E-tracking may change the way you drive

ZDNet News ^ | 12-5-2005 | Declan McCullagh

[Centurion2000]

But the general idea is that a small GPS device, which knows its location by receiving satellite signals, is placed inside the vehicle.

That's when you rip out the GPS and drive anyway. To hell with these statist thugs.

[paulat]

That's when you rip out the GPS and drive anyway. To hell with these statist thugs.

I read somewhere that auto insurance companies are going to require the devices...I know some rental car agencies are already using them.

[Centurion2000]

I read somewhere that auto insurance companies are going to require the devices

Which ones? I've been with my carrier for 16 years and will drop them in a heartbeat if they try to mandate this crap.

[Ramius]

I could scarcely come up with a more ridiculous idea. The gas tax, while onerous, is at least a simple and unobtrusive way to tax people according to how much they use the roads.

Why bother with an intrusive and complex system to do exactly the same thing? Can you imagine the volume of sheer data that this sort of thing would produce? Yeesh... talk about drinking from a firehose...

[RightWinger]

Well, as long as it makes us more secure and...
driving is a privilege and...
if you're not doing anything wrong, you have nothing to fear and...
it could save lives and reduce insurance rates and...

Sorry, I don't have enough time to list them all.

I hate government.

[paulat]

http://schreiberagency.com/news-2004-08-16-progressive-tripsense.htm

Here's one:

Progressive tests innovative auto insurance discount program with Minnesota customers who buy online*

Progressive is testing a data-logging device to help drivers save money on Auto insurance

Drive less, pay less -- that’s the simple concept behind TripSenseSM, the first of its kind usage-based auto insurance discount pilot program that will be offered to 5,000 Progressive Direct customers – customers who have purchased their policy online -- in Minnesota beginning on August 16. Program participants are eligible to receive a discount of 5 to 25 percent depending on how much, how fast and when they drive.

At this time, Progressive is looking for customer feedback on the TripSense product to determine whether or not to market the device on a wider scale. Although not part of this pilot program, agency customers will be considered in plans to make the TripSense discount available to more Progressive customers in the future.

Here’s how it works
Customers who register a vehicle in the TripSense pilot program plug a data-logging device into a port in their cars. The device, called TripSensorTM, collects information about the vehicle’s use, including how much, how fast and when it is driven. Participants in the TripSense program will receive a five percent discount on the six-month premium for each registered vehicle. In subsequent policy periods, TripSense customers earn a five percent discount if they choose to upload their driving data to Progressive. When participants upload their driving information to Progressive, they also receive up to 20 percent more in discounts based on how much, how fast and when they drive. Sharing vehicle usage data with Progressive is always optional, but necessary to earn a discount in future policy terms.
[snip]

[Centurion2000]

collects information about the vehicle’s use, including how much, how fast and when it is driven

The WHERE is missing from that part. Thanks for the info.

[Zon]

The gas tax, while onerous, is at least a simple and unobtrusive way to tax people 

The reality is that politicians and bureaucrats intend taxes to be as unobtrusive as possible so that people will not revolt against them -- revolt against the politicians and bureaucrats.

Every product and service a person or business buys has an unobtrusive, hidden tax embedded in the price. That unobtrusive tax has been figured to be 22%! Now imagine if every time you and every other person paid at the cash register, say for example the total was $100.00 for a jacket, you look at your receipt and the price of the jacket is $78.00 and $22.00 was the tax. People would revolt!

So long as the parasitical elites in government can numb the pain of taxation they will continue to implement evermore unobtrusive taxes.

The FairTax exposes the full amount of tax at the cash register.

Benefits of the FairTax

• No federal tax withheld from your paycheck.
• No FICA taken from your paycheck
• Purchase necessities up to the poverty level tax-free. 
• Beyond poverty level spending total price paid at the cash register is virtually the same price paid today.
• Creates a flood of new businesses and jobs.

  Rep. Bill Archer, Chairman, House Ways and Means Committee:

  "A recent survey was done, in Europe and Japan, of the major corporations and I was astounded at the results. They were asked, 'If the US abolished its income tax and went to a sales tax, would that have any impact on your decisions?' Eighty percent of the corporations said they would build their factories in the United States of America. Twenty percent said they would move their international headquarters to the United States of America." 

• Abolishes the IRS
• No tax forms to fill out.
• No reporting your income to the government.
• You gain true financial freedom and financial privacy.
• Focuses people's attention on demanding government to cut spending.

The large influx of new jobs, among other things, means the current trade imbalance (deficit) will balance out and likely tip to USA advantage. In other words, a greater percentage of products and services will be made in USA, thereby foreign governments will see their tax receipts decrease.

In order for foreign governments to retain their present level of tax receipts they'll have to replace their outdated, economy-draining tax systems with a consumption based sales tax. 

The USA can lead the way to honest economic freedom and financial privacy the world over -- beginning with it's own citizens.

With outsourcing by American based companies, many of which are also building new manufacturing plants in foreign countries it would only deepen the trade deficit if a major first world country beats USA to the punch by implementing a consumption based sales tax first. That country would get the new jobs and USAs trade imbalance would widen.

It's not a matter of if consumption-based sales tax will gain dominance the world over, but when, and which country will lead the charge and which countries will play catch up.

The United States must take the lead.

That's the short list. For more information see fairtax.org or search: "national sales tax" OR "national retail sales tax"

[Mr. Brightside]

As soon as it becomes popular enough, some 18 year old, zit faced kid who never went to prom will find a way to over-ride the system.

And he will be a millionaire before he is 20.

[Ramius]

I'm not a big fan of a sales-tax-only revenue system.

If you want to make it plain to people how much tax they pay-- the best way is to just eliminate witholding. Put everybody on quarterlies. Lots of new conservatives would be born overnight.

A weakness in the sales tax is that it makes revenue prediction more difficult, and it ties federal revenue directly to the volatility of the economy. In the normal business cycle, sales will fluctuate, and just when government needs are highest is when revenue will be lowest. During times of recession, government would be adding debt, and impacting interest rates... making the recession deeper, and actually increasing the volatility of the cycle.

That, and if you think the IRS will ever go away... yer smokin' sumpthin'. :-)

[Zon]

A slew of economists that have studied the FairTax agree that consumption base (where sales tax comes from) is more stable than the production base (where the income tax comes from). The FairTax is perhaps the best way to fend off a pending recession. It would rapidly grow the economy, at leas considerably more than under the current income tax. That too, the same economists agree on.

History doesn't always repeat itself and the IRS will be abolished.

[Ramius]

I simply don't agree.

It's moot anyway. It's not going to happen.

[Zon]

I understand you not agreeing.

You're wrong because it will happen.

[Nik Naym]

I'll tell you what: If this ever comes to pass I WILL be a criminal. There is no way on earth I will submit to this.

This kind of crap is going to lead to some government types swinging from lamp posts. ANY person who submits to this kind of surveillance has no business calling himself an American.

This kind of evil is exactly what the second amendment is for.

Note to the JBTs: Just TRY this with me. I promise you I will go from Mr. law abiding citizen to your worst nightmare.

These sunsabitches who think they are going to monitor my movements at all times had better watch their backs!

[nightdriver]

"Less than 7 percent of the respondents expressed concerns about recording their vehicle's movements,"....

I don't recall them asking me a thing about it.

How the heck do you fight back something like this? Write a letter to your tone-deaf congressman?

These turkeys may cause a revolt that they can't handle with stuff like this.

[Fruitbat]

WTF is with these people. Why don't they put a GPS on every homo's schlong to find out where they spread AIDS to. The left will love that.

LMAO...

[Fruitbat]

The day they put a GPS tracking system in my car I will tear it out. The vehicle is my Personal Property. It does'nt belong to the state.

Yeah, I agree with that. I'll bet that there's a huge blackmarket for removing those.

[Halgr]

How do we get this stopped????

Would Drudge grab this or Fox????

I live in Oregon and I sent an email to just about every newspaper tonight....asking for their assistance in fighting this.

[Nik Naym]

I don't know how to stop this kind of stuff anymore. The Govt. just does whatever it wants and it seems the individuals have no say.

Hopefully the rest of the population gets mad enough to stop it. By force or revolt if need be.

I KNOW I would find a way to disable, remove, deceive, destroy, or otherwise defeat such a device on my own car, even if it meant I would be traveling the roads as a criminal.

[kpp_kpp]

"Rep. Bill Archer, Chairman, House Ways and Means Committee: A recent survey was done, "

the Bill Archer comment was in 1996 so the survey was recent in 1996. when exactly was this survey and has it ever been updated? i know it gets quoted a lot so i'm CURIOUS about seeing more specifics on it.

thank you.