Gasoline tax

Some states already have EV taxes.

It would be better if gas taxes were raised to encourage people to drive more efficient vehicles, but you know how raising taxes goes w/voters...

 

fiscal consevatism in government, reduction/elimination of wasteful/ineffective spending, balanced budgets and robust economic activity. what else would you expect?

 

When was the last time that the Government spent less money in a given year than they did during the previous year?
1946?
Have they Ever?

I don't really know off-hand, and I'm sure that since nobody can accurately determine how much that they actually spend, any answer will probably be inaccurate.

For RIGHT now...the Government makes more per gallon of gas than the folks that produce the stuff (almost 50 cents, IIRC.)
When that revenue starts to go away....they're not going to just make do with a reduced revenue stream. They're going to replace it with something.

Count on it!

 

Hi fjpod--

This may be bordering on the political, but here goes anyway - I haven't met a single government program or tax that willingly died on its own - in fact, I don't know of any in recent history that have died at all. They tend to grow lives of their own, growing and expanding, gaining lobbyists and special interests all along the way until eventually it becomes so large a program that it becomes a sacred cow that no politician can touch unless he wants to get his butt kicked in the next elections

I would have no problem with a modest increase in gas taxes if it were used to fund the construction and upgrading of our road network - and our road network only. I would need some assurance that the politicians aren't going to raid the kitty for some special pet project such as streetcars or high speed rails that nobody would ride anyway. Because we're already taxed enough in our lives - cigarette taxes, beer taxes, dog license taxes, death taxes, payroll taxes, local levies, and on and on and on.

And in many parts of the country, utility rates are already going through the roof. So instead of us being at the mercy of Big Oil, we'd instead be at the mercy of Big Utility. And we'd be crying foul at the billions upon billions they're raking in, and they'd be able to lobby and buy off the local city council into extending their exclusive monopoly for a few more years.

 

Everyone fails to take into account that owners of EVs are paying taxes in their electric bill. Of course, if we start imposing extra taxes to pay for the roads, what do you think this will do to the sales of these vehicles?

Let's be realistic, DC loves to tax. DC loves to spend.


iPad ? HD

 

{Rate} x {f(Weight)} x {distance traveled}

- Weight probably needs to be non-linear. Heavier vehicles cause relatively more damage, I believe.
- Do distance traveled using the odometer.
- If there is a known odometer problem with a model of car it can be adjusted.
- Fraudsters lose their vehicles.
- High mileage drivers could be required to pay the fee at greater intervals.

 

Reports say that tax revenue on gasoline has been decreasing with the demand of oil. I'm not sure it's a fair assessment to compare total tax revenue vs full profit of oil companies (which is an average of 8%). How much tax revenue is spent on oil processing, distribution, and subsidies? I don't know myself, and I'm not sure there has been an objective report on that subject.

 

I envision US does nothing to increase gas taxes, reduce oil use. Oil use will increase, oil pollution will increase, oil wars will increase, US debt of $14T due to oil war spending will increase, oil trade deficit will increase and unsustainable oil based US economy will collapse.

Public punishes any political leader who proposes that we use gas tax or carbon tax to pay off our oil war/trade debts and pay for transition to sustainable economy.

 

Actually DC loves to cut taxes but add $1T oil wars with no way to pay for them.

Problem is balance, we've only had a balanced budget during the Clinton years over the last thirty years.

 

See what I mean?
You just can't help yourself.
Simple question: "When did the government spend less during a year than they did during the previous year?"
That graph represents something...but (a) it's from the CBO, which is thought to be somewhat non-partisan, and known to have a 100-percent failure rate at guestimating costs for any program, be it Republican or Democrat, and (b) the graph is a representation of a percentage of spending versus revenue, which is both much more and much less than the data that I really asked for.

Don't worry though....the question was rhetorical.
There have been years in our history that the government has spent less than a during a preceding year, I'm sure.
I'm also pretty sure that it's not going to happen again for a little while...

When Gas Tax revenues drop off.....they'll be replaced with something. Too bad, really. The Highway trust fund is somewhat unique. There really is a fund, and they really do use some of it for highways......unlike some other trust funds that I can think of.

 

I thought the graph spoke for itself. Many other sources would say the last time government spent less in a year was the 1990s. I guess you just can't help yourself in always distrusting...even the primary budget office

 

I see miles-of-use taxes at the state level, maybe when you renew your tags.

 

They do annual inspections and test vehicles for emissions????
Wow.

@ DR...Yes. I have a healthy mistrust for the CBO. (A) They're a self-reporting agency, and (B ) they have an accuracy rating of exactly zero.

If I wanted to have a hip or a knee replaced, I wouldn't use a physician with a 100-percent failure rate at this procedure.

 

This is projected to occur for FY2012, assuming everyone keeps their promises. We'll find out in 6 months...

 

Americans pay less tax, but complain more about it, than the people of any other industrial nation. We demand services, but refuse to pay for them, so our self-serving politicians (of BOTH parties!) give us what we want and make up the difference by borrowing from countries that don't particularly like us, giving them leverage over us. One of these days we're going to wake up and find that our creditors are demanding that we pay back the loans and we'll be up the creek without a paddle.

Rather than demanding that our own personal priorities be funded, and everyone else should be taxed to pay for it, Americans need to step up to the plate and tell our leaders to tax us enough to pay off the debt.

Rather than demanding special treatment, privileges, and tax breaks for OUR cars (because we are morally and environmentally so superior to everyone else) we need to recognize that everyone must do their part. Tax all cars by weight times miles driven and eliminate all subsidies. Then put government money into R&D for sustainable energy and transportation, making the better choices more affordable.

And recognize that if you live 100 miles from work, that was your choice. If unsubsidized gas is too expensive and an EV won't go that far, that was your choice.

Future generations are going to curse us and spit on our graves for what our wasteful lifestyle and irresponsible borrowing are doing to the economy they will inherit. We may be a great country, but we are a selfish, stingy people. Borrowing money that you know you'll never pay off is stealing from your children, pure and simple. When the richest country in the world refuses to pay its own way, we are no better than thieves and muggers of the lowest order.

We need to pay enough tax to pay off our debt, and after that we need to pay as much tax as we spend.

And don't blame the politicians. WE elected them.

 

Our effective tax burden is also at its lowest in half a century, despite a significant expansion of services, yet the complaints about excessive taxation have not dropped accordingly.

This sort of tax based strictly on the odometer has been a problem, because it also improperly taxes miles driven outside the state. That is why the state proposals so far have included intrusive GPS monitoring to exclude out-of-state miles.

This sort of tax might be able to fly at the federal level, which might have the power to tax U.S.-registered vehicles for miles driven in Canada and Mexico as well as at home. But the shift in state vs. federal power would be a difficult sell.