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Article: Congestion Pricing: The Road to the Surveillance State
- Article from:
- Freeman
- Article date:
- January 1, 2008
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright Foundation for Economic Education, Incorporated Jan/Feb 2008. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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To combat the rush-hour traffic threatening Western civilization, American mayors are flocking to "congestion pricing." They're not alone: rulers worldwide love this scheme because it combines yet another automotive tax with surveillance cameras at every intersection.
The theory fueling congestion pricing is the one spanning our automotive lives: driving is a "privilege" government dispenses. Driving at rush hour is an even bigger privilege. So far, the state has granted this privilege for free (the dozens of highway, gas, sales, license, and car taxes we pay don't count). But the gravy train is ending. There's no reason we should expect to drive cars we've bought on roads we've paid for ...