Auto Knight

Ohio Considers Mileage Tax Using ‘Big Brother’ Technology

by Heather

High gasoline prices and more fuel efficient automobiles have negatively affected tax revenues in Ohio, so now the Buckeye State is considering a new tax on Ohio drivers.

The proposed tax would be based on mileage.

The ‘reporting’ tool would be a big brother GPS placed in every car. This GPS would not only record total miles a car has traveled, but also when and where the car was driven.

Since many Ohio drivers have adjusted their driving habits downward in reaction to recent $4.00 a gallon gas prices and other economic factors, the current federal and state taxes of .46 cents per gallon of gasoline isn’t netting as much revenue as it once did, hence the idea for this new “big brother” taxation plan.

The mileage tax plan would replace the current per gallon tax – with the added benefit of being able to invade a civilian’s privacy by tracking their every movement.

This erosion of privacy is as disturbing as the pothole ridden roads that Ohio residents are forced to drive on year in and year out.

Needless to say, this proposal has been highly criticized by many Ohioans. However, Ohio Governor Strickland is said to support raising the current gas tax over a mileage based taxation.

Common sense says that people that drive more will end up paying more as they need to fill-up or top-off more than someone that does discretionary driving.

Shouldn’t that be enough to keep Ohio’s roadways in disrepair?