"A tentative plan in Massachusetts to use GPS chips in vehicles to charge motorists by the mile has drawn complaints from drivers who say it’s an Orwellian intrusion by government into the lives of citizens. "
I haven’t heard of this. Plus, they’re voting to raise the gas tax by 19 cents today here in MA.
It will not happen. I’d bet just about anything on it.
In Europe the tax you for company cars. Basically you have a nice company car, you pay on your income tax for it, almost like it’s part of your income, because you have a “free car”
X…
Yeah, because they don’t monitor the internet to see what the population is discussing. Why do you think Al Gore invented the internet?:):tinfoilhat:
You’re supposed to do that here too…see: Daschle
I’d rather see them tax based on actual use.
I’d also like to see the tax paid to the townships / cities for the actual road use as well. Surely some skimmed percentage will go to the local/state/fed gov’t as well. But this might actually see that roads that need attention get it.
:lol: at the :tinfoilhat:
yea fuck that…
^ jay, when you’re driving, is your cell phone powered on?
/devil’s advocate
I don’t like the way this smells.
usually…but atleast its not something that MUST be there, its my choice to bring it there 
Could you imagine the cost and time to install these GPS monitoring systems? It would have to be funded by the government, which currently can’t afford. Or it would have to be paid by the driver, which would backlash against it. I see no way in hell this could even be done.
Not to mention if they did get GPS sensors in all of our cars, how hard would it be to block the transmission with a metal plate or whatever? Sounds like tax free mileage to me.
:bloated: did you guys read the article?
I am all for it. I mean I would love to “misplace” my GPS gas monitor on my dog or on my bicycle and go for long 20 mile rides once a month and then magically it reappears on my car before inspection time. 
WARNING: COMPLETE FABRICATED NUMBERS BELOW TO PROVE A RANDOM POINT
Anyone see any numbers on the cost to provision a system like this vs the taxes brought in? At an estimated 20 miles a gallon average, 64 cents tax or so now per gallon, we are talking 3.2 cents a mile tax. Average driver 12000 miles.
12000 / 20 mpg = 600 gallons x 64 = 384.00 spent out. Whats the chances that a fool proof monitoring GPS system with testing and cost per unit would make the first year a complete loss of revenue.
i dont like this. not only does my summer toy get 4mpg, my daily gets 15 at best. and i average about 20k miles a year. i dont see them ever dropping a gas tax, not to mention the gas tax the state has as well, but we also have to be taxed on mileage? i hope this “gps” wouldnt be built into the computers of the cars or anything, as i ripped that out of my s10 when i did the motor swap. i dont mind paying for gas, but when i have to pay for driving ontop of that? not to mention that this is taking away more freedom, as theyre knowing where we are when were driving too? even when we dont have a cell on us or anything. dont get me wrong i didnt care for the republican party too much, but i hate the damn welfare bum lovin’ tree huggin’ democrats.
For the last time, it was INSTEAD OF a gas tax.
And it’s a moot point anyway, because Obama said he’s against it.
Washington lawmakers are kicking around a new idea to help raise funds to fix our highways and infrastructure: a national driving tax charging motorists by the mile. A driving tax could either replace the current 18.4 cent a gallon federal gas tax or, possibly, add to it.
If they use this instead of the 18.4/gal tax I’d almost certainly save money. Two poor gas mileage vehicles that get driven about 6k a year, plus a boat that would be exempt.
I’m going to get more serious about hunting craigslist for a road bicycle.
Ain’t touching my vehicles. Fuck that non-sense.
They wouldn’t have to. You already have to turn your vehicles over to the state every year for an inspection and they already record mileage.
I would be cool with this as I have one V8 and am trying to pick up another. I only put about 12-15k per year on both vehicles combined.