? How about tourists, rental cars?

Stop growing the government and you wont need to tax people to death. I know Mass will never understand that concept, but we need to kill this idea before it sweeps across the country.

I think there was a math-error above.

12,000 miles a year * .0025 = $30 year

Quarter cent was the unit of measure.

That's not horrible but a nagging fee. It's like doubling your registration. I would like to see something realistic based on road-damage done by vehicle.

.0005 - motorcycle. .002 - car. .0005 - trailer .01 - 18 wheeler. And, it should definitely include vehicles like delivery trucks and so on.

Isn't taxing gasoline the right way to do this, though? Why fee-up on some other component? Just bump the gas tax a little tiny bit. Same result. You don't need to pay the multi-million dollar GPS fee, handle things like breakdowns (what if it fails to register?), etc.

[edit on 19-2-2009 by bonaire]

Originally posted by Republican08
It may seem like a small price, but I don't know about you I want my money, found a bank error were they took out .10 cents accidently, went up there they apologized, got my ten cents back, petty I know, but I have my money.

Wells Fargo very tricky guys.

Imagine 10 cents taken from every customer.........phew

It does seem like a small price, but it will add up quickly especially for the commuters who can't get to work via the MBTA. IMHO, it's wrong, and just another way to rob the hard working people of the state. And no, you're not petty wanting your 10 cents back I would have asked them for it back too.

Originally posted by salchanra
Sure are getting creative over there when it comes to taking peoples money. How about an air tax? Tax people to breathe as it produces CO2 which is destroying the environment.

Give it time, at the rate things are going I wouldn't be suprised.

reply to post by ModernAcademia


This simply won't work
There are too many real world privacy concerns.
Plus let's say you drive a lot and you get the gas station and you don't have enough money to pay both the gas and the trip charge. What happens then? Did the morons in Mass. remember the economy is shot?

I simply wouldn't let them put a chip in my vehicle or at the very least, I'd modify it to my advantage.

What an incredibly stupid idea.

The reality is that we're already doing this minus the privacy infringements.
Apparently the morons in Mass. forgot that for each gallon we fill up, we pay taxes and the more you drive, the more taxes you pay. Same freakin thing !
DUH !!!!!
I'm reminded of the following statement:
Politicians are like diapers. They both need changing regularly and for the same reason.
I think it's time to change Mass. diaper

Quick question. What' to prevent people from taking the chip out? Other than modifying it being a felony, why would you not refuse them permission to instell it, or take it off?

Are they trying to start something? Any state suggesting this kind of reform is only trying to enrage the people. I wonder why they're playing this game in so many states lately.

They dont call it "Taxachusetts" for nothing. I lived there the first 26 years of my life. I'm not planning on ever going back.

reply to post by ShadeWolf


good point about removing the chip.
I'll do you one better. Within a week of this chip being installed, a hacker will have opened it up, duplicated it and will be selling reprogrammed chips.

This has happened with almost everything including the iphone, xbox 360, ps3, etc... and it will happen with this chip too if it comes into existence.

This is one stupid idea and a huge waste of taxpayer money.

We're already paying a tax based on how much we drive. We just do it by the gallon. What a bunch of morons in the government.