I guess any kind of intrusive surveillance is OK, as long as it’s for taxes instead of catching terrorists.

How else to explain a report in the Charlotte Observer that North Carolina is considering monitoring vehicle mileage of private citizens in order to tax them according to mileage and road use?  The monitoring would be accomplished either through regular odometer readings or, more ambitiously, through GPS tracking:

With gas-tax revenues plummeting, the state of North Carolina is looking seriously at taxing motorists for how far they drive.

If the “road-use tax” is implemented, it would at first be simple – with the state checking your odometer annually and taxing you based on how many miles you have driven. But transportation experts say new GPS technology could allow the state to charge people different rates based on when and where they drive, in an attempt to manage congestion.

I’m anticipating no objections from the ACLU, at least as long as the government promises not to to use the GPS monitoring to identify, track, or apprehend terrorists.

H/T: Michelle.