By-the-mile road tax

[Leonidas]

Most of us probably saw this one coming given continued moaning about fuel taxes being inadequate:

The year is 2020 and the gasoline tax is history. In its place you get a monthly tax bill based on each mile you drove — tracked by a Global Positioning System device in your car and uploaded to a billing center.

By-the-mile road tax could replace by-the-gallon federal fuel tax - Kansas City Star

People with long commutes, no matter how fuel efficient the car, will pay more? Seems that this idea might turn some things upside down from what we're used to. Cars like the Chevy Volt won't pay fuel tax so they'll just reconfigure how they tax transportation.

Privacy issues concern me on this as well.

 

[Notmuchlonger]

After this.

Sewage should be taxed by how many sh**s I take.

 

[soupcxan]

Things you can be sure of:

1) They may add a per-mile GPS tax, but the old gas tax ain't going away.
2) The cost of administering the GPS tax is going to offset any increased revenue...taxing gasoline is already an implicit tax on mileage: you drive more miles, you use more gas, you pay more tax! Don't need a stinkin' GPS to figure that out.

 

[samclem]

Privacy issues concern me on this as well.

You ain't kidding. When the government can tell where every car has been . . .

Plus, look for differential taxes by type of road used (you'd pay different taxes for each municipality). Also, speeders could expect their fines to be mailed to them automatically.

I'm wondering how enforcement would work--what's to stop a driver from disconnecting power to the unit or wrapping it in grounded aluminum foil? I suppose police cars could have electronic interrogators to check the operation of the units--no "Polo" in answer to McGruff's "Marco" equals a heavy fine.

I would want to add a special tax for anyone who left their turn signal on for more than 15 seconds.

 

[UncleHoney]

Hummmmm.... In 2020 I'll be 74. Maybe a switch in transportation modes will be in style by then. How about a road apple tax.

 

[Notmuchlonger]

Hummmmm.... In 2020 I'll be 74. Maybe a switch in transportation modes will be in style by then. How about a road apple tax.

Back home the Amish still do it. Maybe Ill switch to Amish.