Gas Tax Increase Rumblings...

motordavid · #1 01-02-2009, 05:58 PM

And, as you all know, when the "geniuses" toss up the trial balloon,
the tax increases are not far from reality. A dime-ish on gas and
more on diesel, with prodding for the states to tack on their mispent
additional dough.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090102/ap_on_go_ot/gas_tax

..."In a report expected in late January, members of the infrastructure financing commission
say they will urge Congress to raise the gas tax by 10 cents a gallon and the diesel tax
by about 12 cents to 15 cents a gallon. At the same time, the commission will recommend
tying the fuel tax rates to inflation.

The commission will also recommend that states raise their fuel taxes and make greater
use of toll roads and fees for rush-hour driving."

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X5rolls · #2 01-02-2009, 05:59 PM

And so it begins... taxes going up here and there. It's just the beginning of change. As Biden said, it's the patriotic thing to do.

BS.

Wagner · #3 01-02-2009, 06:00 PM

We have the worst leaders of all time, hands down. They are raising a gas tax to cover a deficit in infrastructure capital based on their previous "gas tax". Maryland is wondering about the same thing.

Lets see you based your economy on consumers driving, then they stopped and profits fell, so you raise the cost? How does that fill the gap?

Quick question, if you can't pay your bills..what do YOU do? Oh that's right, lower your spending. Someone send Congress a note but you'll have to be quick as they are busy doing billions of dollars worth of bailouts with money THEY DON'T HAVE. And FYI, you can kiss that "healthcare" crap good-bye

Curious why "citizens" are suppose to be fiscally responsible while their government does a 180.

GENIUS!

B-Line · #4 01-02-2009, 07:29 PM

Personally, I think they should raise the gas tax. When gas was $4.50 a gallon everyone and their mother was talking about green energy. Now that gas is cheap again, everyone has conveniently forgotten about the environment.

I personally think, even in a recession, gas prices are too cheap now to foster real world encouragement of alternative fuels. They should raise the gas tax until it effect the pocket book, therefor bringing alternative fuels back onto the conversation table. Make it hurt a little to buy gas and we can reduce our dependency on Middle East oil. Maybe people will continue to buy scooters and motorcycles and smart cars again.

And then if gas prices do go up naturally, they can adjust taxes to keep the gas moderately affordable.

Meiac09 · #5 01-02-2009, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by B-Line

Personally, I think they should raise the gas tax. When gas was $4.50 a gallon everyone and their mother was talking about green energy. Now that gas is cheap again, everyone has conveniently forgotten about the environment.

I personally think, even in a recession, gas prices are too cheap now to foster real world encouragement of alternative fuels. They should raise the gas tax until it effect the pocket book, therefor bringing alternative fuels back onto the conversation table. Make it hurt a little to buy gas and we can reduce our dependency on Middle East oil. Maybe people will continue to buy scooters and motorcycles and smart cars again.

And then if gas prices do go up naturally, they can adjust taxes to keep the gas moderately affordable.

the fact that we need to grow industry will cause the alternate fuels to be developed, but with the cheap gas, hopefully the fad of the hybrid will die.

AzNMpower32 · #6 01-02-2009, 08:01 PM

I'm skeptical and unsure about this (I read this in the Washington Post this morning).

I generally don't like raising taxes period. And even if it would raise more money for roads (a good thing), I bet only 50% of it ends up actually being used towards improvements. The other 50% will disappear somewhere in the shadow of government inefficiency and dishonesty (a bad thing).

On the other hand, raising petrol prices would remind folks to perhaps stop using so much petrol in the first place. I saw fewer cars on the road when prices reached to sky-high levels, and folks actually reconsidered alternative means. I would like to see less tax on diesel though. Americans have such short term memories.

So I'm ambivalent on this issue, it has its pros and cons. I would suggest keeping the petrol tax as it is, and raising state registration fees to $200 a year.

E61Silver · #7 01-02-2009, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by B-Line

Personally, I think they should raise the gas tax. When gas was $4.50 a gallon everyone and their mother was talking about green energy. Now that gas is cheap again, everyone has conveniently forgotten about the environment.

I personally think, even in a recession, gas prices are too cheap now to foster real world encouragement of alternative fuels. They should raise the gas tax until it effect the pocket book, therefor bringing alternative fuels back onto the conversation table. Make it hurt a little to buy gas and we can reduce our dependency on Middle East oil. Maybe people will continue to buy scooters and motorcycles and smart cars again.

And then if gas prices do go up naturally, they can adjust taxes to keep the gas moderately affordable.

Wagner · #8 01-02-2009, 08:42 PM

B-Line...you honestly think they would EVER lower the tax?

B-Line · #9 01-02-2009, 09:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wagner

B-Line...you honestly think they would EVER lower the tax?

Sure, if gas prices skyrocketed again, they would have to.. And the writing of the gas tax should account for a % increase in the price of oil equating to a % decrease in the tax. Subsequently creating a bottom and a top for gas prices with some margin for change.

B-Line · #10 01-02-2009, 09:10 PM

Btw, Wag, LOVE the new AVATAR... Awesome.. But the fetus should also learn to heel-n-toe downshift

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