about Oregon's mileage tax. Basically, because cars are getting more fuel efficient, revenues from gasoline taxes (used to fix roads and fund projects) are falling. As a possible solution, Oregon department of Transportation is conducting a study where drivers are charged for the miles they drive via a specialized GPS in their car. Here is another article, and here is a disenting opinion.
I'm glad lawmakers are investigating such an innovative approach to taxation. I'm not saying it's a solution and that we should implement it on a federal level, but I am saying it has a lot of potential. Some of the ideas surrounding the mileage tax are paying a premium for driving during rush hour in congested areas and, assuming national implementation, tracking and paying the mileage rate for each state you drive in (the gas tax already works somewhat like this, as you pay each individual states gas tax when you fuel up there). Also, this system could be used to charge a heavier tax on larger vehicles that do more wear and tear on the road. An idea I had was, if the GPS systems were sensitive enough, you could charge a special, temporary tax on a road or highway that needed extensive repair, such as a new interstate exit or major resurfacing. This could, arguably, create extra revenue for special projects allowing them to be financed easier and completed quicker. Also, states could charge a premium for driving in wilderness areas where even one or two vehicles on a backcountry road can cause extensive damage.
This idea is not without potential problems, though; chief of which is privacy and fairness. The State (and potentially Federal) government is essentially wanting to put a tracking device into your car to read when and where you drive. Security of this data would have to be airtight, and even then many people would not be comfortable with it. Also, the way test is being conducted, it treats a Toyota Prius the same as a Kenworth 18 wheeler towing three trailers, which removes some of the incentive for buying fuel efficient/hybrid cars.
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I may be call pessimistic (?) but I don't believe that any security is "air tight" as long as there are pasty white computer hackers with nothing better to do than try and break a code or encryption. That and the paranoia kicks in with the gov't having access to anything as "tempting" as the ability to track everyone.
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