The new Transportation Chief Roy LaHood recommended a Mileage vs. Gas Tax. Some states use a mileage rate for charging taxes for roads (of course they also steal the money for pork); the way I understand it there is a GPS in the car which reports the mileage to Big Brother.
Numerous politicians have told us to use less gas and we have been. This of course led to less gas being used so the tax revenue from gas sales has decreased plus the lower price has led to lower sales tax revenue; so the states were looking for ways to get more of our money.
In the case of Oregon, Governor Kulongoski is proposing a mileage tax that would eventually replace the gas tax altogether, and make use of GPS units to determine just how far each person travels and bill them accordingly (Oregon is proposing a 1.2 cent per mile tax). To assuage privacy concerns, that information would apparently only be collected when the driver fuels up, and actual travel information supposedly wouldn't be tracked (click here for article) (Oregon has the highest percentage of electric vehicles.)
But an interesting sidelight to the Transportation Chief's announcement is that President Obama threw him under the bus (or mileage as it were). I suspect that it was an Obama idea that he had his guy trial balloon for him: when public opinion was so much against it Obama did as he often does sacrifices the lamb (remember Pastor Wright & his grandmother). (Link to another person's article on the same)
sacrificial |(adj) of, relating to, or constituting a sacrifice : an altar for sacrificial offerings.
• technical designed to be used up or destroyed in fulfilling a purpose or function
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