GOP: $100 gas rebate
Democrats: Repeal the Federal tax on gas pump prices

Sad that the general public is encouraging all our politicians to pump gas without conserving.




I've suggested this plan before. While it's probably political sucide, it's fair:

• Add about $2 in taxes at the pump.
• Whatever that cost the average taxpayer annually, give them an annual rebate of that much.
• Give truckers, people with commercial licence a break on the taxes

The effect is not cost of living increase overall, but an incentive to conserve. If someone wants to save on taxes, they will take a second look at a 40mpg+ vehicle.

The reason this plan would not work politically is we have too many adults that act like babies that gotta have their candy.

 

Compacts and subcompacts are out there. It's just that most of them are not American.

 

I can agree with the gas guzzler tax, but the windfall profits tax is a terrible idea that has many negatives and no positives.

Windfall taxes essentially say "you can lose money or make some money but if you make too much you don't get to keep it". This is a disincentive to invest in domestic oil, and an incentive to purchase more foreign oil. Historically the oil industry has had below US industry average profits, how's it fair to tax them special now?, the profits are still taxes now. What is the upside to a windfall tax?, higher gas prices?

The meatpacking industry has a 1% profit margin, shouldn't we tax all food producers including organics to this same profit margin? Or would that be social engineering.

Where is this stealing happening? How have we been keeping gas prices low?

Not tapping into ANWR and offshore domestic resources is akin to Bush's tax cuts. Create a huge deficit and HOPE that spending cuts must follow. Except it's, force domestic supply controls and HOPE prices will rise and HOPE consumers will react with efficient purchases. Artificially creating higher gas prices.

In the long run higher gas prices (this is inevitable) will be good at driving consumer change, but I'd like to see the politicians come out and say they WANT higher gas prices, and could care less about a pristine ANWR. Seems absurd watching Democrats complain about the high gas prices that they actually want, Gore just wishes he got 50cent a gallon of it to prevent hurricanes.

 

If I'm reading this right your saying for instance I burn 1000 gallons of gasoline in a year and therefore pay $2000 in gas tax, but I get that same $2000 back in tax returns? I don't see the incentive to use less gas unless I can't afford to wait and get my money back. The historic result would be higher deficits as the governement would spend that money it promised to give back as soon as it comes in.

 

Just a rough sketch, but the intent is to keep goverment revenues the same, while taxing the gas guzzlers more and reward gas mizers.

 

Speaking as a former 2000 Focus owner, I can honestly say that mine was far from excellent. There were about 10 recalls on it in the 2 years before I got rid of it, ranging from insufficient padding where your head would hit the door to "oh, by the way, your right rear wheel assembly may unexpectedly come off at any time." The car was designed by Ford Europe and went into production there a year before they brought it here, and they STILL couldn't get it right.

It had an allegedly 140hp engine, but I don't know where the power was going because it sure as hell couldn't get out of its own way, and the most I ever managed to squeeze out of it was 33mpg (with 31 being the norm). It was amazingly bad. Felt like I had bought something from the early 80's. (My '93 Probe had been near-perfect.)

American manufacturers still equate "small" with "cheap", and consequently so does the American public. That's a hurdle we'll have to overcome if we're ever gonna get people into efficient cars.

 

I hate to say it, but I'm beginning to agree with Ralph Nader when he said that only a disastrously bad President would get the public to wake up.

Summer travel season is still 3 weeks away and gas prices are already climbing, and it's got people's attention.



It's a little sandpit known an Iraq. Perhaps you've heard of it? They have the world's largest oil reserves, and we happen to conveniently have invaded it because we want share democracy with them.




Gas is $6/gallon in England, $7+ in Amsterdam, $3+ in the U.S. England has a 75% tax on gasoline. Ours is what? 18.4 cents per gallon. That's less than 6%.

By law, oil companies are required to pay tax on the oil they extract from federally-owned land, if gas is above $55 per gallon. But we're not enforcing that. Yes, they're taking OUR oil, not paying us for it, then selling it to us for a huge markup.

How's that for keeping prices low?

 

Iraq does NOT have the largest reserves. That would be Saudi Arabia. But Iraq's reserves are significant enough to make a difference in a world that currently has only about 2-3% (if memory serves) extra capacity versus demand.

 

worthwads for some reason took a shot at public transportation, even though that was the furtherest thing on my mind as I was pointing out the whining guy that chose to drive in a 12mpg vehicle.

Lets go in the other direction - maybe hard right and turn all the public roads to private authorities. Would it save money? Would roads in remote areas be drivable? Should heavier vehicles pay more due to the wear and tear they put on the roads?

I'm at a loss to explain those that think large vehicles should not be charged more - that's the capitalist way.

 

I'll be traveling to Germany tomorrow, so I thought I'd check on gas prices there:

1 Gallon of premium gas will run you $6.35 right now.

I'm all in favor of high gas taxes and prices to promote conservation, and funneling that money into research and development of new technologies.
What boggles the mind is that even though on average in Germany people burn far less gas (more frugal cars, far more extensive use of publica transportation), there are still folks there that even at these astronomical prices, will buy big, guzzling beamers, mercs, and others.