Monday, December 29th, 2008
I am definitely a fan of smaller government. When asked, there are a few items I favor the government providing for: defense, roads & bridges, and libraries. That’s the short list. I might be able to come up with a couple other things if pressed. 
Roads and bridges are becoming a real issue on our country. They’re pricey. At least that is what we’re told. If the authorities that actually managed the roads were less corrupt, I suspect roads would be less costly. Nevertheless, if we stipulate roads are expensive and that government should pay for them, then we need to come up with a sustainable mechanism of paying for them.
Presently, that falls pretty much on the gasoline tax. Why government should get a slice of each sale of drops of gasoline seems intrusive, but again, roads are expensive.
Oregon governor Ted Kulongoski is proposing using GPS technology to charge for road usage instead of the gasoline tax. It’s an interesting idea and one that has those who use pay the freight. In that, I like the idea. Unfortunately, this is a boondoggle in waiting.
For those of you unfamiliar with Kafka, I suggest you read up on government intrusion. Sure, all the correct things are said:
The final report detailed the technical aspects of the program. It also stressed the issue of privacy.
“The concept requires no transmission of vehicle travel locations, either in real time or of travel history,†the report said. “Accordingly, no travel location points are stored within the vehicle or transmitted elsewhere. Thus there can be no ‘tracking' of vehicle movements.â€
Tell that to Joe The Plumber.
Government should not have access to those data about its people. Plain and simple.
But getting away from the ethical issue, there’s the practicality issue. If I drive my vehicle on my farm all month long and then fill up, Oregon is going to tax me for all those miles. Well, Oregon isn’t going to be providing me any road maintenance, I suspect. How will that be addressed? It can’t be.
And in this time of terror, while I support many methods of capturing the “bad guys”, I do not want my vehicle tracked in the name of security.
To whom does one complain if the bill is wrong and how does a citizen prove it?
But the most glaring issue is that municipalities and counties will see this as an opportunity to jack rates up when state money gets tight. Here in New Jersey the state belt is tightening. Cumberland County has worked hard over the last decade in increasing the size of government. Those workers still need to be paid. It would be too easy for freeholders like Lou Magazzu to increase the rate on road usage to pay the bill each year without consequence.
Remember, less government is ultimately better for us than more. I am not a Luddite, far from it. Just look at how the entire article is framed:
“As Oregonians drive less and demand more fuel-efficient vehicles, it is increasingly important that the state find a new way, other than the gas tax, to finance our transportation system.â€
There’s not even a consideration of lessening the tax burden upon citizens.
Who in government do you trust to design the system to use these data about you ethically?
Posted in Politics | 4 Comments »
Sunday, November 23rd, 2008
There are some that will say I am a nit-picker. I have mentioned that I have enjoyed the break from political blogging since the election. There is so much emotion that gets caught up in the issues that sometimes reason takes the backseat.
The story du jour is the report that the presidential limousine that is being prepared for Obama is not a green vehicle.
The armour-plated car, which has a raised roof, windows up to 5in thick, extra-strength tyres and a body made of steel, aluminium, titanium and ceramics, is thought to be based on a GMC 2500 truck that gets less than 10 miles to the gallon. Three cars are believed to be in production so that two can serve as decoys.
It sounds exactly like what I expect a presidential limousine to be. But that doesn’t keep this story as an opportunity to base the President-elect:
Obama’s eco-hypocrisy emission standard: Still high.
I like Michelle Malkin, but what would she propose? Shouldn’t POTUS be protected?
Yes, I adhere to different rules for different folks. The President is deserving of a vehicle that can withstand bombs. Me? I don’t need those features. I imagine that the equipment to deliver the security needed to withstand a bomb has a price on fuel mileage. And I am okay with that.
Despite not favoring Obama in the election, he is my president. I want him to be safe. His safety is important to my security. Folks are more likely to target him than me so his vehicle should be better than mine. I am more than fine with that.
It seems that politics is devoid of reason too frequently. It does not make Obama a hipocrite because he espouses high fuel standards and has a gas guzzler as his security vehicle. Guess what? I bet Air Force One is also poor on fuel economy. Should we equip him with a glider instead?
Hammer someone’s politics on real issues. There are enough things to pick at without inventing controversy. This is what is so frustrating being a news junkie; it is easy to forget what one’s standards are.
Posted in Politics | No Comments »
Thursday, June 12th, 2008
LCYT
39° 26.716N
75° 00.904W
I have been a member of GasBuddy for several years. I used to post under a different handle and then about three years ago I registered this account. I haven’t done much reporting on this, so this series of hunts is a good reason to get back to it.
I rarely write anything down and I definitely do not stop to record the prices. As I drive by, I note the prices and then enter when I am at a system. I was at a red light at the corner of Main and Sherman when I snapped these photographs. I just posted the price to GasBuddy.
(more…)
Posted in GPS Games, New Jersey, TerraCaching | No Comments »
Saturday, May 31st, 2008
Michael Arrington decries Yahoo’s demise. It’s a good read . . . This was e-mailed to me today. It’s an old one, but the addition of New Jersey in the last spot added a level of humor/gut-wrenching bile that is not there otherwise . . . Twitter has been returning an Over Capacity message quite a bit recently . . . Is it any wonder that FriendFeed has captured my attention . . . I am surprised this thread continues over at Groundspeak. It seems to break all the guidelines. Of course, pot shots at conservatives is considered fair game by so many . . . $77 to fill the gas-guzzler. Sigh . . . My girl Stephanie won this week on Top Chef. Best of luck in Puerto Rico . . . Here’s the first test: former state senator Nick Asselta is now on the state BPU. The gas companies are demanding rate increases of 20%. Will Asselta take a conservative approach to this or will he rubber stamp it? . . . Blue Jersey’s response to NJ Senate President Dick Codey’s comment highlights a fundamental difference between liberals and conservatives: asking the Turnpike Authority to tighten its belt is not de-funding, it is requesting for efficiency . . . good actors leave the audience wanting more. Harvey Korman and Sydney Pollack are two who did that this week . . . another actor, however, makes us wish she had packed it in already. It’s unfortunate too as I always liked Susan Sarandon, despite her liberal tendencies . . . Obama left Trinity United Church. What took him so long? Evidence that he will do whatever to get himself elected. This doesn’t help him . . . Beetle pointed to a picture of poison and asked what it was. Unsatisfied with the answer she declared it was pirate milk . . . We were at Target tonight and walked by the lingerie. There was a thing that was about my daughter’s size. Okay, it was a bit larger, but not designed for anyone who should be wearing a thong. And who should be wearing thongs? I think the simple answer is if one is not having sex, she has no need for a thong. Anyone who could have squeezed into this thing is too young for sex . . .
Posted in Entertainment, GPS Games, Geocaching, Miscellaneous, New Jersey, Politics | No Comments »
