Massachusetts May Consider A Mileage Charge

SFChronicle ^ | February 17, 2009

[Steelfish]

Massachusetts may consider a mileage charge

By GLEN JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

A tentative plan to overhaul Massachusetts' transportation system by using GPS chips to charge motorists a quarter-cent for every mile behind the wheel has angered some drivers.

"It's outrageous, it's kind of Orwellian, Big Brotherish," said Sen. Scott Brown, R-Wrentham, who drafted legislation last week to prohibit the practice. "You'd need a whole new department of cronies just to keep track of it."

But a "Vehicle Miles Traveled" program like the one the governor may unveil this week has already been tested — with positive results — in Oregon.

[mmichaels1970]

Same thing was recommended by a task force here in Ohio. Marxist slavery sucks.

[relictele]

Love the MSM and lefties: someone else is doing it so we should too!

They are truly the party of and for infantilism.

[mikelets456]

Hey Mass. residents,
You IDIOTS keep voting these morons in!! You do not have my sympathy....

[utherdoul]

The system is rolled out ... within fifteen minutes at most the system is cracked, and a few tech savy guys post a solution on a forum and very soon the masses are avoiding the tax altogether.

[tx_eggman]

Any car I purchase that has a built in GPS that the gov’ment wants to monitor .. that little device will be failing within 30 minutes of me leaving the lot.

[o_zarkman44]

take the chip out and leave it at home.

Probably be a 10 year prison term for non compliance..or tax evasion. Hey Turbo Tim, any suggestions??

[mmichaels1970]

How will they bill for lawn mowers? What if you were to show up at the gas station with four 5-gallon containers?

[libertarian27]

Hey now, MA residents here didn’t vote him in...jeepers

What they’ll do is back off on this after everyone freaks out and then impose more state gas tax....

and everyone one will go....

“Phew, thank goodness they aren’t GPS’ing the cars”

[Red in Blue PA]

“But a “Vehicle Miles Traveled” program like the one the governor may unveil this week has already been tested — with positive results — in Oregon.”

“Positive” to whom?????

[N. Theknow]

So....if the GPS shows you went from Worcester to Newton in less than 30 minutes, does it include a speeding ticket with the mileage charge?

[Red in Blue PA]

Bang it with a hammer and say it broke.

[<1/1,000,000th%]

They’re going to finally put lane markers on their streets?

[Redbob]

We already have a tax on miles traveled:

it’s called a gas tax.

More miles you travel, the more you pay.

[Red in Blue PA]

No, this is ANOTHER tax for mileage.

Get with the script!

[KarlInOhio]

A squirrel got under my car and chewed the wire again.

Since this device will have long term memory of routes, mileage, dates, times, etc. it will probably be more expensive than the bottom of the line $99 GPS at electronics stores. Add on top of that the state infrastructure to track who has which GPS, what mileage they are traveling, how much to charge and then collect the tax. There is no way that $30/year for the average 12,000 mile per year driver will be worth it. This is merely the first step until they decide that a "fairer" price would be 5¢ / mile.

[RetiredArmy]

I said this a long time ago. They will start taxing the miles we drive. They will make you put down on your tax form the start and end miles on every vehicle you have registered. Then charge you so much per mile. It’s coming. They have to pay for this crap some way. TAXES are the only way. There is no other way, BUT TAXES.

[gidget7]

I would do the same, BUT this evil little device to tax mileage, would be on the emission sticker that has to be replaced every year when inspection is done. If you have no sticker you are fined.

MA is trying to fast track the bleeding, to full fledged hemorrhaging!

[o_zarkman44]

Thank you for using On Star Sheriff’s version. Please insert $2.25 cents for first 1/4 mile. Call it a taxi tax, or a tax taxi. Make it too expensive for average people to own a car. The end of personal freedom.

I suppose this is some technology being forced on the automakers for taking bailout money?

[Westlander]

Job creation for hackers.

[Zeppelin]

1/4 cent per mile? That’s $250 if you put 100,000 miles on the car. That wouldn’t even pay for the proposed GPS unit that tracks the mileage.

That alone tells me this is just a foot in the door. $30 or so a year isnt enough to drive the masses into the streets. However, once it’s mandatory and installed on everyone’s vehicle, that’ll increase to 1/2 cent. Minor bellyaching will occur, but people will get used to it. Then they’ll increase it to 1 cent, likely saying it will go toward education. Then they’ll raise to to 2 cents, for healthcare. And so on.

They’ll continue to raise the tax until revenues fall b/c people have started carpooling or telecommuting.

And if you’re caught removing the chip, that’s a $10,000 fine.

[Vermont Lt]

Oh, but they are going to rebate your tolls on the pike inside of 128 to make sure that you dont get double taxed. Thats fine, except I regularly drive from Springfield to 495 and Framingham. So, I guess its OK for me to be double taxed.

[meyer]

"On-Star", anybody?

Why would any sane people go for this. Oh, that's right, the government no longer listens to the people.

[posterchild]

Turned 16 in the early 80’s and liked to drive the back roads and off road. A friend thought this was odd. I said that someday our grandchildren will be amazed that we could drive anywhere we wanted and didn’t even have to follow a road if we didn’t want to.

At 0.25 cents/mile the average car at 12Kmiles/year will pay $30/year. I cannot imagine that, after the device, installation, administration, and handling complaints, that this will be more cost effective than a flat road tax fee as is used now - unless a post proof of concept rate hike or something more nefarious is planned.

[Vermont Lt]

Exacto Knife. or a really BIG magnet might do the trick.

[swarthyguy]

What I heard is that it will be incorporated into your inspection sticker, a ‘smart’ one using RFID/GPS to nail you.

Hook it up to Google Latitude....

Sad, isn’t it, how so many diktats that were once not so long ago consider outrageous and dystopic are now seriously considered for evaluation.

My call, most people shrug and accept it since we’ve all been conditioned to accept deep incursions into our liberties when the shibboleths of health, children, energy conservation or global warming are cited.

[Zeppelin]

wow, see my post #21...great minds think alike!

[Political Junkie Too]

How are they going to subtract the miles driven outside of Massachusetts (or are they?)?

Massachusetts doesn't have the jurisdiction to tax you for something you did in another state, do they? I know that states will charge you a sales tax for a car purchased in another state if you bring that car into the resident state, but they can't tax you for driving somewhere else as if you had really driven there, can the?

-PJ

[posterchild]

Might even have a cigarette smoke detector in it which doubles the fee...

[Vermont Lt]

They will put an RFID tag in the inspection sticker. This costs less than a penny. They are going after the likes of me: 35,000 miles a year, much of it back and forth on the pike.

AND, how simple would be to install RFID readers under 495, 93, 91,84, and 95 coming and going from the state?

This is just the start.

And then the will surcharge you for more miles, and speeding.

And then they will......you get the picture.

[o_zarkman44]

The tax would become a deduction for my business truck.
Sorry sam. We lost money last year so no tax for you!

[swarthyguy]

>>1/4 cent per mile?

Yah, right, that’s just to sell the concept.

At least a cent per mile within the first year of implementation. Otherwise, it’s just not cost effective.

And then of course, the inevitable stigmatization of people who simply cruise and drive around a lot, and a corresponding penalty fee for driving too much when you only are 10 miles from work, some arbitrary standard that you may exceed as an excuse to raise even more revenue.

And if you go out of state? Bet they bill you on miles you drive, say to NYC or DC when you re-enter the state.

That’s assuming that NY doesn’t bill you as well.

Gosh, thash simply wunnerful!

[gidget7]

That would not target a lot of people, because a lot don't pay state taxes. Or fed. either for that matter. And this MA sticker tracker would not charge for only miles driven in MA.

ANY new tax, or rise in existing tax, will lower the money going to other taxes. People will have to cut elsewhere, so it is a net loss. Libs do not get that.

[mikelets456]

I know not Mass residents vote these clowns in (unfortunately, these clowns are not funny...they are the psychotic CLOWNS from HELL).
Same here in NJ. My in laws ALWAYS vote for these Dems then they complain when taxes are raised and there are “shady” government tactics. I’m like “duh, you keep voting these criminals into office...DUH!!!”

[Man50D]

Massachusetts residents are outraged by this but allow they’re politicians passing a law requiring them to obtain medical insurance?

[posterchild]

And will they charge more for garaging/driving in newton/wellesley/belmont (affluent areas) than for revere/dorchester/quincy (less affluent)?

[Zeppelin]

Yeah I could see that.

The article said they’re considering GPS units though. That’s even more serious, as it has the potential to store your complete history of travels, vs the RFID which would only register the checkpoints you went through.

[Vermont Lt]

From informationliberation.com:

How to defeat an RFID tag.

* Blocking ? Construct a conductive foil box (even tin foil is good) around the tag. If you are concerned about RFID emissions from work badges, school IDs, new generation drivers licenses, credit cards, and even cash in the future containing RFID tags, buy or make an RFID-proof wallet. RFID wallet project details are easy to find on the Internet.
* Jamming ? Since RFID systems make use of the electromagnetic spectrum like wireless networks or cellphones, they are relatively easy to jam using a strong radio signal at the same frequency the tag operates. Although this would only be an inconvenience for consumers in stores (longer waits at the checkout), it could be disastrous in other environments where RFID is increasingly being used, like hospitals, or in military combat situations. Such jamming devices, however, would in most cases violate government regulations on radio emissions. A group of researchers in Amsterdam have theorized that a personal RFID jammer is possible (read their paper here) but the device seems only theoretical at this time.
* Repeated interrogation ? Active RFID tags that use a battery to increase the range of the system can be repeatedly interrogated to wear the battery down, disrupting the system.
* Popping ? Generating a very strong pulse of radiation at the right frequency can cause RFID tags to resonate and break.

[Zeppelin]

yuuup, that pretty much sums up my post 21.

[rwfromkansas]

How creepy.

[org.whodat]

This will bring back the Amish buggy industry over night and stimulate growth. LOL

http://www.buggy.com/phaeton.html

[posterchild]

Or increase car registrations in NH.

[taildragger]

Oh man....1967 Turbo Corvair burning Propane is looking better every day. Oh yah leave the points in case of an EMP Weapon......

[tatsinfla]

MASS HAS A STATE INSPECTION (oops) and i am sure they will incorporate this into that inspection or you will not be able to put the car on the road. now maybe there will be a way to disable it and then able it for inspections. don’t know. but i am sure someone will find a way.

[xtinct]

Jeezy peezy... one more reason to be happy I escaped MA in October 2008....

[tatsinfla]

roflmao, don’t give them any more ideas....

[Billg64]

SO does that mean our neighbors from NY, NH, VT, CT and RI would be able to travel here without taxes, would the border gas stations benefit because a lack of taxes would make gas cheaper in mass thna those states? Would we face more draconian taxes if we went above a certain mileage? Would we be taxed on travel out of state? Will we be tracked for speeding, monitoring or general government obtusiveness???
What a brave new world!

[Billg64]

It is going to be part of the annual inspection sticker that gets placed on the windshield.

[Billg64]

Irony! I heard on the news that the fuel efficient cars are causing a shortage of tax revenue, hence the need for this.

[mickey finn]

“But a “Vehicle Miles Traveled” program like the one the governor may unveil this week has already been tested — with positive results — in Oregon.”

Democrats, and government agencies, love to run these tests on new taxes and fees. There results are based on weather or not they will be able to steal your money without being kicked out of office. I remember the forest service was testing their fee program for parking at trail heads. People screamed bloody murder and many refused to buy the passes. Still, the Forest Service proclaimed that their program was a great success, and made it permanent. Governor TaxandGougeMe (Oregon), loves any and all tax, loves hiring and giving large raised to state workers when running a deficit, and no doubt loves this Orwellian new plan. The tests were positive after all. /s If this type of tax is not a torch and pitchfork moment, I'm not sure what is?