Gasoline Tax Hike?

[sfc_oliver]

Hopefully long enough for science to find the best or at least the best for now alternative fuel.

[Why?Town]

First, I never said I was willing to tax anybody, nor am I in a position to do so.  I simply said I would support that particular tax, as in I would not grumble about paying it.

Second, I have no environmental agenda, or any real agenda for that matter.

Lastly, I never said anything about dirlling in America for our own oil, It would help keep the money here, but for how long?

[Dan Moadus]

"Why Town" says, "Some amount of investment in US made energy (whatever it is) may just be the price we have to pay to stop funding our enemies."

But would "Why Town" be willing to pay the price of maybe a tenth of one degree in the world's temperature in ten years, to stop funding our enemies? It appears that he is willing to tax us, but is he willing to put aside his environmental agenda as well and let America drill more of our own oil?

[Rick Rowlands]

All an energy tax does is make people poorer.  Whytown will be poorer because of it, I will be poorer as well.  It will not magically result in the advent and perfection of low cost alternative energy, only research and development can do that.

I read so much on this forum about how we as a society should be helping the poor and the disadvantaged.  But then those same people say that they would like to see the poor and disadvantaged pay higher costs to live.  I'm so confused.  Which is it? 

[sfc_oliver]

It all still goes back to drilling our own oil for our own use , while our scientists (not our politicians) find the best alternative fuel sources. Government will tax our air if we allow' it if they aren't already. I remain on the no side to new energy taxes.

[Why?Town]

I should have pointed out that the goal of raising the taxes in the 70's should have been to help people make better decisions about their energy use. Paying more for gasoline would have had much bigger impact on the demand for more fuel efficient vehicles and the amount of oil we use/import than any CAFE standards could hope to imagine. (See Europe)

After thinking about it, I guess I would support the tax regardless of how the money is used but as long as we're collecting it, why not put it to use further reducing the amount of oil we use/import?

As for comparisons to horse travel, horses weren't powered by a fuel that was putting money into our enemy's pockets. Right now we are paying to buy oil from less than friendly nations AND paying again to defend ourselves from these nations. Some amount of investment in US made energy (whatever it is) may just be the price we have to pay to stop funding our enemies, thus reducing the price we pay defending ourselves. Yes I realize not all oil producing countries are hostile towards us.

[Dan Moadus]

Raising the taxes on gasoline and using the extra money for alternative energy research is something that should have happened long ago, like during the fuel crisis of the 70's.

It really is the only tax increase I would ever support but only if the politians could keep their grubby paws out of the cookie jar.

Hey "Why Town", did it ever occur to you that "conventional energy" pretty much came about without some one having to be taxed to develop it. Why? Because people wanted it, and because it was so much more efficient than what proceeded it. No one had to artificially raise the cost of horse travel in order to get people to convert.

Face it; when alternative energy becomes a more efficient way to power America, no one will have to raise taxes to subsidize it.

[Oldmill]

Piss on it ! I'm gonna quit my JOB and live on welfare .

[Rick Rowlands]

Would this be on top of the price increases caused by cap and trade?  If you want to inflict pain on yourself I'll give you an icepick, but its insane to want to inflict pain on others.

[Why?Town]

Raising the taxes on gasoline and using the extra money for alternative energy research is something that should have happened long ago, like during the fuel crisis of the 70's.

It really is the only tax increase I would ever support but only if the politians could keep their grubby paws out of the cookie jar.

[Towntalk]

Real Men Tax Gas

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/20/opinion/20friedman.html?_r=1&hp

Officials Seek Way to Fill a Gas Tax Gap

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/08/us/08car.html?fta=y