The Price Of… Driving?

    Gas prices soared, yet the demand never increased. Now Gas prices are down again, yet demand never decreased. And yes, you can bet the oil companies posted billion dollar profits.

     Energy became a major topic during the Bush presidency, gas prices soared when the average American seemed to most need a break. The public outcry demanded relief, and the search for new energy became a top priority. Gasoline will soon be on the down-slide, and that means a profit loss in many ways. So how do you counteract the billions of dollars being spent on oil? Create taxes based on mileage.

    That’s right, state lawmakers are pushing the idea of taxing you for how many miles you drive. The idea first came about nearly ten years ago in Oregon, when lawmakers figured fuel efficient cars would cause more damage to roads, while generating less revenue to fix them.
     The idea has progressed since then with more states initiating pilot programs to test the idea, including installing GPS devices to track mileage over time. With an increase in fuel efficient vehicles, Electric and alternative fuel cars o the horizon, it doesn’t make sense to raise taxes on gasoline. The irony here is that we are making cars that go farther for less, and that is taking money from the major oil companies. So, the best way to counteract that is to tax mileage. Yet you would still pay the tax when you fillup your gas tank. 

     Of course, the idea is ridiculous, and worse yet negates the main point of buying fuel efficient vehicles, to get more mileage for less money. This law would also open the doors for future taxes once the dust settles on the next big energy boom. Though the idea has already been discussed in Congress, for the most part, this idea is being held under wraps and not getting much publicity. Why? Because you will have no say in the matter. This law will either be passed or denied without much attention from those who it affects most.
    Many rights activists have picked up on the law due to privacy scrutiny. If a vehicle is tagged with GPS to track mileage, wouldnt that violate privacy? Lawmakers say that the GPS does not track detailed movement and that any driving history is not stored and cannot be accessed by law enforcement agencies. Which overall kind of contradicts the idea of tracking mileage. No doubt within months of implementing GPS, there will be software or other ways to track mileage. Gasoline may see its own demise in the distant future, but opportunities for revenue will never die.