4 chapters across the catalog
California Road Usage Charge, Gas Tax Revenue Loss
Caltrans is launching a pilot program to charge drivers per mile to offset declining gas tax revenue caused by the rise of electric vehicles. Participants can earn up to $400 for tracking their mileage via odometer photos or transponders. The hosts express skepticism about privacy claims and the state's failure to fix potholes despite existing funding.
California is exploring a new road tax system that uses GPS "black boxes" to track mileage, as declining gasoline tax revenue fails to cover infrastructure costs. The system would charge drivers based on miles driven rather than fuel consumed. The discussion touches on the legality of GPS jammers and the potential for "Slave Compliance Data" devices to feed fake, positive data to government trackers.
State Tax Policies and Rick Perry's Political Standing
The benefits of states without personal income tax, such as Texas and Washington, are compared to the high-tax environment of California. Governor Rick Perry is criticized for his efforts to implement toll roads across Texas. Despite local unpopularity regarding specific policies, there is speculation that Perry could become the Republican nominee for president.
The Dutch government is moving forward with a plan to install GPS-based "black boxes" in all automobiles by 2010 to facilitate a usage-based road tax. While officials claim the data is private, exceptions exist for "state security" and "terrorism prevention," effectively allowing total movement surveillance. The Netherlands is described as a "beta test" country for invasive technologies that eventually migrate to the United Kingdom and the United States.
