Gunnut, here's something you'll like!

[bigross86]

Bay Area Drivers Could Be Tracked By GPS, Taxed Per Mile Driven

Bay Area Drivers Could Be Tracked By GPS, Taxed Per Mile Driven
July 18, 2012 8:06 PM

OAKLAND (KCBS) – Bay Area drivers could one day be tracked using a GPS-like device in their cars and taxed per miles driven – a scenario which is part of a proposed long-range study aimed at finding ways to reduce traffic and pollution, while also raising revenues.

Members of the Metropolitan Transportation Commission and the Association of Bay Area Governments are scheduled to vote on Thursday on whether or not to authorize a study of the proposal. Under the plan, drivers would have to install trackers in their vehicle and officials would tax drivers for every mile they travel.

KCBS’ Tim Ryan Reports:

Randy Rentschler with the Metropolitan Transportation Commission said this is a 20-year look at what may be best for transit funding and as always, there is going to be a concern from consumers about government tracking.

“We’re not interested in where they go. We’re only interested in the amount they travel,” said Rentschler. “But for some folks, that’s a distinction without a difference. Anytime you talk about getting information from people, whenever that conversation comes up, it’s another hurdle you have to overcome.”

Rentschler said the hope would be to raise enough money to fix the Bay Area’s roadways and improve public transit services.

Although all the details are still being worked out, the so-called Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) tax could cost up to a dime per mile and also be based on the time of day a driver is traveling on the roads.

Transit officials said this is all part of a long-term transportation and housing effort called Plan Bay Area, which includes several other proposals on how to solve congestion while raising revenue for improving roadways.

[dave lukins]

Tax drivers for every mile. Then a fine for speeding. Then every movement of every vehicle plotted. George Orwell smiling ;)

[tankie]

Tax drivers for every mile. Then a fine for speeding. Then every movement of every vehicle plotted. George Orwell smiling ;)

It was touted a few years ago back here nuts ,after the wagon dvrs tacho in the cab , cars were gonna get the black box spy , never happened tho ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,YET :pop:

[Red Team]

Highly stupid and absurd idea...why not try an incentive-based (tax-credits, etc.) system to solve congestion?

[Doktor]

You mean subsidies? :whome:

[JAD_333]

At a dime a mile, a commuter who drives only 10 miles a workday would pay about $220 a year. Now there's a tax that would warm Pres Obama's heart. It hits rich drivers; the poor won't be able to afford it. That's it. Study done.

[dave lukins]

It was touted a few years ago back here nuts ,after the wagon dvrs tacho in the cab , cars were gonna get the black box spy , never happened tho ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,YET :pop:

Insurance companies are offering young drives a 'black box' that shows the times and distance used and they are then given a bill. The shorter the distance plus little or no night driving is a lot cheaper than the Ł3grand average for under 21 drivers. People are worried that the insurance groups will also check if the driver speeds and refuses further/future insurance, plus telling other companies of their findings.

[JAD_333]

Insurance companies are offering young drives a 'black box' that shows the times and distance used and they are then given a bill. The shorter the distance plus little or no night driving is a lot cheaper than the Ł3grand average for under 21 drivers. People are worried that the insurance groups will also check if the driver speeds and refuses further/future insurance, plus telling other companies of their findings.

That's not insurance; it's rationing.

[bonehead]

Progressive insurance tried....is still trying? to do this. Your insurance goes up when you are on a "dangerous" highway at "dangerous" times, ie rush hour traffic to and from work. Closing down a bar? that too will cost you a bit extra next month.

[Gun Grape]

Florida may do one better.

We have no income tax, so all the money that can be used for roads is collected through a gas tax. But it was noticed a few years ago that with the rise in gas prices people don't drive as much. So taxes go down. And we are required to have a ballanced budget.

What to do? One of the suggestions was to have everyone pay a "road Usage" fee when they get their tags. Tere has been a lot of back and forth between State and the counties in determining a split. How do you decide the percentage of time (and tax to that controlling entity) that a vehicle is driving on city/county/state/federal roads when all you have is mileage?

Has not been implemented yet. But they have been collecting odometer readings. I guess to have a base for when they get the bugs worked out.

[JAD_333]

In Virginia we pay an annual property tax on cars based on the NADA value of our vehicles. The money all goes to counties, cities and towns where the cars are registered. Some years back a governor vowed to eliminate the tax which is set around $4.50 per $100 of value. He couldn't do it, so he proposed that the counties etc cut the tax and the state would reimburse their losses. Currently Virginia pays almost $1 billion to counties to make up for the cuts they made. We hate the tax, but because of it the county keeps our non-state maintained roads in good shape. So I guess we shouldn't complain.

[dalem]

I think state-imposed gasoline taxes are the best way to go for that sort of thing.

-dale

[gunnut]

Interesting....what happened to the $0.49/gal California state imposed gas tax? Wasn't that supposed to pay for the roads? How about vehicle registration and licensing fee? Where did that money go?

What these crooks want to do is triple tax us for using the damn thing once. One to operate the machine that uses the system, one on the fuel it consumes, and yet another on how far it goes.

I see some unintended consequences coming up.

For example, taxing by the mile discourages people from driving fuel efficient cars. The difference in operating cost between a gas hog and a electric/hybrid just shrunk due to the per mile tax.

My Chevy Volt just went from not paying for gasoline to operate, to paying the same tax that a Dodge Challenger would pay, to drive around town.

There would be more incentive to use motorcycles or scooters. Those things aren't as safe as a heavy car in any condition. Medical cost would rise as a result. But I guess that's OK since Obamacare would pay for everything.

This mentality ties in with the socialists' desire to control people. High speed rail, mass transit, tax by the mile, various fees and regulations, they are all designed to control people. Socialists don't like free people. Free people tend to be harder to track. That's the antithesis of the government. Socialists are all about government control.

[Julie]

After the Supreme Court ruled Obamacare constitutional, and is a tax, now everything is fair game for being taxed.

Thank you Republicans for staying home and not voting in 2008.

[astralis]

julie,

After the Supreme Court ruled Obamacare constitutional, and is a tax, now everything is fair game for being taxed.

Thank you Republicans for staying home and not voting in 2008.

that's nonsensical. to begin with, the post was about a CA Bay Area Metropolitan Commission scheduling a vote to decide on a STUDY of the proposal, NOT that the proposal itself was decided already.

so how does that fit into a supreme court ruling on healthcare, whose swing vote was john roberts, a bush nomination to the court?