[Schurkey]

U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore, introduced H.R. 3311 to Congress in July. The bill calls for the funding of a $150 million-plus study of a Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) fee, to ultimately replace the current consumption-based gas tax. The VMT system would require the installation of a GPS transponder in all vehicles. Under the program, when a motorist pulls up to the gas pump, information about when and where the vehicle traveled would be downloaded to the pump. The mileage tax would then be computed and added to the per gallon cost of the gas. In theory, the tax could be increased for travel during peak periods or in areas of higher traffic congestion. Traffic management by Big Brother.




This bill SHOULD be considered a slap in the face to the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution.

U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer clearly does not care about FREEDOM; he's asking for unlimited surveillance by the Federal Government of our motor vehicles; and by extension our private lives. He should be ashamed of himself. This is Un-American.

Clearly, this is the "foot in the door" for traffic tickets via GPS: They know your position--and they have stop watches. Therefore they know your speed, whether you stopped or yielded at traffic signals; how many hours you've been driving. Add some computerized wizardry, and the tickets get sent to the registered owner of the vehicle. MASSIVE REVENUE GENERATION at the expense of our privacy.

We are becoming cows--owned by the Government and milked for all we're worth.

If you live in Oregon, you need to put a leash on this guy.

[Tom Vaught]

The Car Rental Companies at Salt Lake City have been raking in the cash from people parking their cars on the Salt Flats. Automatic $500.00 cleaning fee. All of this is documented by the GPS tracking device that is typically mounted on the trunk lid.

They get really pissed when the tracking device stops working, LOL!

Amazing how that tracking device does not work when it is removed from the trunk lid and moved inside the trunk. It stops working on the way out and starts working the last 50 miles from the agency.

The units built into the vehicle by the Manufacturer, (like Ford) have a Aircraft "Black Box" capability used for warranty tracking. The info must be downloaded by hand vs an automatiic download to a gas pump.

Tom Vaught

[Brian Baker]

And who do they think they are kidding by using the "selling point" of eliminating the current gas tax? They won't be eliminating anything, they'll be adding to it, rest assured.

[drailed]

First its the Patriot act and now this ****. Whats next

[Lightfoot]

Right about now, I wish I had a GPS tracking device in my car.....

Just not one required by the feds.

[242177P]

Wonder how solid core spark plug leads will affect one of these...

[guccieng]

traffic management? more like tax managment. never underestimate the stupidity of elected officials.

[fiedlerh]

Per gallon gasoline taxes ARE essentially Vehicle Miles Traveled taxes with an automatic penalty for getting poor mileage. The new tax is another government scam to raise taxes. The study alone calculates out to 60 cents per vehicle in the US.

[2002Z4CSS]

These elected officials need to spend time on more important stuff.

[Bjorn]

that can also be used to tax electric vehicles in the future , plus ticketing for speeding etc...just another "big brother" idea to limit your freedoms.

but mainly its right now to collect taxes...

[ho428]

So if I fill up the truck tank, and four 5 gallon cans for home use it will somehow know I only put 14 gallons in the truck and only tax me for that? Don't think so.

Lots of whacko bills get presented every year, luckily most die on the vine.

[Jack Peters]

And the price of the car just went up. Gas went up because all the pumps would have to add this device to their pumps. $$$$$$$$$$$ is what it is all about. Once it is in the door, LOOK OUT!!

[David Holmberg]

And when a store is robbed, or a body is found the government can just pull up the cars that were in the area at the time...

It's all about new/higher taxes. We're already taxed to death, write down all the things you're taxed for/on and you'll get really pissed.

[uforacing]

Originally Posted by Tom Vaught

The Car Rental Companies at Salt Lake City have been raking in the cash from people parking their cars on the Salt Flats. Automatic $500.00 cleaning fee. All of this is documented by the GPS tracking device that is typically mounted on the trunk lid.

They get really pissed when the tracking device stops working, LOL!

Amazing how that tracking device does not work when it is removed from the trunk lid and moved inside the trunk. It stops working on the way out and starts working the last 50 miles from the agency.

The units built into the vehicle by the Manufacturer, (like Ford) have a Aircraft "Black Box" capability used for warranty tracking. The info must be downloaded by hand vs an automatiic download to a gas pump.

Tom Vaught

I wonder what they would say when ya bring that new cobra back with a C/PS in shoe polish on the windshield...........

[JLHarper]

We talked about this before on here....not sure what these other states have found out but its been in the news in NC. Hasnt gone over well, iirc.

They claim these only upload miles driven. Good, year old, short article about the program:

http://www.engineering.uiowa.edu/new...php?newsID=243