Posted on 05/05/2011 5:42:55 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
Obama floats plan to tax cars by the mile By Pete Kasperowicz - 05/05/11 07:45 AM ET
The Obama administration has floated a transportation authorization bill that would require the study and implementation of a plan to tax automobile drivers based on how many miles they drive.
The plan is a part of the administration's "Transportation Opportunities Act," an undated draft of which was obtained this week by Transportation Weekly.
This follows a March Congressional Budget Office report that supported the idea of taxing drivers based on miles driven.
Among other things, CBO suggested that a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax could be tracked by installing electronic equipment on each car to determine how many miles were driven; payment could take place electronically at filling stations.
The CBO report was requested by Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-ND), who has proposed taxing cars by the mile as a way to increase federal highway revenues.
Obama's proposal seems to follow up on that idea in section 2218 of the draft bill. That section would create, within the Federal Highway Administration, a Surface Transportation Revenue Alternatives Office. It would be tasked with creating a "study framework that defines the functionality of a mileage-based user fee system and other systems."
The administration seems to be aware of the need to prepare the public for what would likely be a controversial change to the way highway funds are collected. For example, the office is called on to serve a public relations function, as the draft says it should "increase public awareness regarding the need for an alternative funding source for surface transportation programs and provide information on possible approaches."
The draft bill says the "study framework" for the project and a public awareness communications plan should be established within two years of creating the office, and that field tests should begin within four years.
The office would be required to consider four factors in field trials: the capability of states to enforce payment, the reliability of technology, administrative costs, and "user acceptance." The draft does not specify where field trials should begin.
The new office would be funded a total of $200 million through FY 2017 for the project.
What a moron living in the white house! He has no concept of real life as we know it!!!
Bingo. And when people start driving less, the government will then charge them for owning a car, even if they don't drive it. When people sell their cars, the government will charge them anyway. They'll call it the "Highway Freedom Bill", or some such balderdash.
Exactly!!!
We already have a mileage-based tax that you pay on every gallon of gas; the more gas you use, the more tax you pay.
This proposal is intended only to allow the government to mandate GPS-based tracking on all private vehicles which would:
a) reduce economic activity, and
b) force people into mass transit
As the saying goes, YMMV...FUBS
I heard Michelle wants her hubby to implement a “junk-in-the-trunk tax” too.
$200 million through 2017 to establish a study framework and PR plan???
it’ll be the new catalytic converter-no shop will touch it under fear of being sent to Ray LaHood re-education camp.
you’ll have to do it yourself.
What do you mean, “hopefully”? Your choice is pay, submit, or die - or FIGHT to stop this sh!t NOW.
even worse, if my theory is correct, they may have embedded code into the system that will tell on ya ifn you do anything sneaky...even if its unintentional...
That’s only the half of it. Believe me, the other half is about as evil as you can imagine.
He has a concept - he hates the freedoms you enjoy and wants to curtail them.
Grrrrrrr.......!
You read my mind; thank you for stating the obvious so well. Meanwhile, the American taxpayers should walk around bent over thanks to this Regime and the US Congress comprised of eunuchs and spineless gutless wimps. God help us all!
When will We The People “demand” an accounting of the money that has been stolen from us by these professional Elitist politicians?
No, he is going to curtail them.
From what I hear from friends in CA, that only works for illegal aliens.
Thas just right Biff,
I gots the speedo cable kind.
We red necks git ‘er done!
These socialists are stoner idiots, double dumber than dirt.
It would becomme unenforceable. I can just guess how many black market chips there would be available to crank back that speedo every 1000 miles by 90%.( Oops my truck has a virus...who knew?)
“F” That.
just try to put a device like that in my car.
Just try.....
Molon Labe
Elite politicians absolutely HATE our freedom and nothing supports freedom as much as the ability to move around/travel as you please. This is why they focus so much on pushing anything that curtails travel. They want us pinned down and controlled, and they want us to pay, to them, a heavy price for moving around. They are for anything that makes us less free. This is evil, very evil.
Our so called public servants do NOT believe they are our servants at all. They believe they are our masters. I don’t know what they could do or say that would make this any more clear other than a frank confession, “We hate you scum and want to be Lords over you. When we say jump you say how high.”
A bedroom meter? LOL. You have a wicked imagination Red!
But you make a good point. The Won and his liberal fascists
want to regulate every aspect of citizen conduct, from pre birth to after the grave.
I am of the opinion that the whole lot of them can EFF right off. LOL.
The current grift: “ I got Osama!” He is making te adulatory rounds in New York with yet another big grift IMHO. The campaiggn goal this time. Obama won, NOW WEULL ALL OF OUR TROOPS OUT OF IRAQ, AFGHANISTAN, Pakistan and the Arab Gulf region. There goes our oil supply security. Thats just what the idjit wants, America on its knees.I defy the sons a wh@res.
They can’t figure out who’s coming in to our nation illegally, but they can track how far average citizens drive every day?
Just another day in Obamaland. :(
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.