[Politech] Weekly column: Tracking you wherever you drive -- GPS bugs and the Transportation Department [priv]

From: Declan McCullagh (declan@private)
Date: Mon Dec 05 2005 - 07:47:23 PST


http://news.com.com/2010-1071_3-5980979.html

Perspective:  E-tracking, coming to a DMV near you
By Declan McCullagh
December 5, 2005, 4:00 AM PST

Trust federal bureaucrats to take a good idea and transform it into a 
frightening proposal to track Americans wherever they drive.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has been handing millions of 
dollars to state governments for GPS-tracking pilot projects designed to 
track vehicles wherever they go. So far, Washington state and Oregon 
have received fat federal checks to figure out how to levy these 
"mileage-based road user fees."

Now that electronic tracking and taxing may be coming to a DMV near you. 
The Office of Transportation Policy Studies, part of the Federal Highway 
Administration, is about to announce another round of grants totaling 
some $11 million. A spokeswoman on Friday said the office is "shooting 
for the end of the year" for the announcement, and more money is 
expected for GPS (Global Positioning System) tracking efforts.

[...remainder snipped...]
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