Posted on 03/06/2006 7:43:08 PM PST by elkfersupper
I hear this rubbish from every pencil-pusher in government. The only "services" I want are roads (and their associated maintenance), armed services, police (doing their jobs, not revenue collection) and fire. All the other things government has involved itself in are of no consequence to me and paying for them should not be involuntary, especially when there is no law on the books requiring the fees. It cries out for a test case.
No. Driving on public roads without proper documentation is against the law, and ought to be punished severely. Driving is not a God-given right, and shouldn't be treated as such.
"Punishing people for something they might do" is exactly what motor vehicle laws are all about. A motorist who drives through a stop sign or red light, or who drives the wrong way down a one-way street, is subject to prosecution and punishment precisely because of what he might do (i.e., injure or kill someone).
Am I missing something here?
In Masshole you get State income tax, plus every fee they can think of. Property taxes are sky high, too. Let's hope they don't read this article and get some ideas from Texas.
The big lie is that if Texas would just have an income tax, all other taxation (espeically property taxes) would be reduced or disappear. Don't beleive it.
Yes.
Driving is a Right - Not a Privilege
People have a right to peaceably travel public roads in or on any contemporary conveyance without being interfered with or impeded by government agents.
There have been wars and civil disturbances in this country over this issue.
This is just like the tax on 'illegal money-wiring' on another thread.
Any 'bad behavior' is an excuse to tax.
Waiting on your answer Child.
The legal arguments presented in that link come across as utterly silly, when you view them in a modern context where congestion and decaying infrastructure are the norm.
1. Can the government at least force the users to pay the costs of using these roads?
2. If the government cannot interfere with people who wish to use these roads, then can motor vehicle laws even be justified under any circumstances? Do I have a constitutional right to decide that people should drive through red lights and stop at green lights? Do I have a constitutional right to drive on the left side of the road?
3. Does a government even have the right to insist on minimum standards of competence for drivers? If I am blind, does any government authority have the right to tell me that I can't drive on a public road?
What I find most laughable about the notion that "driving is a right" is that the natural result of this mindset would be a scenario in which public roads in the U.S. bear a striking resemblance to public roads in any Third World sh!t-hole -- where cars, trucks, and buses (with 100 people inside them and another 100 on the roof, of course) compete for space with pedestrians, goats, and pack animals.
Living document kind of thing?
What else should be scrapped?
Did the wise man also say that social engineering is a valid and proper thing for government to do
How does my belief that the U.S. Constitution does not guarantee the right of all Americans to live in suburban homes and drive to work in big office buildings amount to "scrapping" anything?
Hypothetically speaking, if my Texas registration sticker were a few months expired, how would I get an updated one?
"No. Driving on public roads without proper documentation is against the law, and ought to be punished severely. Driving is not a God-given right, and shouldn't be treated as such."
Congratulations! You are a true statist! :)
I would rather have toll roads than selective criminalization. At least that's straightforward.
Do I have a constitutional right to decide that people should drive through red lights and stop at green lights? Do I have a constitutional right to drive on the left side of the road?
That's not peaceable.
If I am blind, does any government authority have the right to tell me that I can't drive on a public road?
Governments cannot have rights. People have rights. Governments have obligations.
Also, driving while blind is not peaceable.
Did you miss the "living document" part of my post?
Yep, you did.
Maybe I just misunderstood your point.
How is it that someone who insists on maintaining law and order on public roads is called a "statist," yet the basic notion of even having public roads in the first place is not "statist" in any way?
I would rather have toll roads than selective criminalization.
Baloney. You said before that people should be allowed to travel on public roads without being impeded by government agents. A toll is an "impediment" to travel, isn't it?
"Hypothetically speaking, if my Texas registration sticker were a few months expired, how would I get an updated one?"
You have but to ask!
http://rts.texasonline.state.tx.us/NASApp/txdotrts/common/jsp/txdot_vtr_main_menu.jsp
http://www.dot.state.tx.us/vtr/vtrreginfo.htm
That's if your current sticker is set to expire in the next three months. My hypothetical situation would be one that expired last September.
Never mind the above - second link answered the question. Thanks!
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