Two years ago Ray LaHood (Transportation Secretary) brought this idea up and now it’s seeing more light of day. With the Randian name Transportation Opportunities Act (TOA) they plan to tax how many miles we drive by installing an Orwellian-type electronic device in our cars.
1984 meets Atlas Shrugged all in one fell swoop.
Of course this is in addition to the national gas tax (average) of $.495 that we are already paying.
Take a look a these PDF maps (H/T Mark Levin’s website), here and here, to see how much you are now paying in state and federal taxes per gallon of gas. And those taxes won’t ever go away; they will be added to the VMT (vehicle mileage tax) that this regime wants to impose on us with this new TOA.
No one, it seems has considered how this will impact employment, or lack thereof. Take for instance the number of people who will stay home rather than take a family vacation. The impact on communities and states that rely on tourist dollars will surely feel it. And lets see — how will this impact state and national parks that rely on tourism dollars. Fewer people will be hired and more people will be laid off or not replaced should they have to quit their jobs.
Then there’s the more sinister side of this: controlling our movement and restricting relocation to other states. People are easier to control if they can’t move around much. Make it more expensive to travel and people do (and already have) cut back. That means less money spent in the retail sector, as well – again, a job killer.
This gives me a headache. This man and his regime HAVE GOT TO GO in 2012 or we are doomed.
Diary of a Mad Conservative 