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Just heard something odd about automotive travel...
Tyco
RangerTexas
in Zocalo v2.0
According to a friend, she heard on the radio that various state governments are contemplating a tax for distance traveled in a vehicle. When you fill up, a chip in the pump communicates with a chip in the vehicle and tallies a tax for the distance you have traveled. Says Georgia has already initiated this, but I have yet to have heard a thing about this so called Chip.
Anyway, any confirmation or denial on this subject matter?
Anyway, any confirmation or denial on this subject matter?
Comments
[url]http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/02/15/201217&tid=158[/url]
wouldnt that be taxing us twice?
thats pretty fucked up, I did 46k miles last year driving across texas for my job, that would be a serious hit to the pocketbook.
No way.
Taxing the economic transaction of buying fuel (which companies have to record in accounting) is easy -- and practised worldwide in many countries.
Artificially raising the price of fuel, gasoline excise can remind people of the importance of conserving non-renewable resources.
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Oppositely, taxing distance traveled... might not only contradict laws... but would create measurement problems *nastily* difficult to adequately solve... and would promote anti-sustainable behaviour.
Taxing gasoline per liter... supports vehicles which travel further, and consume less liters. Taxing a kilometer makes it irrelevant if you travel alone in a two-floor bus... plow the road with a tank... or buzz about using an ultralight 0.05-liter moped.
To my knowledge, no country taxes distance traveled in motor vehicles -- and the first to attempt will notice *quickly* how foolish an action it has undertaken.
What about all those people buying hybrid cars? Isn't this more of a punishment for them? Oregon's looking at replacing the gas taxes with this thing. Sounds like a gift to Hummer owners to me.
[B]I could actually see this causing one JackN's Civil war scenarios. Hell probably outright revolt. Imagine how much truckers will have to dip into their earnings. [/B][/QUOTE]
Better not pass in any state that hosts the I-40 Freeway before I move to TN.
:mad:
Trust me, they are going to try and find a way to get back a rather large chunk of revenue somehow. If they try this chip dealy.. screw them... I'll make sure my chip gets 'damaged' somehow. I wouldnt mind so much, paying road based taxes, if the fucking tax went into making/maintaining/making roads safe. It doesnt, it just goes into general revenue to be spent on crap...
[B]I wouldnt mind so much, paying road based taxes, if the fucking tax went into making/maintaining/making roads safe. It doesnt, it just goes into general revenue to be spent on crap... [/B][/QUOTE]
Exactly. The roads I take into and through Dallas have probably been some of the worst roads I've been on since the last time I ventures north to Oklahoma.
[B]Exactly. The roads I take into and through Dallas have probably been some of the worst roads I've been on since the last time I ventures north to Oklahoma. [/B][/QUOTE]
I agree, every road in and around Dallas sucks. Although my kids really enjoy all the "Dips" on I-20.
[B] Although my kids really enjoy all the "Dips" on I-20. [/B][/QUOTE]
Which ones? The ones driving or the holes in the roads?
:p
On the upside, traffic usually moves pretty smooth throughout the city even at rush times, but the roads really suck.
That whole World One thing made U.S. federal income tax. You think we paid for it allready?
Wouldn't that be inversely effective. If you want to discourage gas-guzzling environmentally polluting SUVs you should do 1/miles per gallon.
And don't they already get you with a tax just based on getting gas?
And how would they tax you on electric cars when you use your home electrical outlet? purple
[B]I agree, every road in and around Dallas sucks. Although my kids really enjoy all the "Dips" on I-20. [/B][/QUOTE]
LOL, too true. Its mostly the east-west routes, though. 45 (esp 75 north) and 35 are shaping up nicely.
[B]That whole double taxation thing pissis me off.
That whole World One thing made U.S. federal income tax. You think we paid for it allready? [/B][/QUOTE]
In the UK at least 75% of the price of petrol goes straight to the government, we pay about the same per litre of petrol as you guys pay per gallon.
On top of that you also have Road Tax.
Then there's the increasing popularity of congestion charges to try and force cars off the road. This of course ignores the large number of buses that run at a fraction of their capacity.
[B]There are these spots on I-20 southeast Dallas where they put a sign that says DIP or BUMP and you get that rollercoaster feel for a second. Its nothing more than a pain in the ass, Highway 80, and I-30 blow the potholes are nuts.
On the upside, traffic usually moves pretty smooth throughout the city even at rush times, but the roads really suck. [/B][/QUOTE]
The 635 between Dallas and Irving, now THAT'S a trip. Road construction juts the road to one side, and some people well.... fail to realize this. Atleast down there the highways are more than two lanes. Anything north of Lewisville is two lane, and bottlenecks into one large headache. If they were to tax for the usage, make it a 5 lane expressway.
[B]In the UK at least 75% of the price of petrol goes straight to the government, we pay about the same per litre of petrol as you guys pay per gallon.
On top of that you also have Road Tax.
Then there's the increasing popularity of congestion charges to try and force cars off the road. This of course ignores the large number of buses that run at a fraction of their capacity. [/B][/QUOTE]
we just voted on congestion charges here in ebinburgh last week. it'll be a while before we hear how it went tho. personally i really dont see the point here in edinburgh, we have a great bus system that runs on time and the roads are rarely very congested (apart from the usual rush hour, but even that aint too bad). all it'll do is raise blood pressure and raise more money for the scottish excutive to waste on more stupid projects in the central belt instead of using it for something worthwhile like schools etc.
for an example of the sorts of wastes of money im talking about look up the new parliament building for the executive (over half a billion pounds, god knows how long behind schedule, and with the majority of the population opposed to it) :rolleyes: