Top lawmaker wants mileage-based tax on vehicles

[Terri]

By JOAN LOWY
Associated Press
April 29, 2009

WASHINGTON (AP) -- A House committee chairman said Tuesday that he wants Congress to enact a mileage-based tax on cars and trucks to pay for highway programs now rather than wait years to test the idea.

Rep. James Oberstar, D-Minn., said he believes the technology exists to implement a mileage tax. He said he sees no point in waiting years for the results of pilot programs since such a tax system is inevitable as federal gasoline tax revenues decline.

"Why do we need a pilot program? Why don't we just phase it in?" said Oberstar, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman. Oberstar is drafting a six-year transportation bill to fund highway and transit programs that is expected to total around a half trillion dollars.

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[tzor]

On the one hand, they want to see the development of more expensive vehicles that reduce our dependency on foreign oil. On the other hand they want to tax to death anyone who wants to use those more expensive vehicles that reduce our dependency on foreign oil. Dammed if you do and dammed if you don’t; that’s the Democrats way!

[thomas]

My God we need term limits for these arrogant, pompous, effete snob bas^%$#
The Old Chief

[ReneeCA.]

Common sense tells you that we are going to have massive tax raises in one form or another. There is no other way to sustain our government programs and this economy.

It will happen as we are told that this crisis was the reason for having to raise taxes, not saying that it is this administration that added a huge federal government, trillions in a stimulous package who's money didn't go toward stimulating the economy but rather as pay back to the groups that got him into office, as in Chicago, thuggery politics.

Obama only created a bigger crisis purposely and as quickly as he could through executive orders and by steamrolling the Republicans at every turn while saying he wants to be bi-partisan.

I am sure Obama will blame it on Bush, as if he hasn't already.

[Jolanta]

Mileage based tax on cars? Can you say, "Big Brother is watching you?"

[utexas]

I think we need to look beyond the fuel tax issue to the loss of privacy issue inherent in this proposal. Some of the Fascist-Democrats gunning for this proposal are looking to do it by installing a GPS device in every vehicle, which will record for all time everywhere you go, and I suppose it will be able to report speed traveled, where you stopped and for how long and so on. This would be a gold mine of information to use against "enemies of the state."

I firmly believe this is just another stealth attempt to introduce Big Brother control of the population under the euphemism of fuel tax. There are plenty of other ways to collect fuel tax, but this way they the wanna-be fascists can kill two birds with one stone, collect the tax and spy on you wherever you go and whatever you do.

I for one, do not want Big Brother looking over my shoulder every minute of my life, and I certainly don't want the government to know everywhere I drive and when and how fast. Not that I do anything criminal, but its just none of their damn business. That is especially true with the current gang of criminals in charge of the federal government right now.

If this comes to pass, I will refuse to put one of the spying GPS's on my vehicle, and if I am ultimately forced to do so, I will seek to disable it at the first opportunity. I already know one easy way to do it with the GPS technology at its current level. It is called a Faraday Cage. Remember those two words if this measure becomes law. I expect those things would become common, and probably illegal, if this insane proposal passes.

But just like attacks on other personal freedoms and privacy issues, such as the 2nd Amendment, this will just make ordinary, law-abiding citizens into criminals, while criminals will keep on being criminals no matter what. The only difference is the coming fascist government can use it against is own internal political opponents and citizen dissidents.

[Carolina Plowboy]

Will this mileage based tax include when Congressmen and Governors use planes or cars to go home for the weekend or go to their second homes?