Should we push to suspend or eliminate the gas taxes. Would that help?

[bigtree]

What is the money earmarked for? Roads? Does it make it to the roads projects as it is intended in the omnibus Highway bill, or is it swallowed up by states in the misuse of block grants, overhead, and such?

Any good arguments against the repeal of gas taxes? Last I looked they were as much as .24 a gallon. Been a while since I looked.

Which ones could we, should we, eliminate?


Me Book

[ender]

1. none, they should be raised.

they're the closest thing to a use-tax that we have on our roads.

they should be closer to 1.00, and go to developing alternative forms of transportation.

[denverbill]

5. Ditto. Raised.

Should've raised them in 1991 during the first Gulf War. Maybe the morons wouldn't be driving monster SUV's today.

[kiahzero]

6. Um, no?

Since when did the left fall in love with the notion of regressive taxes?

Get rid of sales taxes entirely - they tax those who are least able to pay.

[wuushew]

8. How would you promote conservation?

The governmental route ala CAFE standards?

How about eliminating payroll taxes and matching them against increased gas taxes? This would be no worse than the current system yet still have a strong incentive.

[gristy]

2. eliminate 'em?

Shoot, raise 'em. Then use the revenue to reduce the tax burden on the poor and select industries.

[Dogmudgeon]

3. Increase them

Increase them A LOT.

Put the money into mass transit, mini-cars, bicycle motors, and sustainable energy technologies for transportation.

The price of getting oil out of the ground is beginning to increase. In a few years, it will increase rapidly. We have a few years left to avoid being caught short by oil price increases beyond the capacity of the economy to absorb them. A little pain now could save us a lot of agony later in the decade.

Of course, we should have started around 1975. Within a decade, I'm sure we'll be cursing our short-sightedness.

--bkl

[wtmusic]

9. xactly

With gas at $5/gal you're going to see a major awareness in mass transit/alternative forms of energy/etc.

It'd be a beautiful thing.

[rucky]

4. give exemptions for the working poor n/t

[AP]

7. Increase them. Oil companies are making record profits now. People are

experiencing record debt.

The people who benefit the most from the economy should pull a little more of the weight so that the people suffering aren't so overburdened.

[troublemaker]

10. They are a bit regressive, but an effective 'use' tax

It's too complicated to apply the tax to only gas used by commercial transport. I say leave 'em be.