Edit post

Edit your reply below.

Post Body
Enter your post below.
[quote user="edbenton"]As to Making all the Interstates Tollways will never happen.  Why the trucks would shut down for that so fast your head would spin.[/quote]   Why would the trucks shut down? <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p> What I have described as the new mileage tax system brought about by charging tolls everywhere you drive is not intended to be a tax increase.  In other words, it is not adding tolls on top of the road taxes you already pay, but rather, it is replacing road taxes with tolls that vary according to the value of the roadway driven on.  The reason this is being proposed is not to acquire more revenue.  It is being proposed as a remedy for declining fuel tax revenue that is occurring because of the trend of increasing gas mileage with cars. <o:p></o:p> The intent is to capture the same amount of tax revenue by shifting the tax from gallons of gas to miles driven.  Ten years ago, this idea would have required a toll way structure with tollbooths on all roads in order to keep track of where people drive.  Today, GPS is available to keep track of where people drive.  So, nothing needs to be added to the roads.  <o:p></o:p> However, a lot of people perceive this to be a tax increase, because they have grown accustomed to expecting that to be the motive behind most new ideas.  People with fuel-efficient cars are particularly indignant about the idea because they feel they are being signaled out for punishment after taking the moral high road to better fuel economy.  They refuse to acknowledge that their moral high road gives them no right to evade road tax, which buys the roads that are needed no matter what your fuel efficiency is. <o:p></o:p> The part that really gets people worked up about this idea, however, is the fact that the government will know everywhere you drive and when you drive there.  The “Big Brother” aspect of this is quick to get peoples’ attention.   <o:p></o:p> But here is the part that few people see yet:  There is a boatload of traffic management ideas that, so far, have had no way of implementation.  The closest they could get to some sort of automation was timing stoplights, or red light cameras, for instance.  Once they get this new computerized GPS tracker built into every car as mandatory equipment, they will be able to monitor and enforce many aspects of traffic laws.   The days of cops pulling people over for traffic light infractions, writing tickets, and voluntary fine payment through a court system will be long gone.  Instead, drivers will pre-pay a driving privilege deposit (DPD).  Then and infractions will be automatically registered by the system, and the fine will be deducted from the DPD.  If too many infractions are registered or if your DPD gets used up, your car won’t start.  Driving with this new system will be like having a highway patrol officer riding with you in the front seat.
Tags (Optional)
Tags are keywords that get attached to your post. They are used to categorize your submission and make it easier to search for. To add tags to your post type a tag into the box below and click the "Add Tag" button.
Add Tag