There could be a tax for every mile you drive if certain lawmakers have their way.
Lawmakers are currently considering putting a black box in the car of every American driver to record their car’s mileage. The reason for this would be to tax Americans for every mile that they drive.
The device would track a driver’s mileage, and then the mileage would be tallied up before a tax bill was sent to the driver at the end of the year. Lawmakers are proposing this idea as a way to help pay for the roads that are falling apart all over the country.
Many are against this idea, including members of the Tea Party and the American Civil Liberties Union. It may be surprising to know, however, that a large number of people support it as the next logical step in fixing our roadways.
“This really is a must for our nation. It is not a matter of something we might choose to do,” said Hasan Ikhrata, executive director of the Southern California Association of Governments. “There is going to be a change in how we pay these taxes. The technology is there to do it.” Ikhrata’s organization is planning to enact the black box idea in the state by 2025.
Most people who are against it are not concerned with the fact that they will be taxed, but more are concerned with their privacy, as many of these black boxes can track speed and location.
“People will be more willing to do this if you do not track their speed and you do not track their location,” said Ryan Morrison, chief executive of True Mileage, to the Los Angeles Times. “There have been some big mistakes in some of these state pilot programs. There are a lot less expensive and less intrusive ways to do this.”
Congress has yet to come to a decision as to whether or not to make this happen, but several states are already jumping on it.
