So I'm driving home and listening to a radio commercial about a show that's coming on later tonight about electric/high mileage cars. Essentially they're going to talk about how little they pay in gasoline taxes and how those taxes are used to maintain our roads.

This raises a good question: Those people in those cars are using the roads just as much as anyone else yet they are paying less for them. Should they be charged more for the car to help pay for our roads or should us real men with real cars continue to foot the bill?

So Republicans in SUV's are the taxpayers and Democrats in electric cars are the freeloaders.

Same song, different day.

(02-21-2012 09:47 PM)smn1256 Wrote:  So I'm driving home and listening to a radio commercial about a show that's coming on later tonight about electric/high mileage cars. Essentially they're going to talk about how little they pay in gasoline taxes and how those taxes are used to maintain our roads.

This raises a good question: Those people in those cars are using the roads just as much as anyone else yet they are paying less for them. Should they be charged more for the car to help pay for our roads or should us real men with real cars continue to foot the bill?

In many states with inspections there is already talk about a mileage tax

Charge a ten thousand dollar surcharge instead of giving a ten thousand dollar credit.

(02-21-2012 09:57 PM)Bull_In_Exile Wrote:  In many states with inspections there is already talk about a mileage tax

As long as they remove the equivalent tax on gasoline, I'm OK with that.....

(02-21-2012 09:47 PM)smn1256 Wrote:  So I'm driving home and listening to a radio commercial about a show that's coming on later tonight about electric/high mileage cars. Essentially they're going to talk about how little they pay in gasoline taxes and how those taxes are used to maintain our roads.

This raises a good question: Those people in those cars are using the roads just as much as anyone else yet they are paying less for them. Should they be charged more for the car to help pay for our roads or should us real men with real cars continue to foot the bill?

Put a surcharge on their registration, or bill them by the mile.

What's scary is that they are developing a per mile sensor for ALL cars. But it won't stop at saying just how many miles, my guess is it will record where you've driven too.

(02-22-2012 07:49 AM)DrTorch Wrote:  What's scary is that they are developing a per mile sensor for ALL cars. But it won't stop at saying just how many miles, my guess is it will record where you've driven too.

I see it now in private insurance. Not sure of a GPS application, but it measures speed and mileage, possibly acceleration etc too.

Hopefully I'm long dead before we're geotagging every car and person out there.

(02-22-2012 08:59 AM)RaiderATO Wrote:  

(02-22-2012 07:49 AM)DrTorch Wrote:  What's scary is that they are developing a per mile sensor for ALL cars. But it won't stop at saying just how many miles, my guess is it will record where you've driven too.

I see it now in private insurance. Not sure of a GPS application, but it measures speed and mileage, possibly acceleration etc too.

Hopefully I'm long dead before we're geotagging every car and person out there.

Isn't Progressive already doing this to help determine what rate you pay?

(02-22-2012 10:14 AM)ImMoreAwesomeThanYou Wrote:  Isn't Progressive already doing this to help determine what rate you pay?

They're doing the former, I believe. It's not necessary to GPS track a car in order to get acceleration, velocity, and mileage data.

(02-22-2012 10:17 AM)RaiderATO Wrote:  

(02-22-2012 10:14 AM)ImMoreAwesomeThanYou Wrote:  Isn't Progressive already doing this to help determine what rate you pay?

They're doing the former, I believe. It's not necessary to GPS track a car in order to get acceleration, velocity, and mileage data.

Right, but I know they are installing monitoring devices.

(02-22-2012 10:19 AM)ImMoreAwesomeThanYou Wrote:  

(02-22-2012 10:17 AM)RaiderATO Wrote:  

(02-22-2012 10:14 AM)ImMoreAwesomeThanYou Wrote:  Isn't Progressive already doing this to help determine what rate you pay?

They're doing the former, I believe. It's not necessary to GPS track a car in order to get acceleration, velocity, and mileage data.

Right, but I know they are installing monitoring devices.

All optional. If you think your driving habits will save you money (granny to church and grocery store) then go for it.

(02-22-2012 10:22 AM)RaiderATO Wrote:  

(02-22-2012 10:19 AM)ImMoreAwesomeThanYou Wrote:  

(02-22-2012 10:17 AM)RaiderATO Wrote:  

(02-22-2012 10:14 AM)ImMoreAwesomeThanYou Wrote:  Isn't Progressive already doing this to help determine what rate you pay?

They're doing the former, I believe. It's not necessary to GPS track a car in order to get acceleration, velocity, and mileage data.

Right, but I know they are installing monitoring devices.

All optional. If you think your driving habits will save you money (granny to church and grocery store) then go for it.

True. I almost said this in my post as not to mislead anyone. Still, I think we're not far off from these devices being installed on everyone's car for the sake of "National Security".

With the courts saying you can't track a car without a warrant, I think we've got a while until tracking our movements like that.

(02-22-2012 10:46 AM)RaiderATO Wrote:  With the courts saying you can't track a car without a warrant, I think we've got a while until tracking our movements like that.

My car has built in GPS. How would I know if they're tracking me now. They can do that and not tell me...thanks to Bush and Obama....oh, and Osama.