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DETROIT (Reuters) - There's a simple way to get Americans to drive fuel-efficient cars, according to auto executives, but they are not going to like it -- sharply hike the gas tax. [snip] Gradually raising gas taxes to the point where fuel costs $4 to $5 at the pump will do more to stimulate demand in next-generation vehicles like General Motors Co's forthcoming Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid than any other policy initiatives...

California's gasoline taxes are 43 percent higher than the national average, according to a recent study by University of California and California State University economists. Since 1997, Californians have paid up to 60 cents more per gallon of gas than residents of other states. That is simply unacceptable. Major fuel consumers and employers in this state, like United Airlines, who rely heavily on affordable fuel prices, are being hit hard by these California-only fuel polices. What causes this disparity in fuel prices? It's simple: California prices are increasingly inflated by the state's policies, taxes and fees. These California-specific rules and...

Potholes? Faded road stripes? Downed signs or faulty traffic lights? Too bad; take a number, and drive carefully. Among Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposals for closing the state's $24 billion budget deficit is to redirect gas-tax away from cities and counties to pay debt service on state highway bonds — draining $744 million from local government coffers in the next fiscal year and $745 million in the year after that. "It'll have a devastating effect here," said Alameda County's Public Works Director Daniel Woldesenbet. "This isn't just a public works issue, but a public safety issue." Woldesenbet said his agency stands...

Despite the Massachusetts Senate's passage of a tax package last week, it's clear that funds allocated for transportation - principally from the sales tax - are simply not enough. Moreover, with the rejection of 19- and 11-cent gas tax increase options, what seems to be absent from the debate is the compelling environmental argument for a hike in the gas tax. Looking at the evidence for climate change - and its dire consequences - it's clear that we need to get serious about weaning ourselves from our CO2-emitting, petroleum-based economy. Already in evidence is faster-than-expected melting of the polar ice...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said the federal government has to look at raising the gasoline tax to pay for public works improvements if the public supports paying for them, according to a "Meet the Press" interview that aired Sunday. The Republican governor appeared on the NBC show with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell to advocate for more federal public works spending as part of a coalition they formed last year. The interview was taped Friday. Host David Gregory asked Schwarzenegger whether an increase in the federal 18.4-cent per gallon gasoline tax is an appropriate way...

The gas tax proposal advanced by Gov. Jennifer Granholm last week would be the right fuel for Michigan's crumbling roads. The Legislature's job will be to refine her plan -- and make it part of a larger overhaul of transportation spending so that current road funding, which is badly battered, gets the repair it desperately needs. Ms. Granholm's proposal would shift gas taxes from a per-gallon levy to a percentage tax tied to the wholesale price of gasoline. It would work much like the 6 percent state sales tax now collected on gasoline and other items.

Panel wants fuel taxes hiked to fund highwaysBy 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...

A proposed gasoline tax hike to fix the state's crumbling roads and bridges is pitting road builders against gasoline station owners, who say it would give Michigan the highest tax in the nation. With the proposed hike being considered by the lame duck state Legislature, Michigan would jump ahead of California, the nation's current No. 1... "It's the last thing this ailing economy needs right now," ... "Cheap fuel prices are fueling the (economic) activity we have now. Taxing gasoline to fix roads is an old way of doing it." A recent poll of truckers ranked Michigan interstates as the...

Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski is proposing a 2-cent increase in the state gasoline tax to help pay for road and bridge projects that could create jobs for thousands of Oregonians. At a legislative hearing, the Democratic governor said he expects vigorous debate on his gas tax plan. But he said public works programs are the most effective way to get people back to work in this struggling economy. Kulongoski's plan also calls for doubling the vehicle titling fee to $110, raising the registration fee from $27 a year to $81 a year and creating a $100-a-year fee for titling cars...

The debate over skyrocketing gas prices and what impact, if any, that should have on auto insurance rates, made me realize that both oil and insurance are industries plagued by a glaring lack of understanding on the part of the public about basic economic facts--ignorance shamefully exploited by politicians like John McCain to create scapegoats and win votes. The way Sen. McCain is pushing for more offshore oil drilling, you would think that all one has to do to "solve" the problem of rising fuel costs is to go to the beach, stick a straw in the sand and fill...

MN:Lawmaker feels duped as Hwy. 60 fixes fade [...] In February, Hamilton was one of six Republican legislators whose votes were needed to override Gov. Tim Pawlenty's veto of a $6.6 billion transportation funding bill that ushered in Minnesota's first state gas tax hike in 20 years. At the time Hamilton made things clear: If DFLers would provide funding for Hwy. 60, they would get his vote. [...] But MnDOT now contends the language was never clear and is withholding any commitment to the Hwy. 60 project. What's more, the key DFL legislator who sponsored the transportation bill said Hamilton...

One more thing about bridges then I'll be quiet. A really good article at gobridges.com talks about the mess our nation's bridges are in -- thousands of them spanning big rivers and little creeks all across these United States. This article also reflects on how the inspection technology has changed since the National Bridge Inspection Standards came into being. The House passed HR3999 on July 24, 2008. It's now headed for the Senate. When this resolution came out of the House it contained eleven amendments, several of which were clarifying points of language. However, Amendment 6 encourages states that receive...

Good news for drivers, is bad news for the federal highway trust fund. The fund faces a multi-billion-dollar shortfall next year because Americans are using less gas... and that means less revenue from gasoline taxes. The Federal Highway Administration says Americans drove 9.6 billion fewer miles in May 2008 than in May 2007. Ohioans drove 75 million fewer miles in the same time span. And Pennsylvanians drove 100 million fewer miles. Some government officials say it points to a need for another method besides the gas tax to fund highway projects.

Good Money After Bad by: Bethany Stotts, July 28, 2008 When gas prices are at record highs and American families are feeling the economic pinch, Congress may just decide to boost gas prices even higher. Their reason will be to save jobs. As the Washington Post reported on July 20, “Now, lawmakers quietly are talking about raising fuel taxes by a dime from the current 18.4 cents a gallon on gasoline and 24.3 cents on diesel fuel.” The discussion arose out of a presentation by Congressmen James Oberstar (D-Minn.) and Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), who calculate that states will lose millions...

The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), meeting in New Orleans Friday, approved a motion to call on Congress to shore up the diminishing Highway Trust Fund with an increase in the federal gas tax. Last hiked in 1993, the 18.4-cent tax is the primary funding source for federal highway projects. Increased use of fuel-efficient vehicles and non-petroleum fuels as well as cutbacks Americans have made on their driving have negatively impacted the revenue collected from the tax. "The time has come for policymakers at all levels of government to take a serious look at transportation funding," Oregon State Sen....

Oberstar, D-Minn., said his committee is working on the next long-term highway bill. He estimated it will take between $450 billion and $500 billion over six years to address safety and congestion issues with highways, bridges and transit systems. "We'll put all things on the table," Oberstar said, but the gas tax "is the cornerstone. Nothing else will work without the underpinning of the higher user fee gas tax." At the very least, the gas tax should be indexed to construction cost inflation, DeFazio said. The nonpartisan National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission concluded in a report this...

An unprecedented cutback in driving is slashing the funds available to rebuild the nation's aging highway system and expand mass-transit options, underscoring the economic impact of high gasoline prices. The resulting financial strain is touching off a political battle over government priorities in a new era of expensive oil. A report to be released Monday by the Transportation Department shows that over the past seven months, Americans have reduced their driving by more than 40 billion miles. Because of high gasoline prices, they drove 3.7% fewer miles in May than they did a year earlier, the report says, more than...

The committee hosting the Democratic National Convention has used the city's gas pumps to fill up and apparently avoided paying state and federal fuel taxes. The practice, which began four months ago, may have ended hours after its disclosure. An aide to Mayor John Hickenlooper released a statement Tuesday evening saying that Denver 2008 Host Committee members would pay market prices for fuel and would also be liable for all applicable taxes.

GLENN: Now, here's one of the most incredible stories I have read today and I've read a lot of incredible stories. Wait until I get to the John Edwards story. I've read a lot of incredible stories today. Here's one from the DNC host committee in Denver, tanking up at city gas pumps to avoid paying the $0.40 a gallon in combined Federal and State gas taxes. Let me repeat that. The DNC would like to save money for their convention and so they have decided that they're going to buy it from the State gas pumps. You know where...

The host committee for the Democratic National Convention set for Denver next month is avoiding paying state and federal taxes on gasoline by gassing up vehicles at a city fuel depot, according to a city councilwoman quoted yesterday on the Web site of the Rocky Mountain News. "There's something there that just doesn't seem right ..." the Denver official, Jeanne Faatz, said at a city meeting yesterday. "I believe this [tax free gas pump] is only for elected officials, government dignitaries," Mayor Hickenlooper said at the session, according to the News. [Snip] Republican National Convention's host committee in [Minneapolis], Teresa...

The committee hosting the Democratic National Convention is using the city's gas pumps to fill up on fuel, avoiding state and federal highway taxes, officials said today. "There's something there that just doesn't seem right to me because, in a sense, you're saying then that the officials who pass the laws are not willing to live by them, and that concerns me," Councilwoman Jeanne Faatz said. The issue came up during the council's weekly meeting with Mayor John Hickenlooper when the Public Works Department requested authorization to be reimbursed by the Denver 2008 Convention Host Committee for use of "fueling...

As fuel prices rise, gas tax receipts drop, and money for roads and bridges dries up - Gas prices are soaring. That's the bad news.But as they soar, motorists drive less, and that produces some benefits: less air pollution and less congestion. That's the good news.And then there's the bad news about the good news. The federal gas tax is levied on a per-gallon basis. So the less people drive and the less gas they use, the less the federal government collects from gas taxes. So it is that recent record high gas prices have produced record low gas tax...

Good-bye summer gas tax holiday. Hello, higher gas taxes. If you are outraged that gas taxes might go up instead of coming down for the summer, we don't blame you. But the way things are going, it's a possibility that we will be paying more to Uncle Sam when we gas up. Just as the country was digesting the possibility of the 90-day hiatus on gas taxes for the summer to alleviate gas prices, lawmakers learned that a trust fund that pays for road construction and repair countrywide is actually heading in the red, and needs every dime it can...

http://boortz.com/nuze/index.html Monday, July 21, 2008 I KNOW WHAT WE SHOULD DO ... RAISE TAXES! Congress is currently considering the idea of raising fuel taxes by ten cents. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25751775/ Right now we pay 18.4 cents a gallon on gas and 24.3 cents on diesel. Congress thinks that this would be a great time to increase those taxes that you are paying at the pump. Why???? Well, it seems that our federal government doesn't have enough money to spend on highway projects. The chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Jim Oberstar presented the House with a list of how many...

In perhaps the most distasteful and contrarian effort yet, stories are surfacing through news agencies this morning of a private congressional talks that would actually raise the Federal Gas Tax by ...

Sen. John McCain on Thursday renewed his call for a “brief” gas tax holiday — and quickly ran into a political fender-bender with his new Missouri campaign chairman, Sen. Kit Bond. The Republican told an estimated 1,200 people at Union Station that suspending the federal tax on gasoline and diesel fuel would help put millions of dollars into the hands of businesses and lower-income Americans. Such a holiday, he later told The Kansas City Star, could be justified by cutting wasteful spending: “The most pork barrel-laden aspect of everything we do are the highway bills.” One of the most vocal...

With gas prices as high as they are, wouldn't it seem reasonable to cut gas taxes or maybe just temporarily suspend them with a "gas tax holiday"? Well the Democrat Congress says "no way!" Instead what we are hearing this weekend are ideas the Democrats are brainstorming on how to raise gas taxes! Seriously! The American Road & Transportation Builders Association wants the Democrats to raise gas taxes by 11¢ per gallon and raise it annually to keep up with the rate of inflation. (You know to make sure we get that tax increase automatically every single year!) The Democrats...

John McCain couldn’t convince Congress to adopt his gas-tax holiday, but Congress does plan on making some changes to the rate. Unfortunately, the change will go in the opposite direction, if Democrats get their wish. With Americans driving less, the highway fund faces even more severe shortfalls than expected from lost gas-tax revenue — and so the Democrats plan to hike it up by ten cents a gallon.

If didn't know better, I would think the Democrats are really trying to lose this election. First they offered up the cap and trade global warming bill in the Senate that was quickly withdrawn when they realized what a debacle they were creating for themselves. Then this week they planned to use a windfall profits tax to vilify the oil companies and distract the public from their negligence and malfeasance for failing to enact laws and make policies to encourage the production and distribution of the life-blood of the nation- oil. Congress has repeatedly failed to produce legislation to that would lead to more meaningful energy...

Imagine a pie chart representing the total cost of a gallon of gasoline for the consumer. Of the $4.00 plus that we are currently paying, the oil companies' total slice of the pie is less than 10%. Profits from the oil companies are less than 1% of the pie, So, if you were to look at that chart, the tiny sliver that represents oil company profits would be barely visible. If you look at the cost of raw materials (crude oil by the barrel), it would represent more than 70% of the pie chart! So what portion of the pie...

ATLANTA - All of the talk among political candidates about a federal gas tax holiday to offset soaring prices at the pump misses a critical fact: state taxes are, for the most part, even more costly for drivers. And in some states, gas taxes are rising even higher, with a handful set to jump at the height of the summer driving season. The average state sales tax on gasoline is 28.6 cents a gallon, according to the American Petroleum Institute. That's a dime more than the federal gasoline tax of 18.4 cents a gallon. (snip) The national average price rose...

ATLANTA (AP) — All of the talk among political candidates about a federal gas tax holiday to offset soaring prices at the pump misses a critical fact: state taxes are, for the most part, even more costly for drivers. And in some states, gas taxes are rising even higher, with a handful set to jump at the height of the summer driving season. The average state sales tax on gasoline is 28.6 cents a gallon, according to the American Petroleum Institute. That's a dime more than the federal gasoline tax of 18.4 cents a gallon.

Q:   Does the government really make more in taxes from the sale of a gallon of gasoline than the oil companies do? A: Possibly. Both taxes and profits account for a large share, but which is larger depends on too many unknown factors to allow for a clear answer. Let’s start with the basics. According to the Energy Information Administration, in February 2008 state and federal excise taxes accounted for 13 percent of the average price per gallon of regular gasoline sold in the U.S. That figures to just under 40 cents per gallon as a national average....

SACRAMENTO -- More than $828 million in gas tax money that is supposed to go to public transportation projects would be diverted to help bail the state out of its financial problems ... --snip-- His revised budget would: * Restrict full in-home supportive services for seniors and people with disabilities, and cut the pay of the service workers to the minimum wage. Only the most severely impaired would get aides for household tasks, although in-home medical assistance would continue. * Eliminate California's $111-million program of healthcare for legal immigrants, and pare back the healthcare provided to impoverished people who have...

Lansing - Even if the legislature gathers support to temporarily suspend the state's sales tax on gasoline, the plan won't be signed by Governor Jennifer Granholm. House Republicans are promoting a plan to suspend the tax for the summer to give relief to motorists struggling with record high gas prices. "It's not significant. It won't put millions of dollars in your pocket, but every little bit helps when gas is approaching $4.00 per gallon," said State Representative Dave Hildenbrand, a Lowell Republican said Monday outside an Lowell Mobil station. Liz Boyd, Governor Jennifer Granholm's spokesperson, told WZZM 13 today the...

"I'm Not Going To Put My Lot In With Economists," Clinton Says On Gas Tax May 04, 2008 12:36 PM ABC News' Mary Bruce Reports: Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., declined this morning to name a single economist who backs her call for a gas tax suspension. "I'm not going to put my lot in with economists," Clinton said in an exclusive appearance on a special edition of "This Week" from Indianapolis. In light of fierce criticism from economic experts, Clinton explained that "we've been for the last seven years seeing a tremendous amount of government power and elite opinion basically...

Democrat Wants Higher Gas Taxes, New Carbon Fees By Susan Jones CNSNews.com Senior Editor September 27, 2007 (CNSNews.com) - Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), chairman of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, is proposing a new carbon tax to reduce U.S. energy consumption. Part of the proceeds, he said would help pay for "universal health care -- "upon passage," he noted. In addition to the carbon tax, Dingell's plan to reduce global warming also includes higher taxes on gasoline; and a phase-out of the mortgage interest deduction on what he called "McMansions." Dingell, who revealed aspects of the plan earlier this...

A special state commission looking for ways to keep the state's roads and rail systems from falling into disrepair will recommend that the state raise the gasoline tax by 11.5 cents a gallon next year and impose a "user fee" of 5 cents a mile to drive on major state highways... The Transportation Finance Commission, appointed by the Legislature in 2004, is expected to make its recommendations public tomorrow... To close the gap, the commission is proposing a package of tolls and taxes that would generate more than $20 billion. According to a summary of the recommendations, the commission will...

Dear President Bush and Members of Congress: On behalf of the millions of taxpayers represented by our respective organizations, we write in opposition to proposals that would increase the existing 18.4 cent-per-gallon federal excise tax on gasoline. One legislative plan promoted by Representative James Oberstar would temporarily increase the federal gas tax by 5 cents per gallon to fund bridge repair around the country. We are extremely concerned that this "temporary" tax increase would turn into a permanent one. After all, President George H.W. Bush's "temporary" gas tax increase of 5 cents per gallon in 1990 never went away as...

Both Houses of Congress have labored for months on energy bills that claim to reduce our reliance on oil imports, increase energy efficiency and move the country toward energy independence.Both Houses of Congress have labored for months on energy bills that claim to reduce our reliance on oil imports, increase energy efficiency and move the country toward energy independence. Instead, it looks like Congress is planning to tax our way to energy insecurity with provisions that put American energy companies at a global disadvantage. These bills fall short in many ways, but the most striking provision is the repeal of...

Whoa now. Let’s hold our horses a minute and think about the calls for new tax increases to fix for our infrastructure problems. The Minneapolis bridge collapse is a tragedy, but we can’t let it be used to compound other problems – which is what will happen if we’re scared into raising gas taxes. As we all know, there are few things more permanent than a temporary tax. Just ask the folks who footed the cost of the Spanish-American War for the past 108 years via a federal excise tax on our phone bills. Congress is contemplating a new “temporary”...

ST. PAUL -- Governor Pawlenty says he had been reconsidering his opposition to a gas tax increase even before last week's Minneapolis bridge collapse. Last Friday Pawlenty said he'd agree to raise the state's 20 cents-per-gallon gas tax as part of a comprehensive transportation package. That's after he had vetoed gas tax increases in 2005 and again in 2007. Pawlenty now says that the Interstate 35W bridge collapse has made him willing to do, quote, "everything and anything necessary" to raise more money for bridges and roads. But, both Pawlenty and the leading Democratic lawmaker on transportation said today that...

Get ready for Congress to solve the energy problem just as it has previously solved the illegal immigration problem... A good start, yes, to higher gas and food prices, to new taxes and to forcing consumers to pay for high-cost “renewable” energy sources — solar and wind... The Senate bill, grandiosely and falsely dubbed the Renewable Fuels, Consumer Protection and Energy Efficiency Act of 2007, should come with a section prohibiting price gouging — by Congress... “Gas consumers can expect to pay between $3.16 and $3.79 a gallon for gas in 2008 after adding in the estimated impact of the...

The cost of filling a gas tank is higher in Citrus County than in the rest of the Bay area, partly because Citrus County gas taxes are higher than in many other Bay area counties.

Few politicians can resist the urge to exploit consumer angst over gasoline prices, and thereby deflect where the blame certainly lies — with them. Here are 10 things the politicians won’t tell you: 1. At over $3.00 a gallon, the U.S. inflation-adjusted price for gasoline in May 2007 is now less than it was in 1981, a remarkable decrease in price over a 25 year period during which real prices in other sectors, such as health and education have tripled and quadrupled. 2. This decline in the price of gasoline since 1981 is enjoyed almost exclusively in the U.S. In...

ANNAPOLIS -- Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. wants to increase Maryland's sales tax on gasoline by 12 cents a gallon, part of a revenue plan that also includes bringing 15,500 slot machines to the state and cutting government positions. "There's going to be cuts, there's going to be slots, there's going to be tax increases," Mr. Miller said yesterday. "And it's going to be tough for some people, but they're going to have to suck it up and move forward for the good of the state."

The recent House vote to raise taxes on oil companies demonstrates once again that whatever the liberal Democrats may say about only taxing "the wealthy," they always end up gouging the middle class. The energy bill recently rushed through the House in Nancy Pelosi's first "100 hours" repeals the 2004 corporate tax cuts for oil and gas, blocks incentives for exploration, and imposes new royalty fees on deepwater oil and gas drilling fields in the Gulf of Mexico. Altogether, it will give Congress about $14 billion extra to play with. Not a bad haul, especially as it comes out of...

Ty Martin estimates he gets about 100 miles per gallon of diesel out of his old Dodge truck. And he’s not joking. “I’ve done some extensive road testing and had great luck,” the Lawrence resident said. Martin is one of a small but growing group of drivers who are skirting rising gas prices and taking what they see as a more environmentally friendly route by fueling their cars with used restaurant grease. “It’s something that’s really taken off in the last two years,” said Josiah Cuneo, production manager for Greasecar Vegetable Fuel Systems, a Massachusetts-based company that sells the kits...

Would you pay more for gasoline to lower greenhouse gas emissions? Yes No