Posted on 01/01/2009 2:23:02 PM PST by Libloather
Panel wants fuel taxes hiked to fund highways
By JOAN LOWY, Associated Press
Updated 04:20 p.m., January 1, 2009
WASHINGTON (AP) — A 50 percent increase in gasoline and diesel fuel taxes is being urged by a federal commission to finance highway construction and repair until the government devises another way for motorists to pay for using public roads.
**SNIP**
With motorists driving less and buying less fuel, the current 18.4 cents a gallon gas tax and 24.4 cents a gallon diesel tax fail to raise enough to keep pace with the cost of road, bridge and transit programs.
**SNIP**
A tax increase on this order would be politically treacherous for Democratic leaders in Congress — a gas tax hike was one of the reasons they lost control of the House and Senate in the 1994 elections. President-elect Barack Obama has expressed concern about raising gas taxes in the current economic climate. But commission members said the government must find the money somewhere.
**SNIP**
The dilemma for Congress is that highway and transit programs are dependent for revenue on fuel taxes that are not sustainable. Many Americans are driving less and switching to more fuel-efficient cars and trucks, and a shift to new fuels and technologies like plug-in hybrid electric cars will further erode gasoline sales.
**SNIP**
Transportation is responsible for about a third of all U.S. carbon emissions created by burning fossil fuels. Traffic congestion wastes an estimated 2.9 billion gallons of fuel a year. Less congestion would reduce greenhouse gases and dependence on foreign oil.
(Excerpt) Read more at knoxnews.com ...
How about calling it "robbery"?
The people who need to drive or take public transportation in order to LOOK FOR A JOB are gonna be screwed. Ditto for low income people. Ahhh, but libs care about “the little guy”...
A “carbon tax” should be used to “fight global warming” (in the parallel universe, where that matters). If the purpose of the tax is to fund roads — it should be called a road tax. Charging more for gasoline or diesel isn’t the only way to raise funds for roads.
How bout cutting funding to things like stupid research and useless social programs so we can use our tax dollars for it’s intended purpose.
How exactly is road constuction paid for? I was under the impression that’s why we have drivers license fees and car tag fees and that goes to road improvement in my state (SC). If that’s true of every state, then how is a federal gas tax, much less an increase, the 2nd or 3rd most stupid thing ever?
We have to "replace the infrastructure" to create jobs to help the economy, but we need to pay for it by taxing the people, which will hurt the economy. And in the process The 'rats squeeze more life out of the private sector, which is the real agenda behind all of it..
PLUS, will it not be the case that in a “depression” both labor and materials costs will go down? My guess is that estimates of the costs of these projections are INFLATED costs based on 2008 prices.
Live within a budget? Are you mad ? sarc/
It is the established mind-set of politicians and government bureaucrats that what they do is the most important, highest priority work in the country.
How can you possible delay or obstruct such important work?
We have fostered this mind-set with our votes -- returning these parasites to office with regularity...and without penalty (excepting 1994).
At bottom, it's our fault...
We already pay federal, state and county taxes on gasoline and diesel as well as license and registration fees which are supposed to be used to repair roadways. Apparently the answer to the government not properly allocating these funds to their intended purposes is to raise taxes even higher. What guarantee do we have that this new tax money will not meet the same fate as the current tax money? It strikes me as bordering on insanity that we would do the same thing again and expect a different result. The answer is to force the money back out of the general fund which is where the original money went to in the first place.
Sssshhh! You are using logic and reason, and we cannot have such things sully a perfectly good scam like bilking the American public out of more cash.
The empty suit has to fund his generous “spread the wealth” plan.
Our kakistocracy at work!
(start sarcasm)
“Black” market?
That’s RACIST!!!
(end sarcasm)
I believe I have seen this in action before. Is this how it works?
The moving about can be anything from a tractor trailer full of food destined for your local supermarket, to a soccer mom en route to or from an after school practice. In the case of the food, everyone pays more whether they personally use the highways or not. The Soccer mom can always let her children watch TV. If you need to get to work, be sure to negotiate a raise from you employer. I am quite sure he will be receptive to helping you out.
Raising taxes in an economic downturn has never worked in the past, but I suspect the "Magic Negro" and his crowd have it figured out this time.
Only a MAJOR war will motivate the necessity of production.
If the Muzzies get smart before we hit bottom, they WON'T start or provoke a war, they will just wait and take the entire west for free without firing a shot.
On the bright side, at least the Femanazis will shut up.
How ‘bout this?
At the beginning, a base price for gas is calculated, say, $2.50/gal.
At the end of each quarter, the average retail price per gallon is calculated. If the avg price is below $2.50, a tax for the difference, via an increase in the base price, is imposed. If the avg price is above $2.50, a rebate, via a decrease in the base price, is given. Thus the motoring public will see first hand the tax or the refund.
The rebate will be funded by the Treasury. The government will hate to give a rebate. However, by drilling here and drilling now to increase supply, a tax will always be imposed.
As is done now, payment of the tax and funding of the rebate will be done in the supply chain. The base price at the pump will always be $2.50.
The the end of a retail delivery the tax paid or rebate amount will be prominently displayed on the gas pump. State, county and city tax amounts could be displayed as well.
That about nails it!
How about they stop funding ridiculous mass transit schemes for 10 years and put the savings into roads.
Transit should be supported by transit fares and charatible contributions - not gas taxes. That's part of their problem. Oh, and bicycle paths and other non-car related expenditures should not be coming out of the gas-tax supported road fund either.
Why not just quadruple the tax for all POLITICIANS ONLY on gasoline, diesel and jet fuel? Leave us “little people” alone.
That’s the ticket. Crater the economy completely and we won’t have to worry about having any infrastructure to support it anyway.
Dipsh** politicians.
Americans are not spending, get it through your heads Congress! And we will continue to NOT spend, until the economy is back on track, and that won't happen until You get out of our wallets.
Tax less, get more $$$ in revenue.
How bout No?
My problem with liberals is that they seem to think taxing and spending is THE solution to everything. If that only accounted for 20% of their thinking process, I would find them semi-descent.
I’m reasonable, but it’s sad how one-sided they are.
Here is the organization:
http://financecommission.dot.gov/
Oh goody. Right on their main page they inform us of future meetings.
Next Meeting
July 22, 2008
8:30 AM - 4
Meeting LocationInformation Technology and Innovation Foundation
1250 I (“Eye”) Street, NW, Suite 200,
Washington, DC 20005
Future Meetings Location:
Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
1250 I (“Eye”) Street, NW, Suite 200,
So, their future meeting is in July, in the year 2008.
Thats what I like about Panels created by Congress, they're so up to date. So efficient.
Now lets see who makes up this panel:
http://financecommission.dot.gov/commissioner%20Atkinson.htm
Commissioner Dr. Robert D. Atkinson President Robert Atkinson is President of the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a Washington, DC-based technology policy think tank. He is also author of the State New Economy Index series and the book, The Past and Future of America's Economy: Long Waves of Innovation that Power Cycles of Growth (Edward Elgar, 2005). He has an extensive background in technology policy, he has conducted ground-breaking research projects on technology and innovation, is a valued adviser to state and national policy makers, and a popular speaker on innovation policy nationally and internationally.
Before coming to ITIF, Dr. Atkinson was Vice President of the Progressive Policy Institute and Director of PPI's Technology & New Economy Project. While at PPI he wrote numerous research reports on technology and innovation policy, including on issues such as broadband telecommunications, Internet telephony, universal service, e-commerce, e-government, middleman opposition to e-commerce, privacy, copyright, RFID and smart cards, the role of IT in homeland security, the R&D tax credit, offshoring, and growth economics.
Previously Dr. Atkinson served as the first Executive Director of the Rhode Island Economic Policy Council, a public-private partnership including as members the Governor, legislative leaders, and corporate and labor leaders. As head of RIEPC, he was responsible for drafting a comprehensive economic strategic development plan for the state, developing a ten-point economic development plan, and working to successfully implement all ten proposals through the legislative and administrative branches. Prior to that he was Project Director at the former Congressional Office of Technology Assessment. While at OTA, he directed “ The Technological Reshaping of Metropolitan America ,” a seminal report examining the impact of the information technology revolution on America 's urban areas.
He is a board member or advisory council member of the Alliance for Public Technology, Information Policy Institute, Internet Education Foundation, NanoBusiness Alliance, NetChoice Coalition, the Pacific Institute for Workforce Innovation, and the University of Oregon Institute for Policy Research and Innovation. He also serves on the advisory panel to Americans for Computer Privacy, is an affiliated expert for the New Millennium Research Council, a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Electronic Government, a member of the Reason Foundation's Mobility Project Advisory Board, and a Nonresident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. Dr. Atkinson was appointed by President Clinton to the Commission on Workers, Communities, and Economic Change in the New Economy. In 2007 DOT Secretary Mary Peters appointed him to the National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission. He is also a member of the Task Force on National Security in the Information Age, co-chaired by Markle Foundation president Zoe Baird and former Netscape Communications chairman James Barksdale. In 1999, he was featured in “Who's Who in America : Finance and Industry.” In 2002, he was awarded the Wharton Infosys Business Transformation Award Silver Medal. In addition, Government Technology Magazine and the Center for Digital Government named him one of the 25 top “ Doers, Dreamers and Drivers of Information Technology .” In 2006, Inc. Magazine listed Atkinson as one of “ 19 Friends ” of small business in Washington . He received his Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1989.
http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?st=MD&last=atkinson&first=robert
A donation to Hillary Clinton and one to the DNC
Atlas Puked...
http://www.newsmeat.com/fec/bystate_detail.php?st=AZ&last=shultz&first=martin
We have a senator in Marion, IL (D) who wants to add .08 tax per gallon of gas for Illinois road repairs etc. We southerners are screwed by Chicago and now a southerner wants to jump in the mix.
Call me stupid, but don't we ALREADY pay a tax to use the public roadway and repair it.
Florian has donated to Chris Dodd
Grote I cant figure out
Kennedy cant figure out
Krusee is a Republican
Lentzsch plays both sides of the fence, and was appointed by Charles Rangel
Levenson also plays both sides of the fence.
Moore is from the Reason foundation
I'm tired of looking up these people
Moore said commission members were initially concerned that using technology to track driving might violate drivers’ privacy, but they’ve been assured that such a system could be designed to prevent vehicles from being “tracked in some big brotherish way.”
Oh, good. They've been ASSURED.
That makes me feel much better. /sarcasm
This I think is at the crux of this whole stupid debate.
If they can couch their tax increase as a way to save us from "global warming", they win. If they also say it's necessary to save us from our "crumbling infrastructure" they win again.
The only problem is that neither of these so called threats that we must be "saved" from exist...
The global warming threat we're all well versed in, but the "crumbling infrastructure" is just as big a myth.
Maybe a minor reason. Those of us who remember '94 elections well remember that Dem corruption, HillaryCare, and Gays-in-the-military, along with Newt Gingrich coalescing the GOP around true conservative principles were the real driving forces behind the blood bath that washed the Dems out of the House.
This really bothers me.
If the State and Fed govt’s would stop stealing the gas tax money intended for roads, the roads would be much better.
Why does the Federal government worry about taxes when they can just print the money they want? Worked for the bank bailout.
It is time for a taxpayer revolt.
Wouldn't it be simpler, if they were going to bother, to just put a tariff on the imported oil and use that for road projects?
Burris battles road blocks to Senate
Chicago Tribune | 1-1-09
Posted on 01/01/2009 4:39:43 AM PST by malkee
Edited on 01/01/2009 5:48:21 AM PST by Admin Moderator. [history]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2157131/posts
Calif. Taxpayers Due Refunds May Get IOUs
MSNBC | 12/31/08 | Patrick Healy
Posted on 12/31/2008 7:41:30 PM PST by TigerLikesRooster
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2157070/posts
That's bulls@@t! I have Onstar and they always know exactly where I am.
I'd like Moore, or whoever assured him that they could prevent vehicles from being "tracked in some big brotherish way", to tell me just how that can be done - effectively and without repercussions.
Public transportation is in and of itself a waste in Massachusetts. Like the rest of the state, the MBTA is on the road to bankruptcy.
Yes, much like your social security number will never be used as an identification number.
I agree that fuel taxes should go only to roads and bridges.
With fuel prices down, for now, this is a good time to raise the fuel taxes to pay for roads and bridges.
Lower fuel prices are the only positive for the economy right now. You want to destroy that, too?
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