[Vision2020] tax by the mile

[David M. Budge]

lfalen wrote:

>I don't see any advantage in taxing by the mile over the gas tax. The people with economy efficient cars would pay the same as those with gas guzzlers. It would be hard to police. How are you going to get everyone's odometer read? It would encourage cheating as odometers can be set back.
>  
>

Here's how the article address that:

" Seeing tax dollars dwindling, neighboring Oregon has already started 
road testing the idea.

"Drivers will get charged for how many miles they use the roads, and 
it's as simple as that," says engineer David Kim.

Kim and his team at Oregon State University equipped a test car with a 
global positioning device to keep track of its mileage. Eventually, 
every car would need one.

"So, if you drive 10 miles you will pay a certain fee which will be, 
let's say, one tenth of what someone pays if they drive 100 miles," says 
Kim.

The new tax would be charged each time you fill up. A computer inside 
the gas pump would communicate with your car's odometer to calculate how 
much you owe. "

It is also noteworthy that California is discussing have mandatory GPS 
systems on every car that would be used to regulate speeding 
violations.  If you speed, the GPS will have an automated computer 
system generate a traffic ticket and send it to your home.  This is 
already in practice in certain parts of the economy.  One large auto 
rental company uses this technology for tracking the driving behavior of 
its customers.  If you speed in the rental car they levy a surcharge. 

Dave Budge
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