Gas Tax?

Here in Pa our state is thinking about raising the gas tax along with a bunch of other taxes. The state has not raised the state gas tax in around 15 years. I don't know if we are still tops but at one time Pa had the hightest gas tax in the nation with the worst roads in the nation. I don't think raising the gas tax at this time would be a good thing for any politician to do. With gas prices going the way they are the politicians would be committing politicial suicide.

As far as not sending money to the big oil companies and the middle East the clowns in DC should go after the oil companies and we, the USA, import most of our oil from Canada.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tom 6850 @ May 24 2007, 03:41 AM) [snapback]448906[/snapback]</div>

Why pick on Canada.

Anyway, I vote for higher gas taxes with the stipulation that there would be a cap on profits to "big oil".
The revenue should go into repair of existing roads, not increasing the number of roads and highways.
Driving over speed bumps all the time doesn't improve fuel economy. Making it easier for more people to drive all the time (especially at high speeds) doesn't improve fuel economy.

Oh. And the top choice in the poll is bogus. Most of us who drive a Prius do care.

Dave M.

 

No. I feel that there are already to many taxes. It would only raise the price that we each have to pay. I think it is wrong to rejoice when the price of gas goes up, just because we who drive prius get better mileage. I would rather have the price go down so I have to pay less. Whenever we agree to pay more taxes, we agree to more govcernment control, and we give the government more of our money for them to squander on some pork barrel program. If we had lower taxes, we would have more of our own money to spend on items that would raise our standard of living. I would reather spend it on my family than have some politican line his own pockets with MORE of my money.

Sorry for the rant, but I get carried away when it comes to the government and taxes.

 

I've been a proponent of increasing the federal gas tax for a while. It would need to be gradually escalating to a cap and the (marginal) revenues marked for alt fuel subsidies/R&D costs.

Do I think it would ever pass? Not in our lifetimes.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dmckinstry @ May 24 2007, 09:29 AM) [snapback]448975[/snapback]</div>

Not picking on Canada. most people don't realize that we import most of our oil from Canada not the middle East.

I agree there has to be a cap on profits somewhere, but how. There should be a law against price gouging by the oil companies. They close refineries then say that there is a shortage, amazing though that noboby runs out of gas when the prices go up, where is the shortage? These huge profits all started with the deregulation of the phone companies. It just took off from there in every industry.

Here in Pa the electric companies are in record profit terrritory since they deregulated, even though rates were frozen until 2010. The electric companies are now telling us that our rates will increase up to 50% to 60% in 2010.Why? Part of the reason for the increase is that when the CEO retires he can go with around fifty million.

 

If the purpose of a fuel tax is to reduce consumption, and not increase government revenue, then the following solution might be what is needed:

Remove any direct tax on fuel and implement a “Gas Usage Fee†payable with the annual license plate renewal.

This fee will be based on two factors,
A - Miles driven during the year and
B - Car make/model.

The Miles per year factor would be a simple X cents per mile but the Car Make/Model factor would be inversely proportional to the vehicle’s EPA ratings.

The highest EPA rating vehicle would have a Car Make/Model factor of x1 while the lowest EPA rating would have, say, a factor of 50. This factor would be directly applied to miles driven.

Let’s take two vehicles, both driven 20000 miles, A PRIUS and a HUMMER
and use a $0.0054/mile factor (based to the present 18.4 cents/gallon federal tax and 8% sales tax). The gas retail price will of course be reduced by the above amounts.

For the PRIUS the annual fee would be: ( 20000 x 1 ) x 0.0054 = $108
For the HUMMER the annual fee would be 20000 x 50 ) x 0.0054 = $5400

A side effect of this solution would be an odometer “tweaking†industry but with today’s vehicles a simple OBD2 scan would reveal the “real†miles driven.

Oh well, we are allowed to dream at least for the near future.

 

N/A.

I would vote for option one, but then I'd vote for it no matter what vehicle I'd drive, and I'd vote for it because I DO care.

 

If people paid attention to politics and voted those who they can trust then a lot of things would be better including environmental policy. 527 votes in Florida have consequences. Whichever way you see things elections matter. Instead we have voter suppression. Why not give the people who vote a receipt so they can get half the day off?

I don't think a gas tax is fair. I think there should be additional taxes on those who buy NEW gas guzzlers through their registration but not taxes tied to gas.

That way:

1) you PREVENT new gas guzzlers from circulating and you show CAR manufacturers a new direction.

2) you do NOT punish those who bought SUVs without really being aware

3) you do NOT punish the poor who have older cars that might be gulping gas but have no other means of transportation.

 

Agreed; a gas tax will automatically punish the poor more than the rich, unless the cost/size/mpg/horsepower of the registered vehicle is taken into account (and taxed accordingly).

Gas tax or no, I feel like the rich will continue on as always; the middle class will keep "maintaining its standard of living" by using credit when cash would be better; the working poor will have no choice but to keep working in poverty.

How about a plain old luxury tax? Generally, the more expensive a car is, the poorer mileage it gets. I paid $13,000 in luxury tax on a Porsche in 1997 (under the Clinton administration, by the way)...it was steep, but honestly seemed somehow appropriate.

 

The poll leaves out an important option:

"Yes. Raise gas taxes because I ride a bike or drive an EV."

I still drive my Prius. But only a couple of times a month. My main car runs on water. Specifically, water at the Bonneville Dam.

 

Of course there should be higher energy use taxes. It's a no-brainer. Some of the revenue should be used to alleviate the impact on the poorer drivers.

It's the most effective way to encourage people to conserve, and conserving energy is very very important.

Sure this change will be disruptive, but people will adapt before too long (to a lifestyle that requires less gas).

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(deh2k @ May 24 2007, 08:27 PM) [snapback]449460[/snapback]</div>

No it's not. It's a great way to make the economy less affordable. Indirect taxes hurt the poor. If they want taxes ask those who can afford them, roll back the ridiculous tax cuts to the rich.

 

I support the Fair Tax, but of course, it will probably never see the light of day.

http://www.fairtax.org/site/PageServer

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Pinto Girl @ May 24 2007, 03:42 PM) [snapback]449409[/snapback]</div>

But so worth it My Dad has a Carrera GT2, I love that car.

I think a tax on the weight of your car is a good idea. The heavier the vehicle is, the more damage it does all around. For example, if you are registering a commercial vehicle (such as an International Truck) the tonnage is considered for your tax and reg. It is going to tear up the road and the sky twice as fast, the price is twice as high.

So, shouldn't these behemoths (esuvees), which wriggle out of car safety, emissions, and fuel economy standards by being duty trucks be held to the same taxation as commercial vehicles? I would catergorize an SUV more in line with an International than I would a passenger car, after all so does CAFE and IIHS...

 

Is raising the gas tax really the answer? You raise the tax, people drive less resulting in less money in the long run going to the government, which in turn results in higher taxes to offset the loss. If, big question, gas prices do come down the higher gas tax remains.

I know a lot of Prius owners want to punish owners of SUVs, pick-ups, etc, but a lot of these people need them in their work.

It just does not stop with raising the gas tax. People who use pick-ups in their line of work will just pass on the increased cost to their customers. The trucking industry passes along all increases in fuel period, which we all pay in everything we buy. The owner on an SUV or pick-up will pay more than the Prius owner but the Prius owner will pay in the long run also.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tom 6850 @ May 25 2007, 06:37 AM) [snapback]449679[/snapback]</div>

It's not impossible to account for the use of pick-up trucks at work. I agree that the "trucking industry" should not be made to pay for their car's inefficiency that's why I suggested a tax for new trucks for people who don't really need them.

Finally consider that much of the solution comes from space wasting insecure security moms driving SUV or large Jeeps, or hotrods driving sport cars. Would you be opposed to taxing those?

I don't think they use their cars for other issues. I'm not crazy about rules and regulations. I'd be happy if the government forced companies to make efficient vehicles. Making inefficient vehicles more expensive is one way of forcing these companies to become responsible because people will stop buying them.

 

Why not do what they did back in WWII and Ration the stuff.

This way cretin industry is exempt, cretin business are exempt or allowed more based on usage.

everyone else, depending on job and use is given a ration. That ration can be used, or sold if you get extra.

This way people who are efficient or can manage to drive less get rewarded.
people who have to drive everywhere and have to do it in the most efficient car possible cant or has to go find someone with extra credits.

Better yet, remove the tax incentives for buying inefficient cars like the hummer credit.

Or, if we wanted to find a fair way to tax usage of gas based on millage and gallons used don't tax the miles...how about we tax the gallons of gas used. that way people who use a lot of gas pay for it!!

Better yet, have the tax flexible. So when the gas price goes up the tax goes higher with it. a Percentage.
Here is the catch that would help fund new fuels...if the gas price went down, the tax would not keeping it higher and no one would notice.

At this rate even if they passed a dollar a gallon tax people would complain but still pay it, this would help curb consumption and not damage tax revenues


Point is a lot can be done, but at current the best situation looks like to pillage extra gas from a country in a civil war. Reward inefficiency with tax breaks and credits. and of course the more expensive gas is show off how you can afford to burn it away and impress people!

At least the people on this forum have taken a step to reduce usage and consumption. It gives me some hope.

Thanks

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jewelerdave @ May 25 2007, 09:07 AM) [snapback]449847[/snapback]</div>

This is OT, but related to the issues.

I wish we could have separate (Freeway) lanes for small and mid-sized cars, and other lanes for all heavier vehicles. Gas taxes should be used primarily for road maintenance and not other government business.

Taxes for the kinds of vehicles (probably based on weight, but could be judged by the amount of fuel they use) should be pro-rated on the amount of damage done to the lanes in which they drive. Heavy fines to vehicles driving in non-designated lanes.

OK. So I'm crazy, but I'm happy crazy. Not mad crazy.

Dave M.

 

In Pa trucks and SUV s are taxed on their weight when they renew their registration. the heavier the truck the more you pay.

I don't think you want to see gas rationing. It would be worst than prohibition.