Posted on 07/06/2006 1:25:43 PM PDT by proudofthesouth
I heard about the following on Fox News today and could hardly believe it. Thought fellow Freepers would be interested in this. After all, what starts in the western part of the U.S. usually heads eastward.
In 1919, Oregon was the first state to tax gasoline. This fall, the state will launch the nation's first high-tech experiment to tax drivers for the miles they travel rather than the gas they buy. The program is the first step in a long-term plan to replace the state's gasoline tax, which pays for about 40 percent of Oregon 's road projects. As in many states, Oregon officials are worried gas tax revenues wont be able to keep up with the rising costs of road building, especially with improved mileage from both traditional and hybrid cards...............see link for rest of article
http://www.stateline.org/live/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=136&languageId=1&contentId=32957
(Excerpt) Read more at stateline.org ...
What's next, attaching a mileage counter to bicycles, strollers, roller blades/skates, walking shoes?
I was wondering the same thing. Won't this require some type of 'big brother' monitoring system? Good grief, what a bunch of morons.
What about drivers who don't live in the state, who just drive through?
all goverment employees exemptt from this novel idea of course...
Taxing air breathed daily, and nightly. Gotta do something about carbon dioxide... then methane...
"The cars also will have Global Positioning Systems (GPS) so drivers will not be charged for driving outside state borders -- the tax is only meant to be applied for use of Oregon roads. Tracking cars' locations also could allow extra fees for traveling in congested traffic areas or during rush hours."
George Orwell must be smiling in his grave.
This is great. Other than a small percentage of the population, at what age do people drive the most? I strongly suspect it is the 16 to 25 year old bracket. Who is going to be the most pissed off at these socialist/democrat tax increases? Well, that same group.
Nice way to build a future voting base. Not!
Are There Freepers In the Peoples Republic of Oregon? I thought they were all sent to Re-education camps in the last Purge.
OH, and while we are asking questions, what about the OTR trucks? Maybe Oregon isn't planning on getting any shipments via truck in the future.
Coming to your state soon.
This fall, the state will launch the nation's first high-tech experiment to tax drivers for the miles they travel rather than the gas they buy.
You mean doubling the tax to have a tax on the gas they buy and, the miles they drive.
When did OR ever remove a tax?
You need to form your own loud lobbying group.
if buying gas is so bad for the enviroment why not encourage those to get hybrid or hydrogen vehecles with a tax break, this is just the governments way of making sure they get their cut once we move away from fossil fuels and a GAS tax...
I guess that removes the incentives of buying a fuel efficient vehicle. If you're taxed on the distance instead of fuel consumption, MPG rating wouldn't matter.
total insanity - hard to believe residents there will put up with this, but then again - liberalism is a mental disorder.
"What about drivers who don't live in the state, who just drive through?"
hahahaha!
I think this might qualify for a, "Nanny State Ping," here.
Would the last one out ...please turn out the lights !
I don't have a problem per se with Oregon using newer technology to tax people, except there are some scary potential misuses of the data collected.
However, I am sure that Oregon is using road taxes and fees to fund other budget needs, which does not seem fair.
So the guy driving the hybrid will pay more tax per gallon of gas than the guy driving a Hummer....
Cool.
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