Big Brother taking another step forward?

[c1ue]

Yes, this is a 'draft'.

But on the other hand, it is serious enough to put on paper.

Talk about infringement of civil liberties combined with another tax. Does anyone seriously think these GPS devices can't be used to track people as well as tax them?

http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-actio...rs-by-the-mile

The Obama administration has floated a transportation authorization bill that would require the study and implementation of a plan to tax automobile drivers based on how many miles they drive.
The plan is a part of the administration's Transportation Opportunities Act, an undated draft of which was obtained this week by Transportation Weekly.

The White House, however, said the bill is only an early draft that was not formally circulated within the administration.

“This is not an administration proposal," White House spokeswoman Jennifer Psaki said. "This is not a bill supported by the administration. This was an early working draft proposal that was never formally circulated within the administration, does not taken into account the advice of the president’s senior advisers, economic team or Cabinet officials, and does not represent the views of the president.”

[dcarrigg]

Re: Big Brother taking another step forward?

Sorry, C1ue, for some reason, I couldn't reply within the thread (the buttons weren't there).

In any event, I took a look through the bill. It's a fairly extensive rethinking of things. I find it strange, though, that they would go through all of the trouble of trying to track vehicle miles traveled and not just increase a gasoline tax - which has the benefits of 1) being a hell of a lot easier, and 2) promoting sales of cars with improved mpg ratings.

It's DOA anyway in this environment.

[c1ue]

Re: Big Brother taking another step forward?

Sorry, C1ue, for some reason, I couldn't reply within the thread (the buttons weren't there).

In any event, I took a look through the bill. It's a fairly extensive rethinking of things. I find it strange, though, that they would go through all of the trouble of trying to track vehicle miles traveled and not just increase a gasoline tax - which has the benefits of 1) being a hell of a lot easier, and 2) promoting sales of cars with improved mpg ratings.

It's DOA anyway in this environment.

Yes, some embedded HTML has torqued the vbulletin backbone. I had this happen with another thread a couple months back.

As for strange - it only doesn't make sense if you look closely at some Beltway Bandits and/or GPS equipment companies which will benefit: the last line of the post mentions $300 million budgeting until 2017.

A heck of a lot of money by any definition for 'exploration'.

[dcarrigg]

Re: Big Brother taking another step forward?

Yes, some embedded HTML has torqued the vbulletin backbone. I had this happen with another thread a couple months back.

As for strange - it only doesn't make sense if you look closely at some Beltway Bandits and/or GPS equipment companies which will benefit: the last line of the post mentions $300 million budgeting until 2017.

A heck of a lot of money by any definition for 'exploration'.

I suppose what I was intimating was that it is an ineffective method of taxation for revenue collection, administrative overhead, and 'energy cost-savings.' The only (sensible) reason to do something like this is - as your thread title implies - tracking everyone for security purposes.

[Thailandnotes]

Re: Big Brother taking another step forward?

(This thread is working on when displayed in "threaded mode."

"When Scott Fitzsimones turned 13, he got an iPhone, set up accounts for Facebook and Pandora and went on an apps downloading spree. At the same time, the new teenager lost many protections over his privacy online.

"The games he plays know his location at any given moment through the phone’s GPS technology. He has entered his parents’ credit card number to buy apps, and iTunes has his family’s e-mail address and everyone’s full names. Facebook knows his birth date and the school he attends."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/busine...y.html?hpid=z3

[cbr]

Re: Big Brother taking another step forward?

worst and most dangerous idea ever, the absolute end to individual rights and combined with the total dependency of the internet and cell networks on acquiescence of government will provide the cheap and easy way to completely monopolize power against individuals.

worse, it will be seductively attractive to sell to environmentalist morons as a 'fair' way to tax drivers...

[gwynedd1]

Re: Big Brother taking another step forward?

Its not even fair considering how much you drive has nothing to do with actual consumption, as others have pointed out. 1 mile in an SUV is not 1 mile in a compact. Its nothing but surveillance.

[reggie]

Re: Big Brother taking another step forward?

This has more to do Cybernetics than it does taxation.