Taxes, privacy and liberalism

Remember all that Democratic whining about wanting for people to drive more fuel-efficient cars?

Here comes the other shoe

“A year ago, the Oregon Department of Transportation announced it had demonstrated that a new way to pay for roads — via a mileage tax and satellite technology — could work.

Now Gov. Ted Kulongoski says he’d like the legislature to take the next step.

As part of a transportation-related bill he has filed for the 2009 legislative session, the governor says he plans to recommend “a path to transition away from the gas tax as the central funding source for transportation.”

What that means is explained on the governor’s website:

“As Oregonians drive less and demand more fuel-efficient vehicles, it is increasingly important that the state find a new way, other than the gas tax, to finance our transportation system.”

According to the policies he has outlined online, Kulongoski proposes to continue the work of the special task force that came up with and tested the idea of a mileage tax to replace the gas tax.

The governor wants the task force “to partner with auto manufacturers to refine technology that would enable Oregonians to pay for the transportation system based on how many miles they drive.”

The online outline adds: “The governor is committed to ensuring that rural Oregon is not adversely affected and that privacy concerns are addressed.”

Lessee… we’re going to create a system where we know how many miles a car has gone using an “eye in the sky” system, but their going to see “that privacy concerns are addressed??”

Posted in

Dave in EH

4 Comments

  1. Wyndeward on December 30, 2008 at 11:16 am

    Really just says it all, if you listen to the lyrics…
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jzLry3ABpV0&fe



  2. russ on December 30, 2008 at 3:51 pm

    are they for real
    do they really want the auto makers
    to help them drive im out of business
    why not just figure a car is driven
    150thousand miles and collect the
    TAX up frount at the point of sale
    lets say they add oh 75grand to
    the cost



  3. Dimsdale on December 30, 2008 at 4:15 pm

    Can you say "Big Brother is watching you?"

    And they had the unmitigated gall to accuse Bush of violating privacy rights with the PATRIOT Act.

    The funny thing will be the faces of all those smug sphincters driving those ugly Priuses.

    It is like the story of the town that got really conservative with electricity usage, then the utility raised the rates to keep their profits in line.



  4. dxb on January 3, 2009 at 4:53 am

    Not a bad idea: like a use tax, you tax the car by how much it uses/wears out the roads etc.
    Maybe the implementation needs better definition.
    Those who drive the most, get the most out of the transportation system, hence they should pony up more money.



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