And his sloppy, pathetic salute
Posted on 05/05/2011 5:42:55 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
Obama floats plan to tax cars by the mile By Pete Kasperowicz - 05/05/11 07:45 AM ET
The Obama administration has floated a transportation authorization bill that would require the study and implementation of a plan to tax automobile drivers based on how many miles they drive.
The plan is a part of the administration's "Transportation Opportunities Act," an undated draft of which was obtained this week by Transportation Weekly.
This follows a March Congressional Budget Office report that supported the idea of taxing drivers based on miles driven.
Among other things, CBO suggested that a vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax could be tracked by installing electronic equipment on each car to determine how many miles were driven; payment could take place electronically at filling stations.
The CBO report was requested by Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad (D-ND), who has proposed taxing cars by the mile as a way to increase federal highway revenues.
Obama's proposal seems to follow up on that idea in section 2218 of the draft bill. That section would create, within the Federal Highway Administration, a Surface Transportation Revenue Alternatives Office. It would be tasked with creating a "study framework that defines the functionality of a mileage-based user fee system and other systems."
The administration seems to be aware of the need to prepare the public for what would likely be a controversial change to the way highway funds are collected. For example, the office is called on to serve a public relations function, as the draft says it should "increase public awareness regarding the need for an alternative funding source for surface transportation programs and provide information on possible approaches."
The draft bill says the "study framework" for the project and a public awareness communications plan should be established within two years of creating the office, and that field tests should begin within four years.
The office would be required to consider four factors in field trials: the capability of states to enforce payment, the reliability of technology, administrative costs, and "user acceptance." The draft does not specify where field trials should begin.
The new office would be funded a total of $200 million through FY 2017 for the project.
If you look back at the Soviet Union you’ll see two of many things they controlled. They controlled information to include limited availability of copy machines and such. The other was they controlled movement. What better way to reduce movement than making it too expensive to both move and eat (exist)?
And his sloppy, pathetic salute
When HELL freezes over!
we could split hairs on the definition of 'retroactively'...but then Id hafta get the BJC ditionary out and figgure out the defintion of 'is' in order to do that...
the 'law' and thumb twisting at all levels of gubmint are a matter of their wildest imaginations at this point...
I hope it includes money to establish a gigantic Automobile Transportation Millage Tallying Agency that will keep tabs on all the miles Americans drive so as to tax them accordingly.
“if it was the old type mechanical drive. “
Agreed. But,,, how many cars still use that? My 10 year old Highlander is all digital as far as I know. How does the car’s computer get this info nowadays? Some sorta sensor, or mechanically?
So... Who lives in the city and doesn’t drive much at all?
Oh yeah, Obama voters!
Who lives out int he rural areas of the country and already pays taxes at the pump?
Yep, Red State voters.
B*stard...
Don’t worry - it won’t happen.
He floats these things to assuage his “Greenie” base.
Wouldn’t it be counterproductive (for Soros, et al) to enact policies reducing US demand for fuel to the degree this type of policy would lead to?
but..My Prius!
'law' dont mean squat to communists...
What if you don't drive on federal highways? How long will it take for someone to come up with a gadget to over-ride the Big Brother chip? Gee, Mr. Taxman, I don't know how that thing got busted!
It also proves Obama's insincerity about wanting to conserve energy and improve the environment. A gas tax incents lowering gas consumption. A mileage tax is indifferent to fuel consumption. What Obama wants is power, not even a warped libtard view of the general welfare.
So, if you are "10 over" for more than about 30 seconds you can look for a Federal Speeding Ticket from the IRS or some other such untouchable federal craphole.
All automated for accuracy and your convenience, of course.
Avoidance or disabling the tracking device will be a federal felony resulting is you "forfeiting" your Second Amendment rights.
It is for your safety and the children, etc...
.
Yeah! Prius’ (and other greenie cars) can drive MORE miles per gallon....which means THEY CAN PAY MORE TAXES....how STUPID are these people?
Problem solved.
Let's see if we can predict who won't have to pay. Union members, Government employees, Anyone who makes less than $15,000 a year and drives a Cadillac or Escort, Anyone on any Democrat Party staff, anyone who shifts their voter registration to Democrat Party. Congressmen and Senators.
Any other ideas here?
Merely proposing to study it justifies some snarky spots for 2012 campaign advertising (can gloss over the "study" detail and just say "Obama wants to know where you go").
The left has been proposing this in Washington State for years and just couldn’t get passed the voter objections. So, instead they decided to require insurance companies to charge customers by the mile they drive, by having the customers install the GPS trackers in their own cars. That didn’t get very far either, All it accomplished was a change in the occasional use policies that allow customers to simply pay for the days that they use a vehicle.
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