News-Record.com

"Now our government will always know exactly where we are, every minute of every day."

How is that different than monitoring your phone calls to Granny .. a g-man act with which Reidsville-writer Jeff White was OK?

... but I doo agree the boondoggle Mr. and Mrs. Easley toook to Europe and her massive salary border (if not pass) criminal deeds.

Methinks thou exaggerate a bit too much JDR.

I wonder if people would finally rise up and say enough is enough if govt. attempts to put GPS units in their cars. The very idea is chilling from a personal liberty standpoint.

This system would also be very expensive to create, maintain and monitor. Why don't they just raise the gas tax?

BTW I don't know if NC is first in this idea, there is an article in the print N&R today about Oregon doing the same.

While I do not think this is such a great idea either,
don't feel overly special. It's not just North Carolina who is floating this same notion. Many states are now considering this very plan.

Why is that exaggerating, Dan? You (and others) were OK with the government listening to all your phone calls .. the reason was you weren't doing anything bad .. that they were listening for terrorists was secondary at best.

You apparently have a bank of old postings. Find two where you said in effect, "I am OK with the government listening to my discussions of apple pies with my grandmother because I know they are really listening for terrorist activity."

"Monitoring our phone calls to granny?" More of the same mindless lunacy from the left wing sickos. Please tell us Mr. Rockefeller, when your granny was monitored, or in fact, anyone's granny. You sickos just never quit.

If we're to be taxed for the miles we drive, does that eliminate the 30 cent per mile gas tax (that's now 20% folks!)! This is the kind of thievery we get when you morons keep electing tax happy Demo-Rats to steal our money. We are already the highest taxed of the 12 Souther States, with the highest gas tax, yet our roads are in disrepair. Why, because as state, the corrupt politicians have stole hundreds of millions of dollars from the highway fund to pay off those from whom they take bribes for access.

I wonder if our governor paid taxes on the $200,000 in free annual air transport he got from a wealthy supporter, and contributor who owns an avialtion company. We're told we muct cut back on our driving. We do. Then the idiots figure out that when we listen to them, they los tax revenues. Of course, instead of cutting their profligate spending, they raise our taxes.

It's sad that we are now a nation of brainwashed
sheep rather then the Patriots of the type that founded this country. If we were more like them we would turn this corrupt government upside down, which would return it to its once upright position. We should begin hanging these corrupt SOBs from town squares. Do forget morons, beside paying for the miles we drive we also pay for the miles that these corrupt, lying politicians drive! So if you vote for Demo-Rats, just keep quite about taxes!

I'm sorry, Tony .. were you saying something? I fell asleep listening to your backpeddle.

==

"If we were more like [the Patriots of the type that founded this country]" ... there would be no corporations, nor interference into Israel (which without consideration of the entire story you strongly supported in a recent post) ..

Mr. Rockefeller insists on continuing to rail on about a progam that obviously he has no clue about the methodology used! Why should we expect anything less from these folks who troll the left wing web sites to get their information.

Why does these loons even want to live in such a country? We'd surely be a much better country without them. I think they'd be much happier in France, or Germany, or Pakistan, or Haiti, or Venezuela, or Iran. I know tha tmost of the rest of us would be much happier!

Dan is right about the expense to buy, install, and maintain the kind of GPS system the state is talking about.

First it has to go out to competitive bid. A company wins the bid. Then it takes months or even years to develop the system, with the inevitable cost overruns--paid for by us the taxpayer.

Then they finalize and install the system, assuming the ACLU doesn't tie it up in the court system for years as a violation of our privacy rights, or a restriction of free trade (which, if they pass this law, I hope they do).

Then, the man hours to hire and train the staff to monitor the system. We just might need our own GPS satellite to monitor the millions of North Carolinians who take to the roads every day. Of course, out of state residents get to use our roads for free because they don't have to install a GPS.

THEN, the flaws, uh, "undocumented features" rear their ugly heads. More taxpayer dollars to fix.

Millions of dollars later, the system is perfected, and gas is $5 per gallon--before taxes.

Dan is right. Just raise the gas tax. Simple, easy, paid at the pump. Install toll booths. Minimal construction expense compared to investing in a complicated computer system--and it puts local people to work, not a software or technology company based in California.

I don't mind the gas tax because I only pay as much tax as gas I use, and I don't have to pay for any additional infrastructure. Our roads are a mess, and the money to fix them has to come from somewhere. Besides, high gas prices keep consumption down, which is good for the environment.

I can live with toll booths for the same reason.

I also want to see the state government start forcing truckers to pay for all the damage they do driving their overloaded trucks on our roads. Get rid of the "exceptions". Raise the fees they have to pay. Improve enforcement. Overloaded trucks is the prime reason our roads are in such disrepair in the first place.

Quit raiding the Highway Trust Fund too.

GPS is unnecessary- when you go to have your car inspected, they capture your mileage. Next time you get it inspected, they capture your mileage. You trade your car in eight months later, it must be inspected before it can be registered to a new owner. The total mileage, as above, is calculated and you are sent a bill. If you do not pay your bill, your registration on all of your cars is suspended.
This is why the sticker is no longer necessary.
If you live in NC, your car will be inspected, mileage will be reported yearly, and you will be billed for it. The software is in place, no further actions are necessary.
Aren't you glad you don't have to have your Sig inspected?

I am against the mileage tax. Period.

It is a stupid idea no matter who came up with it or what party they belong to. Tonymo, the political bickering is exactly why we can't get anything done please stop the finger pointing.

Put in toll stations or raise the gas tax if we must. First however, stop taking money out of the "trust" fund. Members of the Legislature have shown they are not trustworthy. You have STOLEN enough from our highways. I will not permit a GPS unit being put in my vechiles for government monitoring. Period.

Any Guilford County politician who supports this idea can expect an "in your face" conversation with me and as many problems as I can create for them. Democrat, Republican or whatever. You sheep who go along with this don't deserve the freedoms you have enjoyed so far. What's next, barcoding our children?

The reason the state wants to go to GPS is they not only want to charge us for the actual miles we drive, but extra for using certain roads, or driving at certain times of day. They can't do that without GPS to tell them what routes we take at what times.

Even if they did want to go to a straight mileage system, I still prefer the gas tax. The immediacy of the bill is helping to keep consumption down when gas prices are high: and that's a good thing. It means less pollution.

Cleaner skies aren't just good for the planet, they're good for us: less problems with environmental allergies, better respiratory health. That in turn saves even more money because healthy people don't use the health care system.

Old Soldier, I couldn't agree more.

As citizens of North Carolina we need to be more proactive, and stop laying down like an old rug.

I'm planning on watching what Congress and the General Assembly do in the coming two years very carefully. I also plan on making my voice heard on some of the stupid ideas floating around to pick our pockets even further.

Enough is enough.

Thank you Panacea, the cost for implementing a GPS system would be enormous and we would pay for additional taxes for govt. infrastructure to monitor where we drive. You are correct in that they want to tax additionally for using certain roads and/or driving at certain times therefore an odometer tax wouldn't be good enough for them. I'm against the latter as well.

Can you guys really think about this? Govt. bureaucrats keeping up with your whereabouts? Well Mr. JDR, you drove on I-77 through Charlotte at 7:26 am on March 14th. That was a peak road during peak hours, therefore your 'mileage' bill is doubled for that trip. BTW Mr. JDR, you visited 4588 Sycamore Ave. during that trip, I believe that is the home of one Miss EZLAY, hmmmm, perhaps Mrs. JDR will read this on your mileage invoice.

As for JDR's non comparison to listening on phone calls. Please name one person you know who's phone call was tapped by the g-men. With this GPS system EACH AND EVERY ONE of us would be tracked. There is no comparison.

If govt. tries this folly and the ACLU confronts them, I'll believe that the ACLU actually serves a function.

"I don't mind the gas tax because I only pay as much tax as gas I use, and I don't have to pay for any additional infrastructure. Our roads are a mess, and the money to fix them has to come from somewhere. Besides, high gas prices keep consumption down, which is good for the environment."

Will someone please tell me which of our roads is a "mess" and then I will tell how our DOT is responsible for the mess.

According to a study done in 2008 by the Reason Foundation, North Carolina ranks 49th of 50 in terms of urban congestion on its interstates, and 41st in terms of bridge safety.

The American Society of Civil Engineers in 2006 gave North Carolina a "D" for its road conditions, stating, "The condition of North Carolina’s roads is crucial to the health of
the state’s economy and the safety of its drivers, but poor roadconditions cost motorists approximately $1.7 billion a year in repairs and operating costs. A funding gap of $29 billion exists over the next 25 years and is expected to broaden as funding provided under the newly signed transportation authorization legislation
decreases."