Obama's Transportation chief eyes taxing miles driven

LaHood's says current gasoline tax not enough to fund infrastructure

WASHINGTON - Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says he wants to consider taxing motorists based on how many miles they drive rather than how much gasoline they burn — an idea that has angered drivers in some states where it has been proposed.

"We should look at the vehicular miles program where people are actually clocked on the number of miles that they traveled," the former Illinois Republican lawmaker said.

The system would require all cars and trucks be equipped with global satellite positioning technology, a transponder, a clock and other equipment to record how many miles a vehicle was driven, whether it was driven on highways or secondary roads, and even whether it was driven during peak traffic periods or off-peak hours.

The device would tally how much tax motorists owed depending upon their road use. Motorists would pay the amount owed when it was downloaded, probably at gas stations at first, but an alternative eventually would be needed.

www.msnbc.msn.com...

Not sure if this thread is in the right location but this is just another effect of the global meltdown.

Thats right folks..........we have heard it being thrown around by states to impose such a tax hike and now the Transportation Chief has it in his scope.

How do you think they will collect this tax?? They are not going to send you a bill........they are just going to take it from you out of your account. Once they nationalize the banking system they will have total control of your accounts.


Very serious implications here..............wake up people......its not just about the tax!!! Its about control....

[edit on 20-2-2009 by Cloudsinthesky]

[edit on 20-2-2009 by Cloudsinthesky]

Track and tax.

Soon they will have mile quotas and tax that too. If this stimulus plan isn't enough, along with gas tax and State taxes for road work, what is enough?

Who will pay for the retrofitting of the GPS devices?

Track every vehicle and tax us to death - blood sucking vampires.

If this goes forward, I bet the gas taxes will remain as well.
double dipping feds on top of state taxes.
Control is a bonus. one step closer to RFID

reply to post by Cloudsinthesky


yeah this is pretty outrageous, i'm starting to get the feeling that the government has pretty much reached the limit for possibilities of taxing on regular things ... so now they're resorting to stupid idea's like this to get money out of an already financially weak population.

OH yippie, LaHood another hood from Illinois,

Heaven help us!

Originally posted by baseball101
reply to post by Cloudsinthesky

 

yeah this is pretty outrageous, i'm starting to get the feeling that the government has pretty much reached the limit for possibilities of taxing on regular things ... so now they're resorting to stupid idea's like this to get money out of an already financially weak population.

This is Obama's green agenda, he owes a lot of people.

Glad i'm not a salesperson....

or have living arrangements in places like west Texas or Montana,
where stuff is hours away by car... even at 1/4 cent per mile
i'd go broke fast


with many unemployed IT people, the bypass of the GPS mileage meter
would be quickly picked up by the underground economy.



is this some of the 'Change' the Obama crowd was talking about?
no wonder those flying cars inventions are never going to get airborne

Let them try to pass this. It will contribute toward Obama being a one-term president and maybe the Republicans will take back Congress in 2010.

reply to post by Cloudsinthesky


Man that is one of the stupidest ideas I ever heard of. It makes no sense at all. It must be to better control us and keep track of us.

This will never happen so don't worry. It's a clear violation of privacy and would never pass. Even if it went further, people will refuse it and doctors who oppose it will do a study and say that the GPS transponders cause brain cancer or something. This is way too outrageous for americans to accept it really. I know they're out to get us but this will never fly trust me.

www.pr-inside.com...

I think I am going to be sick,

time to get away from this computer.

Yeah, they can send me one of those if it passes.

Then they can watch me toss it on the ground and beat it with a baseball bat.

I won't pay a dime.

I refuse to.

We pay enough in taxes. Why don't they get their damn corrupt asses in order before they knock on our door.

If this was ever passed, ide highly promote civil unrest, in the name of taxing mileage. Whats next? Getting taxed for WALKING? Ide be all in favor, of leaving my garbage on the streets, and setting fire to gas stations Places like Mobil corporation, carbon tax supporters, deserve this. Hurt their profits i tell you!
I wonder if you could just rip the damn gps off your car, and leave it in the ditch somewhere, with any serial or tracking numbers scratched off. How would they know?

There are well over 14 million registered non-commercial vehicles in the state of Ohio alone. That does not count the number with expired tags nor new and used ones sitting on car dealership lots.

Currently taxes on gasoline here are 42 or 48 cents per gallon. My old 1991 Ford Ranger gets 20 MPG, which would be 2.1 or 2.4 cents per mile. So the proposal is less revenue to give back to the states for road improvements?

Yeah right. But I am sure law enforcement and insurance companies would be all for it.

[edit on 20-2-2009 by Ahabstar]

This will never happen, It's just an idea. And the people wouldn't permit it. I know I wouldn't.

I'm all for taxing consumables. But they already tax the gas. Let them put up tolls for the roads, It's none of their business where I'm going. They're not going to track me.

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic




Is it just me, or are we suddenly starting to agree more and more BH?

I'll repeat myself, at the risk of being crude...

No. Freaking. Way.

This is a terrible idea. Is the tax rate to be the same for every vehicle? Which implies that a 650cc motorcycle has the same impact as an 18 wheeler. Which is clearly not the case.

So then we get into different tax rates... x per mile for motorcycles, y per mile for 18-wheelers, and the whole beaurocratic spiral begins again and more money will be wasted supporting the structure than it is worth.

Not to mention real-time tracking of individual travel in the US... uh-uh.

Wow! Big Brother is watching! My first thought if this did ever pass was to figure out how to interfere with the GPS signal. If they can't get the signal, they can't get the miles. Don't get me wrong. I'm all for playing by the rules, but this is ridiculous! Where does it end? I do a lot of traveling for work. Another tax for small business would kill us especially one like this.

This is a tracking/control nightmare.
When did we become such "obvious" property?

It is embarrassing.

I suggest that we do all we can to peacefully counteract any
further control/tracking mechanisms -
by becoming as self-sufficient as possible.

We have to own ourselves.

Learn to live more simply and help each other do the same.

Originally posted by nyk537
reply to post by Benevolent Heretic

 

Is it just me, or are we suddenly starting to agree more and more BH?

I don't know either of you - (so excuse me for butting in) - but I think the post brings up something that really is happening around the globe.
We are beginning to meet in the middle.
This is a very good thing for the species.
Butting out now.

reply to post by nyk537

Will wonders never cease? LOL.

This is an idea that will finally awaken the sleeping giant that is the American public. If there is one thing that'll set a lot of people off is having their driving monitored.

I'll walk, and ride my bike first.