Tryin' To Stick It To Biden

[WHITT]

While on Thursday's PBS Newshour, Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), one of the main Repubs involved with what they now call the BIF (Bipartisan Infrastructure Framework), said:

Certainly, the base of what goes forward paying any kind of infrastructure is the gas tax.

They're trying their damnedest to force Biden to break his pledge not to raise taxes on those earning less than $400k annually, so they can use it to run against the Dems in '22, and Biden and the Dems in '24.

[XanaDUer2]

1. Joe knows how to deal with them nt

[paleotn]

2. Ain't going to happen though....

Biden isn't taking that bait. And no, Senator Crapito (Nut-WV), an increase in the gas tax isn't the base of anything. In fact, it's a complete non-starter.

[Jerry2144]

3. Our gas taxes

are too low. However, raising them, alone, will not be enough or good for new infrastructure. It would also hurt average people without showing quick benefits. To fund our infrastructure bill(s), we need to tax capital gains, especially short-term (i.e. rapid trades done to skim off some profit from trades) or stock trade tax (0.25%, minimum, per trade), at a rate of at least as large as earned income and raise the top marginal tax rate and increase tax-dodging enforcement (perhaps mandatory audits for Single >250K and married >500 K incomes) to close the gaps. Pretty much, any tax that would cause Fux/OAN/Newsmax/Koch to complain is probably the correct tax to hike.

If we were to raise gas/vehicle tax rates, it should be a large increase and used solely to fund for buying back those gas hogs like the Cash for Clunkers and specifically to provide incentives to upgrade to BEV, PHEV, HEV, and more environmentally-friendly vehicles (i.e Civics versus Challengers, Corollas VS Cameros, Mitusbishi Mirages vs. Mustangs). There is no reason for most of those gas-guzzling F-250 PNS-X-10-DRs and Ram Black-Smokers and Chevy Tahoe-Polluters to be on the road unless you use it as a work truck and actually fully load it or tow big loads on a weekly basis. and ATVs, Jet Skis, speed boats, et al should pay huge amounts for fuel since they are mostly for fun and not needed. IF they're used as farm/utility vehicles, then subject them to the same rules as tractor diesel and other minimally taxed fuels. And registration fees, which usually fund roads, should be based upon weight.


Edited to clarify when vehicle-related tax hikes would be good.