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  Steve Mueller, Nov 17th, 2004 @ 6:12pm

  
  

  It Might Not Be So Bad

  While replacing the gas tax with a mileage tax wouldn't encourage fuel efficient cars, it would encourage taking mass transportation. Depending on your feelings about mass trans, that could be a good or bad thing. I think it's better than taxing parking spaces, though.

  As for the privacy issue, I think it could be handled in a way that wouldn't affect privacy much. Instead of GPS units (which would somehow need to communicate with something), just use odometer readings. Most people probably have to get smog checks every two years, so those odometer readings could be transmitted to California and billed as part of your car registration. The state would know how much you drove, but not where, which seems reasonable (lots of people already record odometer readings).

  For people who don't have to get smog checks, they might have to go every couple of years to an official smog check station anyway to get their mileage recorded. If so, the state should reimburse the smog check stations for that (in other words, there shouldn't be a new fee to drivers).

   

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  DV Henkel-Wallace, Nov 18th, 2004 @ 9:53am

  
  

  Odometer rdg won't work

  I shouldn't have to pay california a premium to drive to Massachusetts. I wouldn't have used CA roads to make most of that trip.

   

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  M Lane, Nov 29th, 2004 @ 10:53am

  
  

  Re: It Might Not Be So Bad

  Are U NUTS?

   

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  Lars Eriksen, Mar 2nd, 2008 @ 3:45am

  
  

  Re: It Might Not Be So Bad

  The question you need to ask yourself then is why didn`t they present the idea of an odometer reading instead, its the easiest and cheapest way to do it (Still against that to though).
  The two options you end up with is that they are either stupid or evil (in the sense that they want to control your every step). I`m leaning more and more towards the last one.

   

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  thecaptain, Nov 18th, 2004 @ 4:57am

  
  

  No Subject Given

  so much for "land of the free"

   

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  gkdada, Nov 18th, 2004 @ 6:26am

  
  

  Spend $990 to earn a tax of $1000?

  I feel GPS tracking will mean spending a whole lot more to earn those tax dollars and this eventually mean we will be PAYING a whole lot more dollars in taxes to compensate the govt for it. It is an extremely foolish to say the least. The only more foolish thing I can think of is to assign another person in a car to follow me to note down the number of miles I drove in California. Then again, I don't think this new DMV director is beyond that.
  

   

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  BJ Rentonowski, Sep 10th, 2005 @ 12:50am

  
  

  Tracking and taxing

  I totally agree with your comments about this HUGE intrusion of privacy! It all makes me want to go back to just riding horses...
  
  Thanx for this info!
  
  Sincerely,
  
  BJ

   

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  Roc Remington, Jul 28th, 2007 @ 9:34pm

  
  

  Any good radio tech

  can make a device that will "jam" the satellite signal around a car.

   

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  Rik, Feb 14th, 2008 @ 7:57am

  
  

  Tracking mileage

  Welcome to 1984 in 2007-08 ... Have we omitted the U.S. Constitution and it was not announced by W. Bush ...

   

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  Rik, Feb 14th, 2008 @ 7:57am

  
  

  Tracking mileage

  Welcome to 1984 in 2007-08 ... Have we omitted the U.S. Constitution and it was not announced by W. Bush ...

   

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  james, Jul 31st, 2008 @ 11:01am

  
  

  More Big Brother and the answer to it!!!!!

  This is nothing more hten tracking people. There are easier and cheaper ways of doing this as already stated by many others. What we need to do now is attack back!!! When stuff like this comes out email them and tell everyone else you know and cares .02 to email and make tons of noise. Tell them how you feel and that your not useing there service etc. If you get enough people and or organizations fighting this they wont follow threw. It works for PETA. Use there tactics of bugging the corp. Remember the Revolution that fought for this once great country was won by 5-10%. You dont need a majority to win anything. There is going to be a new revolution soon im sure.

   

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  Tony, Apr 1st, 2009 @ 10:28am

  
  

  Mileage Tax Already Works in Oregon

  Originally, most people in Oregon opposed the mileage tax but now over 90% prefer it. It isn't used by everyone--those who opt out pay the gas tax, which can be a little higher. If a multiplier is used for the weight of the vehicle, low mileage vehicles (SUVs and trucks) pay a higher tax for the greater amount of wear and tear that their vehicles have on the roads. With the multiplier, this use tax is ultimately the fairest method of taxation. Oh yes, the GPS system sends only your mileage and alternatively the times of day your car accummulated the miles--there is no record of where you went. If this scares you, you pay the gas tax instead of the mileage tax. It's simple, it works, it encourages people to drive less, and the roads get paid for. If the multiplier is not included, I'll opt out and will pay the gas tax for my Prius.

   

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