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Oregon Considers GPS-based Road Taxes
Oregon is considering instituting a road tax - a tax based on the mileage driven within the state. The tax would be implemented with mandatory GPS boxes in each vehicle recording the mileage driven in Oregon. We've done a couple of previous stories on Great Britain's initiatives in this area.
Oooooohhhhh! You invoked the names "Big Oil" and "John Ashcroft"! This must be seriously bad!
The simple truth is that the reasoning wan't given. Don't jump to the conclusion that the taxpayers will lose out and that (dare I say the word?) Big Oil will actually benefit. For all you know gas taxes might be lower for most people, with certain people paying more based on where they drive. This way people might be able to vary how much they should pay in taxes.
The only ones who will definately benefit from this is probably the makers of GPS equipment. So yes, let's all go fear Big GPS Equipment.
Oregon *doesn't* have a "high environmentalist contingent".
While I'm sure the "environmentalist contingent" here is high, there aren't that many environmentalists in the state, but the ones here are vocal and wacky.
Yep I said wacky and don't mean to flame. But anyone that thinks burning hundreds of metal, plastic, paint and rubber SUVs is better than said SUVs driving around is wacky.
Oregon is an odd place. You have alot of environmentalists living along side many more ranchers, furriers, farmers, loggers and fisherman. The environmentalists are mostly bunched in Portland and Eugene while the rest of the state doesn't like them one bit.