Gas tax going up... way up

[Sludgy]

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080115/D8U6725G2.html

[SD26]

Well, yeah...

If vehicles get better mileage, less fuel will be used. Less taxes received and consumed inefficiently by the government. They have to make it up somehow other than reducing their waste.

[dkjones96]

Man, that sucks. I'm buying a civic and a bike rack.

[theclencher]

If vehicles get better mileage, less fuel will be used. Less taxes received and consumed inefficiently by the government. They have to make it up somehow other than reducing their waste.

Somehow, I don't think we need to worry about "less fuel being used" yet! :rolleyes: Fleet fuel economy has been dropping, miles driven up, number of vehicles up.

[Erdrick]

Forty cents over 5 years is really nothing in the grand scheme of things. If that is all that we see in pump price increases, we will be extremely lucky!

Five years from now, we will be living in the year 2013. That is a long time from now. Electric vehicles will most likely be fairly widespread, and within the reach of the upper-average consumer. Last I checked, electricity rates weren't going up. I haven't checked in a while though!

Basically, what I want to say is that the 40cents/gal increase ends up being a 8 cent per year permanent increase to the price you pay at the pump. In the grand scheme of things, it isn't going to break many peoples' banks. Heck, American pump prices can fluctuate more than 8 cents/gal in any given week, and sometimes overnight!

[BIBI]

Forty cents over 5 years is really nothing in the grand scheme of things. If that is all that we see in pump price increases, we will be extremely lucky!

Five years from now, we will be living in the year 2013. That is a long time from now. Electric vehicles will most likely be fairly widespread, and within the reach of the upper-average consumer. Last I checked, electricity rates weren't going up. I haven't checked in a while though!

Basically, what I want to say is that the 40cents/gal increase ends up being a 8 cent per year permanent increase to the price you pay at the pump. In the grand scheme of things, it isn't going to break many peoples' banks. Heck, American pump prices can fluctuate more than 8 cents/gal in any given week, and sometimes overnight!

If electric cars become popular, electricity rates will go up as well, coal too.

[bowtieguy]

Forty cents over 5 years is really nothing in the grand scheme of things. If that is all that we see in pump price increases, we will be extremely lucky!

Five years from now, we will be living in the year 2013. That is a long time from now. Electric vehicles will most likely be fairly widespread, and within the reach of the upper-average consumer. Last I checked, electricity rates weren't going up. I haven't checked in a while though!

Basically, what I want to say is that the 40cents/gal increase ends up being a 8 cent per year permanent increase to the price you pay at the pump. In the grand scheme of things, it isn't going to break many peoples' banks. Heck, American pump prices can fluctuate more than 8 cents/gal in any given week, and sometimes overnight!

SD26 said it best. to be more specific tho...it's not the 8 cents/year, but THAT increase along w/inflation and the flux in crude prices. add to that the "drunken sailor" spending of the US gov't, it makes no sense.

ok, what does the individual do to fund a new emergency fund(like gov't roads and bridges)? does one "tax" himself by putting MORE $ in savings, taking away from another fund(rent,car, food,etc)? NO WAY! first budget cuts MUST be made by ending eating out for example. speaking of the responsible consumer BTW. heard of pork barrel spending?

i realize US gas is cheaper than it's really worth, especially compared to the rest of the world. but, there is WAY too much gov't spending and waste to warrant tax increases on the American people. it should be going the other way(tax decreases).

some consumers ARE cutting back on gas consumption. you can't punish those for the excess consumption of others! maybe tax credits should be given on more than just hybrids.

sorry 'bout the rant. just found out my mortgage went up $40 due to increased taxes and insurance. do not have the cash this year to pay the escrow difference. add to that more taxes(gas and who knows what), i may have to vote democrat this fall in hopes of getting the free healthcare and other handouts!

[skewbe]

If that is all that we see in pump price increases, we will be extremely lucky!

I would agree with that statement. 'course we have been subsidizing gas prices for a long time. With the shift in priorities the world has experienced though I'm fine with it. No need to encourage consumption for something we might aught to be trying to learn to live without. All other problems of the universe aside of course.

[Erdrick]

[QUOTE= some consumers ARE cutting back on gas consumption. you can't punish those for the excess consumption of others! maybe tax credits should be given on more than just hybrids.
QUOTE]

Sure you can punish everyone else for the excess of others. That is EXACTLY what is happening! You don't like your insurance rates? You could be a perfect driver, but your rates, to some degree, will be affected by things like 1) how hot an item your car is to thieves 2) how rare your car is 3) how other drivers your age drive and so on. Are any of these things your fault? No. Do you pick up the slack for them? Yes. That is the reality of living in a society with a government. I could point out hundreds of other examples of how others idiocy negatively affects each and every one of us.

Just stay one step ahead of the guy next to you, and you will be fine.

As for the whole government spending problem? I think it is a given that they could cut back in more than a few areas. Unfortunately, that doesn't look like it is going to happen. Just forces the rest of us to get a little creative and learn to work the system.

[baddog671]

Even with more fuel effiecent cars, your getting more and more young idiot drivers on the road. So it all evens out and gas consumption still increases...

[101mpg]

Tax credits ARE given out on more than hybrids. SUVs qualify for businesses as "farm equipment." So lots of (mostly small business) business owners buy their personal vehicle through the business to get a tax cut.

THAT is the lunacy we need to stop at the source. First politician who taxes vehicles based upon their fuel economy (anything above 40 mpg gets zero taxes) gets my vote.

[Rick Rae]

Tax credits ARE given out on more than hybrids. SUVs qualify for businesses as "farm equipment." So lots of (mostly small business) business owners buy their personal vehicle through the business to get a tax cut.
I'm a small business owner. My next vehicle will be purchased by the business to get a tax break. It'll be selected with the needs of the business in mind.

And guess what, it won't be an SUV. :) The short list currently has stuff like a Yaris, a Prius, a TDI diesel, etc. on it. :thumbup::D

We're not all nuts. ;)

First politician who taxes vehicles based upon their fuel economy (anything above 40 mpg gets zero taxes) gets my vote.
How would you implement that? Not challenging your statement, just trying to understand what you have in mind.

Thing is, we already know a vehicle's real world FE depends a lot on the driver, maintenance, conditions, etc. If you buy a 30MPG vehicle and hypermile it to 45 consistently, aren't you more deserving of a tax break than the guy who buys a 45MPG vehicle and lead-foots it down to 30? Ideally any sort of tax break would be based on what the specific vehicle is actually doing, rather than what the government says that model ought to be doing.

But anything that encourages manufacturers to build more efficient vehicles (and people to buy them) is a step in the right direction, I suppose.

Rick

[theclencher]

And guess what, it won't be an SUV.

Appears to me you are one in a million!

[Thermactor]

I STRONGLY doubt that people will allow this to happen. Gas prices are an election hot-button. We WILL get taxed for whatever the pork-barrel government wants accomplished, but it probably won't be an increase in gas prices because those are more visible than a fraction of a percent on an income tax increase. It's all in the mind.

[bowtieguy]

Edrick,

yes, i understand we subsidize others in MANY areas. and THAT is exactly my point-it needs to stop. no doubt there are many families like mine hardly making it w/out assistance. on the edge if you will.

i've worked for only one employer in my life that charged extra on health insurance premiums for tobacco users. oh, and don't get caught lying...big mistake! these types of things would level the playing field.

BTW, how do you like your gov't and its spending? don't know much about Japan here.