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 if you spent nearly your entire life in America…

Served your community.

Wore the badge.

Protected your neighbors.

…and still weren't allowed to become an American citizen?

In Episode 2 of Pull Up a Chair, Steve sits down with Edgar Vasquez, a Mississippi deputy sheriff, DACA recipient, and proud patriot whose dream is simple: To become a United States citizen.

Brought to America from Mexico at just three years old, Edgar shares the deeply personal story of discovering he wasn't a citizen, pursuing a career in law enforcement, and navigating an immigration system he believes is broken—but still deserves respect.

Whether you agree or disagree with immigration policy, Edgar's story challenges assumptions and reminds us that behind every headline is a human being.

This is a conversation about service, identity, sacrifice, family, and what it truly means to love a country.

Pull up a chair.

Chapters
00:00 – Meet Deputy Edgar Vasquez
01:44 – Growing Up American Without Citizenship
04:26 – The Day He Learned He Wasn't a U.S. Citizen
08:58 – Why He Chose Law Enforcement
12:21 – Serving Without Full Certification
14:37 – What People Get Wrong About DACA
17:13 – Support From Fellow Deputies
21:50 – Respecting the Law While Seeking Change
23:21 – Why He Refuses to Marry for Citizenship
25:42 – His Message to Congress
27:56 – Serving the Country That Raised Him
28:21 – Racism, Identity & Finding Acceptance
31:45 – Social Media vs. Real Life
33:31 – Politics, DACA & Common Ground
36:18 – What He Would Say to President Trump
37:38 – Honoring His Mother's Dream
40:40 – Lessons From a Life of Service
42:52 – Steve's Message to America
45:21 – Edgar's Final Plea to Americans

The gas tax isn't enough anymore...

So what's the government's next idea?

Charge you by the mile.

This week on Seasoned & Unfiltered, Steve O takes a deep dive into the growing push for a Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Tax, a policy that could fundamentally change how Americans pay for the roads they drive on.

With electric vehicles becoming more common and gas tax revenues shrinking, states across the country are experimenting with mileage-based fees that could eventually replace—or possibly be added on top of—existing fuel taxes.

But there's a bigger question:

How much information should the government collect just to tax you for driving?

Steve explores:

• Why the Highway Trust Fund is running out of money
• How VMT programs work
• Privacy concerns surrounding GPS tracking
• Double taxation fears
• The impact on EV owners and everyday commuters
• Whether this is a reasonable solution—or government overreach

Is this the future of transportation funding... or the beginning of something much bigger?

Chapters

00:00 – They're Tracking Your Miles
00:50 – Why the Gas Tax Is Failing
02:19 – What Is a Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) Tax?
03:12 – The Original Highway Funding Model
04:27 – Why the Highway Trust Fund Is Running Dry
05:31 – The 2028 Funding Crisis
06:14 – How Electric Vehicles Changed Everything
07:04 – Inflation & The Shrinking Gas Tax
08:02 – Is the Government Fixing Its Own Mistake?
08:36 – Why VMT Requires Tracking Your Vehicle
09:24 – Privacy Concerns & Government Surveillance
10:53 – What Your Car Could Reveal About You
11:40 – Is This "Big Brother" for Drivers?
13:57 – States Already Testing Mileage Taxes
15:01 – California & Colorado's Pilot Programs
15:50 – The Risk of Double Taxation
16:49 – The $20 Billion Collection Cost
17:23 – Voluntary Today… Mandatory Tomorrow?
18:57 – The Case FOR a Mileage Tax
20:27 – Can Privacy Actually Be Protected?
22:33 – Will Gas Taxes Ever Go Away?
23:23 – Are Americans About to Pay Even More?
24:39 – Final Thoughts & Audience Discussion