Pawlenty wants Minnesota to test mileage tax

MPR ^ | 3-18-09 | tim nelson

[B Knotts]

If every road is to be a toll road, why do we need the government to run them? Sell them off.

[BigBobber]

...but who can object to a method which tries to take advantage of recently developed technology to closely match use of a public facility and payment for the maintenance of that facility?

Mileage can be tracked using annual odometer checks. Use of stretches roadway can be charged using FastPass type technology. But that's not good enough for these miserable demigods.

These Pols want to use GPS tracking to control and track our every movement - who we visit, where we shop, how fast we drive, where we park, what doctor we use, what political events we attend. This invasion of freedom and privacy must be stopped or we will learn to regret it.

Pawlenty will never get my vote in a national election, nor will anyone else who advocates GPS tracking of private vehicles.

[mysterio]

The one party system has failed.

[WOBBLY BOB]

I’ll send T-Paw this:

Global Warming Ranks Last Among Issues of Concern to Americans

http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=42474

[rintense]

First Sanford and his stupid statements and now Pawlenty? Wow, the field is already narrowing for 2012.

[oneamericanvoice]

Enough “conservatives” stayed home rather than vote for McCain, and look what we’ve got...Obama and company.

Has a friend, relative, spouse ever did something you didn’t like? Of course. We should steer the ship rather than abandon it. Democracy has no autopilot. The Founding Fathers never intended that we stop paying attention after we cast our ballot. Even the Founding Fathers had disagreements.

[mulligan]

No wonder the Republicans are in trouble. With people like this guy calling themselves Republicans it is a wonder that they can even find their way to work each day. Guess it must be the “perks”.

[upchuck]

These people are a bunch of idiots.

Just raise the fricking gas tax.

Having said that, IMHO, this has nothing to do with gas taxes and everything to do with monitoring our every move. 1984.

[WOBBLY BOB]

that would mean a loss of gubermint union thug jobs

[dforest]

Rino-itis. I can forget this turd in two seconds.

What was his name?

[EGPWS]

I don’t trust any administration with GPS in our cars not using it to track us.

Don't be gettin' paranoid.

After all, if government were to tote such idea's they could always renege on the privacy of social security identification guarantee's and they haven't done THAT yet....

[mylife]

To bad we cant tax goobermint

[EGPWS]

What was his name?

Willy B. Genuine.

[Jay Thomas]

Of course, they will then eliminate the fuel tax and get rid of tolls.

[dforest]

nope, never. *sigh*

[EGPWS]

Of course, they will then eliminate the fuel tax and get rid of tolls.

Silly me I thought Minnesota was topic of conversation.

This post J.T. has proved me wrong.

[freeandfreezing]

but who can object to a method which tries to take advantage of recently developed technology to closely match use of a public facility and payment for the maintenance of that facility?

The real goal of the government is to get vehicle location tracking data. They really want that for law enforcement, spying on citizens, etc. Assessing a tax based on fuel has the side effect of rewarding people who have high mileage vehicles, and penalizing those whose use of fuel is less efficient. That should be something liberal politicians want - since it would encourage people to conserve fuel, emit less CO2, etc.

By contrast, a tax based on mileage driven doesn't encourage anyone to buy a more fuel efficient car.

What the govt. really wants is an RFID tag on your car, and maybe even a GPS tracker so it can figure out where you are driving, and when you pass particular locations. Think how much money could be made with automatic speeding ticket generation.

[kamikaze2000]

Do you really want the .gov tracking your vehicle 24/7? This is an excuse to track people. Squeezing more money out of them is just icing on the cake.

[EGPWS]

The one party system has failed [us voters].

[antidisestablishment]

Uh, maybe people who beleive the government exists to serve the populace and not the other way around. Are you sure you are on the right forum?

Minnesota has one of the most complex tax codes in the country and one of the largest RINOs running the state. For some reason, they always manage to spend more than allocated — no matter how much money the state brings in.

Do you really think more money will solve the problem? Let's see: Vehicle Sales Tax, Driver's license fees, CDL license tax, Gasoline Tax, Diesel Fuel Tax, User's Tax, User's Use Tax (commercial fuel), Vehicle License & Registration Tax, Trailer Registration Tax, and let's not forget indirect taxation such as Traffic Fines, Recreational Vehicle Tax, Watercraft Registration Taxes, Environmental Compliance Taxes, Property Tax, Sales Taxes, Utility Taxes,Excise Tax and I am sure there a few I have forgotten. Oh and lets not forget that a major percentage of all "transportation" tax goes to "public" transport projects (metro buses and metro light rail.) Why don't you move to Minnesota!