Big ones, O
Here was the proposal floated in an AP interview by noob Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood (wording pasted from the Washington Post article, but it has been reported all over, in both liberal and conservative sources):
"We should look at the vehicular miles program where people are actually clocked on the number of miles that they traveled," [LaHood] said. ...
A [similar] plan in Massachusetts to use GPS chips in vehicles to charge motorists by the mile has drawn complaints from drivers who say it's an Orwellian intrusion by government into the lives of citizens. Other motorists say it eliminates an incentive to drive more fuel-efficient cars since gas guzzlers will be taxed at the same rate as fuel sippers.
I find the entire idea abhorrent. Not only would chipping and GPSing my car be an invasion of my privacy, but the tax (and he can call it whatever he wants: it's just a tax dressed up in fancy duds) is regressive on states that don't have efficient public transportation. In essence, it's a program for self-congratulatory east-coast politicians, by self-congratulatory east-coast politicians. Just like Amtrak, which the rest of us poor slobs are still paying for.
President Obama, however, reportedly slammed this idea, displaying surprising gonads by politically thwacking his own cabinet member. Here's to more of the same, Mister President.
"We should look at the vehicular miles program where people are actually clocked on the number of miles that they traveled," [LaHood] said. ...
A [similar] plan in Massachusetts to use GPS chips in vehicles to charge motorists by the mile has drawn complaints from drivers who say it's an Orwellian intrusion by government into the lives of citizens. Other motorists say it eliminates an incentive to drive more fuel-efficient cars since gas guzzlers will be taxed at the same rate as fuel sippers.
I find the entire idea abhorrent. Not only would chipping and GPSing my car be an invasion of my privacy, but the tax (and he can call it whatever he wants: it's just a tax dressed up in fancy duds) is regressive on states that don't have efficient public transportation. In essence, it's a program for self-congratulatory east-coast politicians, by self-congratulatory east-coast politicians. Just like Amtrak, which the rest of us poor slobs are still paying for.
President Obama, however, reportedly slammed this idea, displaying surprising gonads by politically thwacking his own cabinet member. Here's to more of the same, Mister President.