# Here's a Stupid Idea **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 3, 2009, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-a-stupid-idea/479750 "2009-01-03T22:58:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-a-stupid-idea/479750/1 "2009-01-03T22:58:33Z")
[Check out Oregon’s proposed alternative to a fuel tax.](http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,475507,00.html) > [@](#): > > Oregon is among a growing number of states exploring ways to tax drivers based on the number of miles they drive instead of how much gas they use, even going so far as to install GPS monitoring devices in 300 vehicles. The idea first emerged nearly 10 years ago as Oregon lawmakers worried that fuel-efficient cars such as gas-electric hybrids could pose a threat to road upkeep, which is paid for largely with gasoline taxes. Yeah, _that’s_ what I want, a device in my car that allows the government to know where I’m going. And, hey, while we’re at it, why don’t we just throw in a speed recorder so that we can fine a person every time they violate the speed limit? ---
**Author:** ![Casserole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b77776/32.png) [@Casserole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casserole)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-a-stupid-idea/479750/2 "2009-01-03T23:04:49Z")
Hm. I don’t see why they would require the installation of a GPS unit. Wouldn’t an odometer reading be just as efficient, especially with today’s cars’ digital odometers? (Props to the first guy who can fool the system by “rolling back” the digital odometer) However, I do see the whole “charge people based on distance travelled instead of gas used” as a money-grubbing tactic. As for government intervetion into my car? As long as it punishes me for **crimes** , I think I’d be okay with it. Say, if a meter contacted the cops every time I travelled faster than… 150 kph, for example (94 mph), fair is fair, I _was_ speeding. I wouldn’t enjoy being pulled over for travelling a measly 5 kph over, however. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-a-stupid-idea/479750/3 "2009-01-03T23:08:12Z")
Still can’t even pump yer own gas there, right? ---
**Author:** ![Bobotheoptimist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/919ad9/32.png) [@Bobotheoptimist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bobotheoptimist)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-a-stupid-idea/479750/4 "2009-01-03T23:08:38Z")
Mileage tax to make up for lost gas tax income. But what do you want to bet that they don’t drop the gas tax? And I seem to remember someone suggesting speed recorders… or maybe it was rental cars. Anyway, I imagine a section of the population will think this is a good idea. And I’ll reserve my opinion of them unless this moves to the Pit. ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2009, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-a-stupid-idea/479750/5 "2009-01-03T23:25:25Z")
However you do it, the cost of collecting a per-mile tax is going to be meaningful. There would surely be some serious complications, like how to tax the poor schmucks from other states who naively wish to visit. And since both wear & tear on roads and fuel usage tend to vary with vehicle weight, the current (simple) scheme of a per-gallon tax seems much the best way to go. If a sound case can be made for increasing gas-tax revenue, the right way to do this certainly looks to be simply raising the current per-gallon tax (which retains a built-in reward for fuel efficiency). ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2009, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-a-stupid-idea/479750/6 "2009-01-04T00:20:06Z")
Didn’t California threaten to do this within the past couple years before dropping the idea? ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2009, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heres-a-stupid-idea/479750/7 "2009-01-04T01:07:07Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > And since both wear & tear on roads and fuel usage tend to vary with vehicle weight, the current (simple) scheme of a per-gallon tax seems much the best way to go. Yep. Larger vehicles use more fuel = more gas = more tax. Since this is not the pit, let me give it a good old MPSIMS rant. Aahemmm….. I will only say that this is the lamest, most ridicules, poorly thought out attempt at gouging good people that are trying to conserve fuel and these idiots need to get away from the file drawer that holds their bottle of rum and get a little bit more in touch with the real world and perhaps consider that some people are actually trying to do good by using less energy. That they would punish them for using less oil is a clear indicator that those that manage the monies of this Country are clueless of the needs of the common people and need to either start drinking a lot more or a lot less.. What a bunch of maroons. Bugs Bunny had it right.