Seasoned & Unfiltered

What if paying for the roads meant giving up your privacy?
This week on Seasoned & Unfiltered, Steve O takes a closer look at the Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Tax—a proposal that could fundamentally change how Americans pay for highway infrastructure.
With gas tax revenues shrinking due to electric vehicles and increasingly fuel-efficient cars, lawmakers are exploring a mileage-based tax that charges drivers for every mile they travel. While supporters say it's a fair way to fund America's roads, critics argue it opens the door to unprecedented government tracking and raises serious questions about privacy, fairness, and taxation.
Steve breaks down how these programs work, why several states are already testing them, and what it could mean for your daily commute, your wallet, and your personal freedom.
Whether you're skeptical, supportive, or hearing about the VMT tax for the first time, this episode provides the context you need to understand one of the least-discussed policy proposals currently being explored.
In this episode:
  •  Why the Highway Trust Fund is running out of money 
  •  How a Vehicle Miles Traveled tax works 
  •  Why electric vehicles have changed transportation funding 
  •  Pilot programs already underway across the country 
  •  Privacy concerns surrounding mileage tracking 
  •  Could Americans end up paying both gas taxes and mileage taxes? 
  •  What this proposal could mean for rural drivers and long-distance commuters 
Stay informed. Ask questions. And decide for yourself.
Chapters
00:00 – Welcome & Sponsor Message
01:52 – Why We're Revisiting the VMT Tax
02:22 – What Is the Vehicle Miles Traveled Tax?
03:09 – Why the Highway Trust Fund Is Running Out of Money
03:50 – The Gas Tax Hasn't Changed Since 1993
04:34 – Would the Government Track Every Mile?
05:17 – What a Mileage Tracking System Could Know
06:05 – States Already Testing VMT Programs
06:54 – The EV Funding Problem Explained
08:51 – Are EV Owners Paying Their Fair Share?
10:10 – Why This Isn't About Electric Vehicles Alone
11:24 – The High Cost of Collecting Mileage Taxes
12:18 – Privacy vs. Infrastructure Funding
13:35 – Could Location Data Be Misused?
14:15 – Why Every Driver Should Know About This
15:27 – Tracking, Privacy & Government Oversight
18:02 – The 2028 Highway Funding Deadline
18:41 – Colorado, Oregon & California Pilot Programs
20:53 – Fuel Efficiency and the Funding Gap
21:37 – Will the Gas Tax Ever Disappear?
22:21 – Voluntary Today… Mandatory Tomorrow?
23:46 – How We Got Here
24:28 – Understanding Road Usage Fees
25:12 – How the Pilot Programs Actually Work
26:42 – Could States Add Their Own Mileage Tax?
27:17 – The Impact on Rural America
27:57 – What About Farmers and Long-Distance Drivers?
28:39 – Final Thoughts & What Comes Next
29:18 – Like, Subscribe & Join the Conversation

What is Seasoned & Unfiltered?

Seasoned & Unfiltered is where experience leads the conversation.
No buzzwords. No polish. Just straight talk from someone who’s lived enough life to know the difference between noise and substance.

Each episode explores business, leadership, culture, money, relationships, and the lessons you only learn the hard way. The wins, the mistakes, and the moments where reality shows up unannounced—it’s all on the table. Expect direct opinions, thoughtful reflection, and conversations that don’t bend just to make people comfortable.

Hosted by Hot Steveo, a veteran of the United States Armed Forces, the show is grounded in real-world experience shaped by service, discipline, and decades of perspective.

This isn’t advice pulled from a book or a trend.
It’s insight earned over time—seasoned by life and delivered unfiltered.

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