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California's new DMV director wants mileage tax

Prius

As it stands, Californians pay an 18-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax, but Joan Borucki, the state's new Department of Motor Vehicles director, says that's not enough. Instead, she wants to tax drivers based on the miles they have driven. She hopes to fit cars with GPS devices that calculate the mileage traveled and then send citizens bills. While the gas tax would be lifted, this would level the playing field for less-efficient cars. In other words, Larry David would be charged as much to go 10 miles in his Prius as the Governator would in his Hummer. Of course, this also means that some evil agency would be able to track virtually anyone's car at any time. Add in the Patriot Act, and you've got some distressed Californians.