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bigralph · 02-20-2009, 03:52 PM

I'm starting to hate living here with all this stupid taxes.

Massachusetts may consider mileage chip
Posted: Feb 17, 2009 10:46 AM EST

BOSTON (AP) - A proposal to use GPS to charge people in Massachusetts for the miles they drive is being blasted as "Orwellian."

But a similar program has been tried in Oregon with positive results - after efforts to eliminate concerns "Big Brother" was watching. The GPS system used in Oregon doesn't allow real-time tracking of the vehicle, though it still measures distance traveled.

A draft plan by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has called for a "Vehicle Miles Traveled" program to replace the gas tax by 2014.

The idea is that as cars become more fuel efficient, gas tax revenues will drop. Backers of the plan say charging drivers for the miles they put on state roads is a fair way to pay for them.

Similar programs are being considering in Idaho and Rhode Island.

Last November the voters of Massachusetts had the chance to repeal the state income tax but the measure failed by about 70%-30% if my memory serve me. The special interests in Massachusetts were able to use scare tactics to convince the voters that repealing the income tax would be irresponsible. These groups claimed that if the tax was repealed that the state would be forced to either raise other taxes or fire police and fire fighters.

But once the governor saw that 70% of the people didn’t mind paying taxes, all bets were off. The people have shown that taxes are acceptable to them and now the governor is ready to fleece the people of Massachusetts for all that he can. On top of paying that income tax Massachusetts is considering many more taxes on top of the income tax. There are proposals to tax soda, candy bars, flavored water, toll increases, and gas tax increases to name a few. The governor is also trying to follow his subjects over the New Hampshire border by unconstitutionally trying to make New Hampshire businesses charge Massachusetts resident a sales tax for anything that they buy in New Hampshire. More on the governor following Massachusetts residents in a moment.

The governor is proposing as much as a 29 cent gas tax increase that would make the Massachusetts gas tax far and away the highest in the nation. But buried in this article about the possiSomehow the fact that the governor of Massachusetts wants to put a chip in the inspection stickers of Massachusetts resident’s cars only rates one paragraph in the entire article buried towards the end.

Governor Deval Patrick isn’t content with taxing the people of Massachusetts for just about everything that they do or buy in his state, he wants to follow them over the border and tax them on what they buy out of state, and he wants to just follow them and tax them for wherever they decide to go-period.

This is the sad state of affairs in Massachusetts, and the country in general. This is not the first state to talk about implementing a tax on miles driven and it won’t be the last. Once this idea gets noticed around the country more and more states will try to implement it, and why stop there? A federal tax on miles driven would naturally be next. President Obama will want in on the deal.

But Massachusetts residents have nobody to blame but themselves as they voted in favor of paying taxes last November when they refused to send a message to the governor. Actually they did send a message to the governor, it was the wrong message, it was the message that if some taxes are good, more taxes must be better. That is not a wise idea when you have a tax and spend liberal in charge of the state. Massachusetts residents gave Deval Patrick and inch and now he is taking a mile– literally.

ble gas tax increase is a very interesting tidbit about another plan that the governor has to tax his loyal subjects.

02-20-2009, 03:52 PM	#1
bigralph Drives: 2001 v6 Camaro Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Northborough, MA Posts: 267	Massachusetts may consider mileage chip I'm starting to hate living here with all this stupid taxes. Massachusetts may consider mileage chip Posted: Feb 17, 2009 10:46 AM EST BOSTON (AP) - A proposal to use GPS to charge people in Massachusetts for the miles they drive is being blasted as "Orwellian." But a similar program has been tried in Oregon with positive results - after efforts to eliminate concerns "Big Brother" was watching. The GPS system used in Oregon doesn't allow real-time tracking of the vehicle, though it still measures distance traveled. A draft plan by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has called for a "Vehicle Miles Traveled" program to replace the gas tax by 2014. The idea is that as cars become more fuel efficient, gas tax revenues will drop. Backers of the plan say charging drivers for the miles they put on state roads is a fair way to pay for them. Similar programs are being considering in Idaho and Rhode Island. Last November the voters of Massachusetts had the chance to repeal the state income tax but the measure failed by about 70%-30% if my memory serve me. The special interests in Massachusetts were able to use scare tactics to convince the voters that repealing the income tax would be irresponsible. These groups claimed that if the tax was repealed that the state would be forced to either raise other taxes or fire police and fire fighters. But once the governor saw that 70% of the people didn’t mind paying taxes, all bets were off. The people have shown that taxes are acceptable to them and now the governor is ready to fleece the people of Massachusetts for all that he can. On top of paying that income tax Massachusetts is considering many more taxes on top of the income tax. There are proposals to tax soda, candy bars, flavored water, toll increases, and gas tax increases to name a few. The governor is also trying to follow his subjects over the New Hampshire border by unconstitutionally trying to make New Hampshire businesses charge Massachusetts resident a sales tax for anything that they buy in New Hampshire. More on the governor following Massachusetts residents in a moment. The governor is proposing as much as a 29 cent gas tax increase that would make the Massachusetts gas tax far and away the highest in the nation. But buried in this article about the possiSomehow the fact that the governor of Massachusetts wants to put a chip in the inspection stickers of Massachusetts resident’s cars only rates one paragraph in the entire article buried towards the end. Governor Deval Patrick isn’t content with taxing the people of Massachusetts for just about everything that they do or buy in his state, he wants to follow them over the border and tax them on what they buy out of state, and he wants to just follow them and tax them for wherever they decide to go-period. This is the sad state of affairs in Massachusetts, and the country in general. This is not the first state to talk about implementing a tax on miles driven and it won’t be the last. Once this idea gets noticed around the country more and more states will try to implement it, and why stop there? A federal tax on miles driven would naturally be next. President Obama will want in on the deal. But Massachusetts residents have nobody to blame but themselves as they voted in favor of paying taxes last November when they refused to send a message to the governor. Actually they did send a message to the governor, it was the wrong message, it was the message that if some taxes are good, more taxes must be better. That is not a wise idea when you have a tax and spend liberal in charge of the state. Massachusetts residents gave Deval Patrick and inch and now he is taking a mile– literally. ble gas tax increase is a very interesting tidbit about another plan that the governor has to tax his loyal subjects.