Mileage tax proposed for state's drivers

[alwynsw]

This is possibly becoming a multi-state issue, therefor it's here instead of the CA forum.

<snip>Officials in car-clogged California are so worried they may be considering a replacement for the gas tax altogether, replacing it with something called "tax by the mile."

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 fellow researcher David Porter 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.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/02/14/eveningnews/main674120.shtml

http://www.ocregister.com/ocr/2004/08/19/sections/news/news/article_208035

<snip>Joan Borucki, chief deputy director at the California Transportation Commission and a member of the California Performance Review team that made the recommendation here, insists the device could not track residents' whereabouts.

I don't buy it. GPS, by definition, is capable of tracking almost anywhere on the planet.

I can see the subpoenas now: divorce cases in which one party is accused of philandering get the record subpoenaed to prove that spouse "A" parked at 123 Any St. at 2:00 P.M. every Tuesday for an hour, cops investigating all manner of crimes, etc. I can even see it being used in the future to track routes and travel times so speeding tickets can be delivered in the mail: gotta keep that revenue stream going, dontchaknow.

The are upsides to it: pinpointing the vehicle used in a crime, finding stolen cars similar to LoJack (bright spot - LoJack is at the owners option).

It's potentially far too large a can of worms with too many opportunities for abuse by both the courts and the private sector for my taste.

Ever know anyone who went through a messy divorce that had ties to the courthouse? I do. It was me. My ex-wife harrasses me constantly despite an unlisted phone number and using a P.O. Box. Can't hide you physical address legally if you want to register a vehicle or obtain a license. A program like this would allow the unethical to track anyone anywhere anytime.

Also, a primarily CA problem: no one should ever doubt that the press or paparazzi won't "buy" this information with a little green grease.

Now think about political candidate implications. It could cut both ways - and cut very deeply.

I can think of more possible use and abuse but I'll quit ranting.