Rep wants to get rid of Federal gas tax

[TuckertonRR]

moderator: if this belongs in A&S pls move

http://www.delcotimes.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16528026&BRD=1675&PAG=461&dept_id=18171&rfi=6

The legislator met reporters at the station Monday morning to outline a strategic energy plan he said has been long overdue, ignored by the Bush administration for years, and would immediately push down gas prices if passed through the House and Senate.

His plan would use $10 billion from the Iraq Reconstruction Fund for six to 12 months to temporarily eliminate the 18.4 percent gas tax the government collects on gasoline purchases.

Crazy stuff...

[DataJunkie]

$10 billion for only 6 or 12 months? Um.. Ok?
Wouldn't it be cheaper to conserve fuel?

[Dahon.Steve]

His plan would use $10 billion from the Iraq Reconstruction Fund for six to 12 months to temporarily eliminate the 18.4 percent gas tax the government collects on gasoline purchases.

Crazy stuff...

I bet the insurgents are giddy about this. This means the Iraqi government will have less money to build their already messed up country. A lot of this money probably went to their army.

[KrisA]

I guess he missed economics 101. The price of gasoline is dictated by supply and demand. Currently prices are ratcheting up because of increased demand (up 1% year on year in the USA) and decreased supply. If you removed the gas tax cutting the price 18%, demand would increase putting pressure on supply. The price would then rise to the market clearing price which would be shockingly similar to the price WITH the gas tax. Only difference now is that the 18% is further padding investor (mine!) and oil company pockets.

[AlanK]

KrisA is absolutely right. Many legislators are nervous about forthcoming elections, so they are looking for a short-term fix to save their ass come November. Unfortunately most politicians on either side don't have the political cajones to tell the truth: Oil supplies are dwindling and US consumers will never see cheap gas prices (>$2.00/gallon) again. To resolve the issue will require two actions: Conservation and research into renewable energy. When Carter was president, he urged citizens to conserve energy; unfortunately most voters resented him for it:(

[kc9eog]

I'll vote for him, I have no sense whatsoever!

[slagjumper]

Right, the only answer to dropping the price of gas is to raise supply or lower demand.
In the states the gas tax is tiny. The The Federal Tax is 18.4 cents per gallon (2005).

I live in Pennsylvania, which has the second highest state gas tax of 32.3 (gasoline); 39.2 (diesel) this includes 1.1 cpg fee on gasoline going into USTs, 19.2 cent per gallon oil company franchise tax on liquid fuels (primarily gasoline) and 26.1 cpg oil company franchise tax on fuels (primarily diesel) and a 12 cpg tax liquid fuels tax rate. Franchise tax based on the average wholesale price of gasoline during a 1-year period and revised on 1-Jan annually. Oil franchise tax increased 1.2 cpg for gasoline and 1.7 cpg for diesel on 1/1/06.

Clearly this is .50 per gallon can easily be eaten up by a 100 thousand barrel shortage brought on by war or bad weather. Then where would the road rapair money come from?

[Dahon.Steve]

Then where would the road rapair money come from?

You're right. Our roads are going to get pretty bad if we don't spend BILLIONS on maintenance. The states in the end, will have to pick up the tab. In other words, you the taxpayer.

[Roody]

I have a little problem with jumping on the road repair band wagon. My bike can handle roads even rougher than they already are.

So, Republicans will push to repeal gas taxes and loosen environmental regulations. Democrats will want to investigate the oil companies and restict their profits. Will any politician even try to propose a sensible solution to the problem?

(I suppose you could file this under "Yet another stupid question.")

[kc9eog]

So, Republicans will push to repeal gas taxes and loosen environmental regulations. Democrats will want to investigate the oil companies and restict their profits. Will any politician even try to propose a sensible solution to the problem?

+1
Right on!

[genericbikedude]

the united states is soooooo in decline.

[Bockman]

psssst... he doesn't *really* want to abolish the tax.

[TuckertonRR]

the united states is soooooo in decline.

Sad to say, but I think you're right

[AlanK]

the united states is soooooo in decline.
I think so to. Unfortunately, we seem to be falling into a consistent pattern of civilization: after a society reaches it's apex, succeeding generations become lazy and spoiled, and develop a sense of entitlement. It happened to Rome, the UK, and now I think the US has reached that point, exemplified by our consumption. Many US citizens believe they are entitled to own large, inefficient cars, and do/consume whatever they want, whatever the consequences. Even now, as we're seeing the consequences, most US residents still feel that way.

[Dahon.Steve]

Will any politician even try to propose a sensible solution to the problem?

(I suppose you could file this under "Yet another stupid question.")

There is no answer to this problem.

When we run out of oil, we'll burn up all the natural gas. When all the gas is finished, we'll use up all the coal. When that is finished we'll all walk.

[TuckertonRR]

Somewhere I read natural gas is in terminal decline. Oil at least has a while to to before it peaks.

[Roody]

There is no answer to this problem.

When we run out of oil, we'll burn up all the natural gas. When all the gas is finished, we'll use up all the coal. When that is finished we'll all walk.
Walk?

Hell no, I'm keeping my bike! :)

[MarkS]

The answer, to avoid disaster, is conservation. Car-pooling. Mass transit. Smaller cars. Bikes. And a national speed limit of 45 MPH or less. Notice there's never a conservative around when you need one?

[adgrant]

A 45mph speed limit is a horrible idea. That will just result in more money for the auro insurance companies and every police department who can afford a radar gun.

What we really need to do is increase the gas tax and invest the money in mass transit. We should also ban drive-thrus and invest more in toll roads.

[MarkS]

A 45mph speed limit is a horrible idea. That will just result in more money for the auro insurance companies and every police department who can afford a radar gun.

What we really need to do is increase the gas tax and invest the money in mass transit. We should also ban drive-thrus and invest more in toll roads.Ahh, another American brain-washed by the great automotive brain-washing propaganda machine. Like most Americans, you don't understand the gravity of the situation. We need to turn things around within a decade. No time for word-games and half-measures. You don't get it yet -- the age of personal automotive transport is over -- OR we are!

A 45MPH will give instant relief to the current situation. It will put public transit on a level playing field with automotive transport. If insurance companies make money, it will be because they no longer have to pay out massive settlements as the number of Americans killed by autos every year (45 THOUSAND!) is reduced to a tenth of that. If the police make money, that's fine with me. If people want to arrogantly continue bad habits while the country burns, they deserve a ticket -- and much more.

[Roody]

There's only one problem with 45 MPH. It has as much chance of passing as Saddam being named a saint by the Catholic church.

[MarkS]

There's only one problem with 45 MPH. It has as much chance of passing as Saddam being named a saint by the Catholic church.Then I guess all this war talk is just blowing steam, eh?

A 45 MPH speed limite would provide the fastest relief possible. Its only the arrogance of the American people, who consume 25% of the world's energy that stands in the way of its happening.

Oh well. A few wars here and there will help reduce the population. Who needs all those young toughs anyways? And who really needs the Florida panhandle? And Polar bears -- will anyone really miss them? Yes, flush it all, but don't stand in the way of our need for personal, pointless, futile speed.

[AlanK]

MarkS... From a conservation standpoint I've read that 50mph is the most fuel efficient speed in most driving conditions. I really think the solution is to increase the federal gas tax, and focus more effort on mass transit the much of western Europe did after WWII.

[Artkansas]

Crazy stuff...

Robbing Peter to pay Paul. Anything to deny the truth of America's budget crisis. We will be paying for the Bush presidency for the rest of my life and longer.

[TuckertonRR]

True.

Oil's now at $74.15/bbl .... 18c isn't gonna do much.....