Going to work today... Do I take the RED Road or the BLUE one?

Robin's Commentary

Government mandated...
GPS systems in your car...
Increased Interest Rates...
Mandatory Increased Minimum Credit Card Payments...
Changes in Bankruptcy Laws

For the people, by the people, out of touch with people!
It seems like every time that you turn on the news; our government is trying to find new ways to get more money out of us.

I have reported several times on this blog about GPS per mile tax systems being installed in vehicles which will charge you PER MILE and vary the amount per mile depending on where and what time that you travel with the fees to be collected at the gas pump.

Well knowing that Oregon [which used to be a leader] cannot come up with an original idea [Kulongoski's methamphetamine plan as an example] probably got the idea of GPS tracking from the governments VEHICLE POSITIONING SYSTEMS (VPS)/pricing technology or otherwise known as "value pricing". Federal Highway administration

Project number VPPP-2002(029)
The project will utilize a statistically significant sample of motorists who will be levied charges for access to selected roadway facilities at particular time periods in the day. The demonstration will involve “before pricing” and “after pricing” data collection and will hold participants financially harmless by providing them with individualized travel budgets. This project will test the application of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to locate participating vehicles within time and space in order to develop the facility use data required to administer a system-wide variable facility pricing program.

... imbedded highway loops collect performance data on limited sections of the state highway system. This data can be used to aid in the price setting process. Calculations may be made on a road-segment basis, and then used in a simplified price structure to facilitate communication of the fee system. For example, different road segments may simply be identified as “red road” or “blue road” type segments, with all “red road” segments being priced at X cents per vehicle mile.

thinking about bypassing the system... they're way ahead of you. Here is one of the bullets

Develop compliance features
It is important to the integrity of the study that the in-vehicle meter be operational at all times, and reasonably tamper proof. This can be achieved by building in connections to the vehicle ignition circuit so that failure to receive a moving GPS signal after some default period of vehicle operation indicates attempts to defeat the GPS antenna. In addition, the software can be programmed to detect impossible “leaps” between distant waypoints. Such features, coupled with embargoing of access to the travel budget for non-compliant participants should encourage compliance. Power management for the in-vehicle-units should also be addressed as a related element.

in addition, just like with red light cameras and photo radar, what is to prevent the systems from automatically mailing you a ticket every time you go over the speed limit?
This is something that we really have to take seriously and tell the government to stick to their old way of collecting highway taxes and that we will not have our vehicles tracked.
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Ready for higher credit card payments?

New minimum requirements are in effect ABC News January 3, 2006

Credit card issuers are starting to implement the January 2003 guidelines issued by the Federal Reserve requiring minimum credit card payments to increase from 2% to at least 4% each month.

the new rules are meant to get people to pay down their debt faster, but in the short-term many who get by paying just the minimum are concerned about how they'll pay more.

it just gives me a really warm and fuzzy feeling inside that the government who cannot manage its own debt is so concerned about mine and wanting to help me pay mine down by forcing me to make higher payments.

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Almost every day the news you hear where a major company has either closed or has or is planning to lay off thousands of people, about new or increases in taxes and fees, and the federal government [Alan Greenspan & President Bush] telling us that the economy is improving and getting stronger.
This reminds me of the children's story about the Emperor that wore no clothes.