Congress Paving the Way for Tolls on Interstates

>> Toll booths significantly increase pollution and fuel consumption,
>> and automatic toll collection raises serious privacy problems.
>
> That used to be true, but with EZ-Pass transponders, frequent users
> can just move right through the toll booth without stopping.

So you think it makes SENSE for individuals to buy (possibly multiple)
transponders, the government to buy all this complex high speed tax
collection equipment and staff a major facility with a small army of people
to maintain said equipment and send bills to individual consumers and manage
these people - instead of a simple small local tax increase?

That was the ironic thing about this remarkably expensive system they
installed here; they named it "SMART TAG". It's ANYTHING but SMART.

In article >, John Harlow wrote:

> So you think it makes SENSE for individuals to buy (possibly multiple)
> transponders, the government to buy all this complex high speed tax
> collection equipment and staff a major facility with a small army of people
> to maintain said equipment and send bills to individual consumers and manage
> these people - instead of a simple small local tax increase?

Because their goal goes beyond a simple tax increase.

A transponder tracking system has far more benefits for the government.
1) All sorts of contracts to give to the connected and get kickbacks from.
2) Lot's of new government jobs to give to friends and people that help
at election time.
3) The ability to log where people go. Especially good if some
'troublemaker' decides to run against those already in office.
4) A tax that people will be billed for and may not really even notice as
it increases since their account will auto-renew or in some way just show
up as a charge on their credit card.

Brent P wrote:
> In article >, John Harlow wrote:
>
> > So you think it makes SENSE for individuals to buy (possibly
multiple)
> > transponders, the government to buy all this complex high speed tax

> > collection equipment and staff a major facility with a small army
of people
> > to maintain said equipment and send bills to individual consumers
and manage
> > these people - instead of a simple small local tax increase?
>
> Because their goal goes beyond a simple tax increase.
>
> A transponder tracking system has far more benefits for the
government.
> 1) All sorts of contracts to give to the connected and get kickbacks
from.
> 2) Lot's of new government jobs to give to friends and people that
help
> at election time.
> 3) The ability to log where people go. Especially good if some
> 'troublemaker' decides to run against those already in office.
> 4) A tax that people will be billed for and may not really even
notice as
> it increases since their account will auto-renew or in some way just
show
> up as a charge on their credit card.

authorities have successfully tracked and apprehended people based on
info from toll transponders on fwy 91 in southern calif... people have
also tried to present alibi in court based on this... not sure about
their being acquitted

On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 11:02:45 -0600,
(Brent P) wrote:

>In article >, Big Bill wrote:
>
>> Your thinking is flawed, in that almost half of wage earners pay no or
>> very little income tax. I'm speaking of those on the lower end, not
>> the upper end.
>
>I don't see how it matters to my point that those not paying taxes will
>have no problem increasing taxes on those that do. Wether it be for the
>roads or ice cream every friday.
>
>> A consumption tax (which you said you'd prefer) will never happen in
>> the US, as they are *very* regressive.
>> Same goes for a flat tax.
>> While either would be more *fair* than our current income tax, fair is
>> not what's wanted.
>
>Yes, the current system is anything but fair. It is controlled by politics
>and thusly one group always gets breaks at the expense of another. Somebody
>with kids gets a deduction on their income taxes, I have no kids, I do
>not. Yet, by not having children thus far, I require less in government
>services, there is no kid of mine in the school systems (yet my property
>taxes go to the schools directly, income taxes indirectly), etc and so
>forth. And before someone says 'but you benefit from educated childern'
>I'll wager it's the same person who would also say since I have no
>children I should shut up about how they are to be educated, despite
>paying for said education.
>
>And as I have been saying what is wanted, are groups of citizens
>demanding money from another group and using the power of government as a
>weapon to do it. It's theft just as the mugger does with a gun.
>
You're right.
What I'm saying is that we won't get a fundamental change on what is
taxed; i.e., we won't change from our current income tax to a
consumption (sales/value added) tax or a flat rate tax.
We might get another tax simplification or code overhaul, but it won't
make much differenct to the average taxpayer, IMO.

--
Bill Funk
Change "g" to "a"

On 11 Mar 2005 05:43:30 -0800, "Larry Bud" >
wrote:

>> Actually that number is flawed because it only represents taxable
>> wages and not other income which is not subject to taxation.
>
>Do you live in fantasyland? What income is not subject to taxation?
>
>The number comes right from the IRS.

For most taxpayers, there is a difference between gross income and
taxable income.
For many, the difference is virtually infinite; that is, they pay no
taxes on their income.
In fact, many get a "refund" on taxes that not only are not due, but
were never deducted in the first place.

--
Bill Funk
Change "g" to "a"

On 11 Mar 2005 11:13:40 -0800, "bicycle" > wrote:

>
>SoCalMike wrote:
>> Larry Bud wrote:
>> >
>> > End the withholding, make everybody pay quarterly.
>>
>> hehe... the way most people spend "extra" money on 24" wheels and DVD
>
>> players for their SUVs, they wouldnt have anything saved for the
>> quarterly bills.
>
>
>Have you ever had to suffer the embarrassment of your peeps mistaking
>your 24" rims for 20's? Well no more because TIS Wheels has the size
>of the wheel displayed right on the center cap. It's the SHIZZIT! YO!
>
>This is a direct quote from their website:
>
>"Let Your Size Be Known"
>"TIS brand wheels are the first and only wheel to display the size of
>the wheel right on the center cap. So there's no guessin' that you're
>rollin strong."
>
><http://www.twentyinchesstrong.com/tis01.html>
>
>Pathetic.

Well, I *LIKE* it!
I can't count how many times I've been embarrased by people pointing
to my SUV and laughing over the fact that I still have the pathetic
stock wheels.

Wait! It's because it's never happened!

--
Bill Funk
Change "g" to "a"

On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 16:32:23 -0600, Mark Anderson
> wrote:

>What I suggest is to completely get rid of taxes for Mark Andersons.
>When Mark Andersons aren't taxed they inject that savings back into the
>economy creating more jobs and wealth for everybody.

Hogwash!
You'd just buy more Starbucks coffee!
:-)

--
Bill Funk
Change "g" to "a"

On Fri, 11 Mar 2005 16:57:58 GMT, "Dave C." > wrote:

>
>"Rox" > wrote in message
...
>>
>> "John Harlow" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> > > Congress Paving the Way for Tolls on Interstates
>> >
>> > I am simply stunned at the number of positive responses supporting a tax
>> > collector building roadblocks in the middle of a damn high speed
>roadway.
>>
>> The toll booth doesn't need to be in the middle of the roadway. The NJ
>> Turnpike, which is part of I-95, has tolls that you pay as you exit.
>>
>
>Do you have to STOP to pay the toll? Yes or no? It's still a roadblock,
>even if it's relocated. -Dave
>
You're going to fall over if you keep reaching like that.

--
Bill Funk
Change "g" to "a"

In article
>,
says...
> On 11 Mar 2005 05:43:30 -0800, "Larry Bud" >
> wrote:
>
> >> Actually that number is flawed because it only represents taxable
> >> wages and not other income which is not subject to taxation.
> >
> >Do you live in fantasyland? What income is not subject to taxation?
> >
> >The number comes right from the IRS.
>
> For most taxpayers, there is a difference between gross income and
> taxable income.
> For many, the difference is virtually infinite; that is, they pay no
> taxes on their income.
> In fact, many get a "refund" on taxes that not only are not due, but
> were never deducted in the first place.


I understand that, people whose income is lower
than the "Standard Deduction" (about $7K these days?)
don't owe any tax, and can claim a refund for all of
the tax withheld during the year. But which people get
an excess "refund" of money that they never paid? Is
that just the people with kids whom they cannot afford?
Or the, "Earned Income Tax Credit," or what?


--
Get Credit Where Credit Is Due
http://www.cardreport.com/
Credit Tools, Reference, and Forum

On Sat, 12 Mar 2005, Shawn Hearn wrote:

> > Toll booths significantly increase pollution and fuel consumption, and
> > automatic toll collection raises serious privacy problems.

> That used to be true, but with EZ-Pass transponders, frequent users can
> just move right through the toll booth without stopping.

1) If you think traffic proceeds through EZ-Pass checkpoints at normal
interstate speeds, you've never seen an EZ-Pass checkpoint.

2) Which part of "automatic toll collection raises serious privacy
problems" did you not understand?