Gas taxes and privacy

[belgareth]

Fuel is already

expensive and the cost just keeps going up. Even though the government rakes in more money now from gas taxes than

ever before, they are talking about an increase of between$0.10 and $0.40 per gallon. Even that isn't what really

angers and frightens me. Read the rest of the article. GPS devices that will tell them when and where we drive? Are

you serious? Are we going to allow that huge an invasion of privacy?

Administration:

Highway fund to go broke in August

By JOAN LOWY, Associated Press Writer Joan Lowy, Associated Press Writer –

6/2/2009

WASHINGTON –

The Obama administration is warning lawmakers that the trust fund that pays for highway construction will go broke

in August unless Congress approves an infusion of as much as $7 billion.
Sen. Barbara Boxer, chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, said at a hearing

the administration has told senators the Federal Highway Trust Fund will need an estimated $5 billion to $7 billion

to keep current construction projects going.
The California Democrat

said another $8 billion to $10 billion will be needed to keep the fund solvent through the year ending Sept. 30,

2010.
Transportation Department spokeswoman Jill Zuckman confirmed

those figures.
"The administration is working closely with Congress to

solve this difficult problem and ensure that states have the resources they need to maintain our roads and

highways," Zuckman said.
A decline in driving that began in late 2007

has reduced federal gas tax revenue, the primary source of trust fund dollars.
The trust fund is separate from the $48 billion in transportation projects included in the economic

recovery law enacted by Congress and signed by President Barack Obama earlier this year.
Congress approved an emergency transfer of $8 billion in general treasury dollars last fall to

make up a projected shortfall — the first time in the history of the program that had happened. The fund dates back

to creation of the federal interstate highway program in 1956.
Sen.

George Voinovich, R-Ohio, said it's clear that Congress must raise the federal gas tax, which is now 18.4 cents per

gallon.
"I know that doesn't go down so well with some folks," but

it's "the reality of the situation," Voinovich said at the hearing, which was on Obama's nomination of former

Arizona highways director Victor Mendez to head the Federal Highway Administration.
"That will be one of my highest priorities, to get on that very quickly," Mendez said of the trust

fund.
The law that authorizes federal highway programs is due to expire

at the end of September, but the issue hasn't been on Congress' frontburner. There is a consensus among

transportation experts and lawmakers that there will have to be some form of a tax increase — always unpopular, but

especially so in a recession — to make up for the lower gas tax revenues and to address a backlog of crumbling and

congested highways, bridges and public transit systems.
Two

congressionally mandated commissions have called for an immediate increase in the gas tax. The first commission,

which issued its report in early 2008, recommended a 40-cent per gallon hike. The second panel, which issued its

report earlier this year, recommended the tax be increased 10 cents per gallon for gas and 15 cents per gallon for

diesel, and that both be indexed to inflation.
The two panels also said

fuel taxes are not a sustainable source of revenue over the long term as drivers shift to more fuel efficient

vehicles. Both panels recommended Congress find a new revenue source to pay for highway and transit

programs.
Their top recommendation was to tax motorists based on how

many miles they drive. That would require equipping cars and trucks with devices that use GPS technology to record

not only how many miles the vehicle was driven, but whether the driving took place on interstate highways or

secondary roads and whether it was during peak travel periods. The device would calculate the amount of tax owed and

the bill could be downloaded.
A mileage-based tax system would take

about 10 years to implement.

[idesign]

As majority owners of GM, how

hard will it be for Obama and his cronies to mandate GPS devices being installed in their new cars. With the new

outrageous CAFE standards, they're already dictating what kind of car will be built, hence what we can

drive.

This particular Federal intrusion into individual lives is but one of many. We can expect them to seek

control over Health Care, Social Security and gun control, to name the most important.

As well, we've already

seen courts use eminent domain to sieze private property for other private use, strictly to increase tax revenue.



These intrusions were once creeping dangers held somewhat in check by occasional conservative uprisings in

Congress and the White House. Now, with Obama and his posse, we're seeing an accelerated power shift that will

leave all of us working for the Company Store, with little or no freedom to live or work outside their strict

controls. The Great Deceiver is having his way.

[belgareth]

A case in point regarding

emminent domain is the new Dallas COwboys stadium built here in Arlington. Hundreds of older homes were forcibly

purchased and the former owners evicted. The courts sided with the city's argument about increasing tax revenues

for the betterment of the city. Factually, it increased part time, minimum wage jobs while forcing hundreds from

their homes, some had lived in those homes for more than 50 years.

The GPS really scares me! Once that is in

place we will no longer have any privacy about where we go, and by extension, who we are with. More so than medical

records or anything else, this is big brother at its worst!

[Rbt]

A case in

point regarding emminent domain is the new Dallas COwboys stadium built here in Arlington. Hundreds of older homes

were forcibly purchased and the former owners evicted. The courts sided with the city's argument about increasing

tax revenues for the betterment of the city. Factually, it increased part time, minimum wage jobs while forcing

hundreds from their homes, some had lived in those homes for more than 50 years.


Similar goings-on in

(The Great City State of) Chicago area with O'Hare airport expansion plans.

Not sure the universal GPS idea

will catch on, especially after the politicians realize they will be being tracked as well...

[idesign]

Not sure the

universal GPS idea will catch on, especially after the politicians realize they will be being tracked as

well...

I'd like to believe that too Rbt, but consider this quote from Bel's article

above:

"Their (Congress') top recommendation was to tax motorists

based on how many miles they drive. That would require equipping cars and trucks with devices that use GPS

technology to record not only how many miles the vehicle was driven, but whether the driving took place on

interstate highways or secondary roads and whether it was during peak travel periods." [emphasis mine]

What

scares me too is the number of people willing to subscribe to this line of thinking; that heaven will open and the

utopian manna will fall around Obama's feet to distribute as he deems "equal". Its a submissive mental conformity

who's only driving force is blind adherence to a particular set of secular pieties.

It seems that Obama's

election is the critical mass needed to consummate decades of drift into a lightning strike of social engineering.

The stage is set for the Federal Gov't to take control over our property, our health care, our privacy, our

finances and retirement, our businesses and, mark my words, something will happen to spark a very intense gun

control push. With the Constitution under his feet, Obama will reach for the stars.

To cut Obama a break, it

could be anyone. He just happened to be the right puppet at the right place at the right time.

[DrSmellThis]

Not in favor of the intrusion

of privacy, as there is not enough specific need to justify it, despite the commissions' recommendation. I don't

think Americans will permit it. I do regard infrastructure upkeep as an investment as well as a stimulus, as well as

just plain necessary; and don't have a problem supporting it with my tax dollars. Seems the most logical is to do

this only partially with fuel tax, so I'd favor the lower end of any tax increase, and I'd favor only a temporary

increase for that purpose; as it is not the most sustainable solution. I'm not going to debate the generic, harsh,

fear evoking, ideological attacks on Obama and liberals here; but instead choose to keep it issue specific. Suffice

it to note there are at least two sides to everything. I believe he's doing a pretty good job in most areas, which

makes me the political enemy of every regular poster here, unfortunately; but the political friend of most Americans

and most people around the world. No balanced political discussion is possible in this particular forum at this

time, which is fine because some people are expressing theimselves; but not particularly interesting to me. All you

people owe Bruce, another moderate liberal who keeps his mouth shut here, (despite owning the site; presumably

because he knows what would accrue to him otherwise, as does AKA and all the few scattered others who are more left

leaning), a debt of gratitude for supporting your freedom of speech when this forum provides no other benefits to

him.

[belgareth]

Hey Doc,

Good to see you

but your tone is a little surprising. You use the term enemy and I just don't see that as a realistic point of

view. You may feel adversarial but that is entirely your position and does not necessarily reflect anybody else's.

Differing opinions, certainly. You have always been on another side of the spectrum from me. As always, I see

governemnt growth as the enemy of the people and of the economy. A little added tax here and a little added tax

there adds up to a lot of harm to the average and poorer people.

No offense intended, Doc. But when Bush was

president you were aggressively voicing your opinion here and people were free to disagree with you about it. It

seems like you are saying that we should not enjoy the same freedom to disagree with Obama now. Please correct me if

I am wrong but that is my interpretation of your words.

As always, I disagree with any and all excuses, reasons

or other justifications for raising taxes and have explained many times my reasons. There are, just like with

Clinton and Bush, things I do and do not agree with about Obama's stand and point of view. In the end, I do not

agree with the 'liberal' point of view. In fact, I think 'liberal' is a very poor discription of their point of

view as they seem more often than not more interested in control and less willing to allow differing points of view.

You'll probably disagree with that and I welcome your comments.

To me, the ultimate questions are who is being

served and if it is harming the people. In my viewpoint the majority of Obama's policies are harmful to the people

and removes freedoms. Mostly an ever increasing and intrusive government is being served, not the people.

Bruce

and I have been friends a while and I seriously doubt he is afraid of what I may say to him. I think he understands

me well enough to know we can talk openly together. Without putting words into other people's mouths, I believe the

other two people who have posted in this thread have as much respect for Bruce as I do and imagine they would be as

courteous to him as I will be. Are you only speaking for yourself here or have the others you mentioned asked you to

speak for them?

Once you chided me about statements like "the rest of the world". I do not claim to speak for

anybody but myself and I form my own opinions without regard for what others say or believe. They are based on what

I see and think and if the rest of the world disagrees with me, that's fine. They are entitled to their opinions

too. However, do not be absolutely certain that you speak for the majority, no more than I am certain I don't.

Neither of us has any reliable way of knowing.

[Rbt]

I understand that GPS units are

already relatively "standard" equipment on many semi- and other delivery trucks, so the technology is already in

place and in use. And the tollway payment devices also already can track driver's locations, speeds, etc (both

court case evidence and traffic ticket issuances [speeding]).

Actually I too can't complain about Mr. Obama. I

think the contrast is necessary, variation is necessary, change is necessary. But to me most all politicians are

similar. Sorta like trying Coke instead of Pepsi this year. I am far more concerned with how the citizens/voters

react - if they let themselves get run over, or if they say "whoa there..." Given the rotten turnouts in various

elections I'm uneasy.

If nothing else, making these proposals gets them out for discussion. I've noted over

the years that many of these "proposals" never get far, but also suspect that some get announced to take the

voter's minds off of other legeslation that gets quietly passed while attention is elsewhere...

And I agree the

tems "liberal" and "conservative" no longer make sense to me, as I feel many "liberals" are awfully conservative and

restrictive in their views, and many "conservatives" are more open.

Anyway, in the end, I just do the best to

cover my ass and survive in spite of whomever is in power at the moment.

My thoughts.

[belgareth]

When is America going to fight back? Even Russia sees this clearly?

From

Russian State Newspaper



This will rattle your brain...Actually, the entire article should be bold type,

capitalized and underlined, for that matter.

Hard to believe that this article was in a Russian State Newspaper.

Share it with your friends; perhaps it will open some eyes!




The irony of this article appearing in the

English edition of Pravda (Russian State Newspaper) defies description.



American Capitalism Gone with a

Whimper



It must be said, that like the breaking of a great dam, the American descent into Marxism is

happening with breath taking speed, against the back drop of a passive, hapless sheeple, excuse me dear reader, I

meant people.



True, the situation has been well prepared on and off for the past century, especially the past

twenty years. The initial testing grounds was conducted upon our Holy Russia and a bloody test it was. But we

Russians would not just roll over and give up our freedoms and our souls, no matter how much money Wall Street

poured into the fists of the Marxists.



Those lessons were taken and used to properly prepare the American

populace for the surrender of their freedoms and souls, to the whims of their elites and betters.



First, the

population was dumbed down through a politicized and substandard education system based on pop culture, rather then

the classics. Americans know more about their favorite TV dramas then the drama in DC that directly affects their

lives.



They care more for their "right" to choke down a McDonalds burger or a BurgerKing burger than for

their constitutional rights. Then they turn around and lecture us about our rights and about our "democracy". Pride

blind the foolish.



Then their faith in God was destroyed, until their churches, all tens of thousands of

different "branches and denominations" were for the most part little more then Sunday circuses and their

televangelists and top protestant mega preachers were more then happy to sell out their souls and flocks to be on

the "winning" side of one pseudo Marxist politician or another. Their flocks may complain, but when explained that

they would be on the "winning" side, their flocks were ever so quick to reject Christ in hopes for earthly power.

Even our Holy Orthodox churches are scandalously liberalized in America .



The final collapse has come with

the election of Barack Obama. His speed in the past three months has been truly impressive. His spending and money

printing has been a record setting, not just in America 's short history but in the world. If this keeps up for

more then another year, and there is no sign that it will not, America at best will resemble the Wiemar Republic and

at worst Zimbabwe.



These past two weeks have been the most breath taking of all. First came the announcement

of a planned redesign of the American Byzantine tax system, by the very thieves who used it to bankroll their

thefts, losses and swindles of hundreds of billions of dollars. These make our Russian oligarchs look little more

then ordinary street thugs, in comparison. Yes, the Americans have beat our own thieves in the shear volumes. Should

we congratulate them?



These men, of course, are not an elected panel but made up of appointees picked from

the very financial oligarchs and their henchmen who are now gorging themselves on trillions of American dollars, in

one bailout after another. They are also usurping the rights, duties and powers of the American congress

(parliament). Again, congress has put up little more then a whimper to their masters.



Then came Barack

Obama's command that GM's (General Motor) president step down from leadership of his company. That is correct,

dear reader, in the land of "pure" free markets, the American president now has the power, the self given power, to

fire CEOs and we can assume other employees of private companies, at will. Come hither, go dither, the centurion

commands his minions.



So it should be no surprise, that the American president has followed this up with a

"bold" move of declaring that he and another group of unelected, chosen stooges will now redesign the entire

automotive industry and will even be the guarantee of automobile policies. I am sure that if given the chance, they

would happily try and redesign it for the whole of the world, too.


Prime Minister Putin, less then two months

ago, warned Obama and UK 's Blair, not to follow the path to Marxism, it only leads to disaster. Apparently, even

though we suffered 70 years of this Western sponsored horror show, we know nothing, as foolish, drunken Russians, so

let our "wise" Anglo-Saxon fools find out the folly of their own pride.


Again, the American public has taken

this with barely a whimper...but a "freeman" whimper.

So, should it be any surprise to discover that the

Democratically controlled Congress of America is working on passing a new regulation that w

So, should it be any

surprise to discover that the Democratically controlled Congress of America is working on passing a new regulation

that would give the American Treasury department the power to set "fair" maximum salaries, evaluate performance and

control how private companies give out pay raises and bonuses?

Senator Barney Franks, a social pervert basking

in his homosexuality (of course, amongst the modern, enlightened American societal norm, as well as that of the

general West, homosexuality is not only not a looked down upon life choice, but is often praised as a virtue) and

his Marxist enlightenment, has led this effort.

He stresses that this only affects companies that receive

government monies, but it is retroactive and taken to a logical extreme, this would include any company or industry

that has ever received a tax break or incentive.

The Russian owners of American companies and industries should

look thoughtfully at this and the option of closing their facilities down and fleeing the land of the Red as fast as

possible. In other words, divest while there is still value left. The proud American will go down into his slavery

with out a fight, beating his chest and proclaiming to the world, how free he really is. The world will only

snicker.

[idesign]

In other

words, divest while there is still value left. The proud American will go down into his slavery with out a fight,

beating his chest and proclaiming to the world, how free he really is. The world will only

snicker.


From what I'm reading in the European and Asian press, this analysis is fairly common.

Beneath the chest thumping, ego covering and regime justifying anti-American rhetoric, those in the know understand

that if America follows the Obama-led path to gov't control of our means and sustenance we will follow a proven

failure.

Its interesting to note that major Eastern and Western foreign gov'ts have turned up the volume of

their criticisms since Obama began his almighty crusade against capitalism. The world has learned what the American

Left has yet to figure out: markets produce, governments produce bird droppings. Their self-righteous criticisms

of Gitmo have turned to pure economic self interest in the face of a weak America. Waterboarding is suddenly less

important than a weak dollar as there is less time to fret over partisan leisure-time sensibilities. Unless you're

an Obama admin functionary seeking to divert public attention from hidden policy agendas.

Russia and its former

satellites are in the position to know. Decades of a gov't planned economy literally ruined vital and productive

peoples, not just their economies. The sad remains of former Communist states struggle to recover from totalitarian

contol as America slinks in cover of darkness passing midnight legislation in that same direction of known failure.

What the Left fails to realize is that the means of production and the reward from said production is the life

blood of a free society, and not only in economic terms. Servants of a confiscatory State die slowly from within,

and breed servants to whatever life is left for them to scavenge. A visit to an East European country formerly

under Communist rule will reveal the crushing weight of social destruction left by central control.

Economic

freedom was the driving force of rebellion against a tax hungry British gov't in 1776, and there are rumblings of

dissatisfaction today. What use has a freedom loving people with a gov't which seeks to appropriate their means of

prosperity?

[belgareth]

Economic

freedom was the driving force of rebellion against a tax hungry British gov't in 1776, and there are rumblings of

dissatisfaction today. What use has a freedom loving people with a gov't which seeks to appropriate their

means?
It was also the driving force behind the French Revolution.

I remember right after the elections

how the liberals crowed about how the other governments and people loved Obama. Now those same governments and

people are calling him a Marxist and expecting him to fail. You'll notice the loud silence about it from the

left.