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Submitted by cpassante on Thu, 2008-04-24 14:09.
I really can't believe it took me $50 to fill up my gas tank today. About 14 gallons.
The nationwide average price for a gallon of gas at the pumps is now more than $3.50 a gallon, according to AAA. A year ago, gas averaged $2.86.
What's the solution? Federal tax cuts to put more money in consumers' pockets? Tapping into the 700 million barrels of reserves the U.S. has? Instituting a gas cap (see China)?
I don't know about you, but I'm going to dust off the 'ol Schwinn...
ck
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McCain today came out with the suggestion of taking off the gas tax for just this summer so we can still drive on our vacations.
Not a bad idea!
JM made that proposal at least a week ago.
Didn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out!
McCain today came out with the suggestion of taking off the gas tax for just this summer so we can still drive on our vacations.
Not a bad idea!
I think it's a stupid and incredibly short-sighted idea. He's putting his head in the sand, and is certainly sending a message about what kind of energy and environmental policies he would have if elected.
We need long-term solutions, not band-aid, feel-good plans. Nothing against McCain...
We can't pay for transportation improvements — bridges, roads, etc., without passing a referendum.
Which is a whole other can of worms.
Still, what is the long-range plan going to be?
ck
Since you asked... :-)
Increase the gasoline tax significantly, at least 50 cents, maybe a dollar or more per gallon. Set aggressive and annually increasing MPG standards for all new vehicles. Any new vehicle that does not meet the standard is taxed at $1000 per MPG under the standard (maybe multiplicative: $2K for 1mpg, $4K for 2mpg, $6K for 3mpg, $8k for 4mpg, etc.) Any vehicle above a defined upper-level MPG rating is exempted from sales tax or is eligible for rebate/subsidy. Get old gas guzzlers off the roads by imposing surcharges on vehicle registrations based on MPG ratings of the original vehicle.
With all the additional revenue from these taxes/charges, fund the research and infrastructure required to significantly improve battery technology and put electric powered vehicles on the road. Ethanol is not the answer.
I read recently that energy companies are boasting that "we have enough oil reserves to last the next 30 years". Why doesn't that make me feel any better?
Apparently, buck, you wanna pay 20% more for groceries, clothes, and other goods and services. Tell ya what. Just go ahead and give the clerk at Enmark an extra buck/gallon.
Pay me now or pay me later. If we don't start now, our children and grandchildren will be paying a whole lot more than an extra buck a gallon.
Taxing the populace has NEVER been the solution to ANY problem. The sooner libs get that in their thick skulls, the sooner we'll find those solutions.
The question was what could be done? I provided a suggestion. ANYONE can find fault with someone else's suggestion. What do YOU suggest we do?
No taxes?? I suppose that you recommend that all government activities be privatized, then? Can you imagine stopping every half mile to pay tolls to travel on private roads?
1. You're right about dusting off the bike. I've ordered a small trailer that will enable me to make the grocery run. These are small trips since it's only 13 miles to Publix and back and only 10 to the convenience store and back. But these small trips add up.
2. The next idea was said best in a song. We all need to begin to find alternative fuels.
"My brother Bill runs a still on the hill
Where he turns out a gallon or two
And the buzzards in the sky get so drunk they can not fly
Just from sniffing that good old mountain dew.
Chorus
They call it that good old mountain dew,
And them that refuse it are few.
I'll hush up my mug if you'll fill up my jug
With that good old mountain dew.
My aunt Lucille had an automobile,
It ran on a gallon or two.
It didn't need no gas and it didn't need no oil,
It just ran on that good old mountain dew."
Small distillery permits are available from the gov free of charge. Producing ethanol in not rocket surgery. Some of the purest I've seen was made by fellows who couldn't read or write.
"A chicken in every pot and a still in every yard"