The
Beaver State is investigating a new method of assessing taxes used to bankroll state highways. Instead of collecting
money via gasoline taxes, Oregon is testing a GPS-based system which levels taxes based upon miles driven. By switching
to such a system, the state would not lose revenue with every resident that purchases a more fuel efficient vehicle.
The ‘black box’ system keeps tabs on how many miles are racked up both in and out of Oregon’s borders, as well as
during rush hour, and levies taxes on the totals accrued. Predictably, the creation of a database that monitors the
travel patterns of drivers raises some troubling privacy concerns, even for those who don’t regularly harbor ‘Big
Brother’ conspiracy theories.
As things stand, Oregon derives some 80-percent of its highway funding from its 24-cent-per-gallon tax, thus the
move towards more fuel-efficient vehicles stands to negatively impact the state’s coffers by millions of dollars.
What do you think, is this a viable alternative to standard gas-based taxation, or are the potential privacy issues
too great to overlook?
[Source: UPI]
(Top tip, Chicken!)