Poll: Should the federal gas tax be increased?

[liberal N proud]

The federal tax on gasoline has been at 18.4 cents per gallon since 1993. Should the gas tax be increased?

Yes, we need to fix our roads

16 % Yes, we need to fix our roads 924 votes

Yes, fund things in addition to roads

5 % Yes, fund things in addition to roads 269 votes

Yes, gas has more revenue potential

2 % Yes, gas has more revenue potential 132 votes

No, gas prices are high enough

20 % No, gas prices are high enough 1,142 votes

No, prices are artificially inflated

24 % No, prices are artificially inflated 1,363 votes

No, we don’t need any more taxes

33 % No, we don’t need any more taxes 1,823 votes


http://editorial.autos.msn.com/listarticle.aspx?cp-documentid=1199502&icid=autos_2074>1=22012


It pretty sad, people want to use the roads, but they don't want to pay for them.
The same ones who are against fixing the roads, will be first ones to bitch about them being in bad shape.

[WinkyDink]

1. Yes, let's hurt the Middle- and below classes.

[Shandris]

2. Haven't we had just about enough of regressive taxes?

I know I have.

No, the gas tax as presently funded does not need to be raised.

[Spider Jerusalem]

3. The answer is yes

In the first place for infrastructure budgets and in the second place because higher taxes are an effective means of encouraging people to use less fuel and buy more efficient vehicles. At the same time federal subsidies to corn growers for biofuels, and to oil companies, should also end; the price of gasoline is in fact not artificially inflated but is in some respects artificially LOW in the US as there are substantial hidden, taxpayer-funded costs (in the form of these subsidies for oilc ompanies and ethanol).

[Shandris]

7. That theory only holds true when people can AFFORD the outlay for...

...new transportation, and don't need their CURRENT transportation to travel long distances.

Look, I'm in favor of public transit as much as the next person here, but our cities are NOT built like those in Europe. Solid central planning could eventually overcome that, but in the interim there is no 'simple' solution to long-distance transportation, ESPECIALLY with the lack of work available for people as it is. This is a bad idea.

[Horse with no Name]

32. In essence I agree. BUT

this needed to be done in a healthy economy and not what we have right now.

Gentrification is pushing the poor out to the suburbs and rural areas where there aren't any jobs.

As was pointed out, many can not afford to upgrade their vehicles.

We do not have a serious public transportation system in place in the majority of the country.

[Riftaxe]

4. Poverty is at an all time high so a regressive tax increase

such as a gasoline tax will really appeal to those who want to screw the impoverished harder. To the rest of people probably not so much.

But if you really want to mess with the poor in this country, why not just institute a $500 poll tax (head tax) and really double whammy those bastards who are both poor and have kids?

[etherealtruth]

23. Excellent post

[newspeak]

27. so, if you increase the gas tax how does that affect food, manufactured goods, shipping?

it is a burden on people who are already hurting. How about public transportation, will there be an increase to ride the bus when one cannot even afford an auto?

The upper class and corporations need to pay, while we've already paid our share, they have been accumulating even more then sitting on it or shipping it overseas. It's their turn to pay, they've had years to acquire while we've seen our decent jobs go away and our salaries have deteriorated. Oh, and some of us now have 401ks that are almost worthless. I'd say they've almost drank the well dry-time to pay up.

[Andy823]

5. What needs to be done

Is stop the speculators from manipulating price for their profits! Wall street should be stopped from making fortunes off of the people who need to drive to work everyday, and the best way to do that is to stop them from speculating on oil prices! If congress would do this, then they could raise taxes on gas, keep it small, and make more money for roads and other things.

[Turbineguy]

6. A 2 cent increase would be

more than 10% and would be barely noticeable in the overall price. Infrastructure repair and improvement would reduce time spent idling in traffic, wasting time and gas.

[Historic NY]

10. exactly...maybe knocking off the speculators would change peoples opinions.

[Turbineguy]

11. You are right

Maybe if speculators had to actually take delivery...

[Frustratedlady]

8. No, control the markets re: speculation or whatever else is keeping the prices high.

If the gas taxes were going where they should be going, the roads would have plenty of funds to repair them. I doubt they are being used as intended. Most states have taxes for this purpose, don't they?

[taterguy]

18. Do you seriously think gas taxes cover government road expenses?

Do you just "doubt" that gas taxes are being used as intended or do you have any evidence to back up that assertion?

Every reputable study and budget I've seen shows that gas taxes don't come anywhere close to covering what the government spends building and maintaining roads.

If you have any sources to the contrary I'd love to see them.

[Warren DeMontague]

20. what is keeping the prices high is a lot of people wanting to buy a finite resource

I'm sure crack addicts believe that there is a conspiracy to keep them from that endless supply of free or cheap crack, too, and if they could only get to it their crack problem would be "solved".

[elocs]

9. Poor people, working class people struggle to buy fuel to drive to work if they have it.

Think rich people really drive that many more miles? What does a higher gas tax mean to them--nothing.

Does anyone really believe that working people who are hit hard by higher fuel prices are really the ones bitching about bad roads?

[Claudia Jones]

12. regressive tax

I vote emphatically "no."

Millions are struggling to afford gas to get to work.

[Obamanaut]

13. Put an end to the bombing and subsequent rebuilding of the infrastructure

in other countries, and use that same money on the infrastructure here in the US - lots of potential road/bridge repair there.

[Shagbark Hickory]

14. No. The price of has risen dramatically so more tax revenues are collected while people drive less.

You want money to fix roads? End wasteful spending like the unpaid wars and tax cuts for millionaires.

And this is to say nothing of how regressive this type of tax is

[doc03]

15. If they want to tax gas put a tax of like $50 on every stock and

commodity trade. The short term speculation is what is making prices go up. In addition we could probably come close to balancing the budget with such a tax. It is ridiculous you can trade stocks for like $3 now when it used to cost $60 or more depending on the stock price. Back then it discouraged day traders because you had to make a couple points to break even on a trade. Now you have people buying and selling the same stock or commodity several times a day sometimes.

[Warren DeMontague]

16. HELL YES.

At least a dollar a gallon, if not more.

Our planetary petroleum addiction is the number one problem facing humanity, bar none.

[bbinacan]

17. Not only NO but

FUCK NO!!!!

[taught_me_patience]

31. How do roads get fixed?

The gas tax hasn't risen since 1993... has there been no inflation in the cost of road repair since then?

[bbinacan]

41. Manage the budget better. n/t

[Warren DeMontague]

19. I'd like to see at least a dollar a gallon, but between $3 and $5 per gallon would be better

we could solve a lot of problems that way.

[msongs]

21. just eliminate all welfare subsidies for the oil industry & put their tax evading mgmnt in jail nt

[Imagevision]

22. Big oil raised gas prices bevause of Linya war but refuse to lower them afterwards...

[WCGreen]

24. Just wait until they privatize the roads and highways and only repair

or build to places that can generate a profit for the investors...

[Warren DeMontague]

25. crack addicts demand cheaper crack, cant figure out why crack is so expensive

film at 11.

[yawnmaster]

26. Federal gas tax revenues/gallon already go up when gas prices go up...

should be a lot more money for the roads in the last couple years.
I'm not seeing it.
Why would any other increase go to fix roads?

[taught_me_patience]

30. It's fixed at $.18/g

The amount only rises if more fuel is used... it has nothing to do with the price.

[yawnmaster]

39. you are correct. eom

[GSLevel9]

28. and WHO is hurt MOST by a higher fuel tax?

The lower and middle working class.

STUPID idea.

[taught_me_patience]

34. The gas tax is, possibly, the fairest tax there is.

The more you drive, the more damage to the road you cause, and the more you pay. Also, the heavier car/truck you have will cause more damage to the road it causes, but you'll likely pay more fuel tax to offset it.

This thread reeks of DUers whining about paying more taxes only when it hits their pocketbooks. The gas tax is "fixed" and hasn't been raised since 1993... has there been no inflation in road repair costs since then?

[Horse with no Name]

29. At one point that would have been a good idea

Now? No way in hell. The lower classes are already being slammed. They can't take much more.

[Nye Bevan]

33. No, a gas tax discriminates against rural people. Smart toll roads would be better (nt)

[liberal N proud]

38. Rural people don't use roads?

I grew up and lived in a rural community most of my life and we traveled further and more in the rural areas than we have living in the city.

A gas tax taxes those who use the roads.

Do you want to stop at the tool booth every time you go to town? Two or three times?

[Nye Bevan]

40. I think you may have misunderstood my post.

Gas taxes are unfair to rural people who often have to drive long distances for groceries and to get to work and school. Smart toll roads could be focused more on urban areas. And the "smart" means that tollbooths are unnecessary (transponders or cameras to read license plates would be used instead). Smart tolls would also allow for peak versus off-peak pricing.

[kentuck]

35. Yes. 100% on anything above 3.00 per gallon...

Because, some experts say that the energy traders on Wall Street drive up the price of gasoline by .75 to .80 cents per gallon. That should be taxed.

[Modern_Matthew]

36. Hell no. People live paycheck to paycheck in rural areas...

Where public transportation is virtually non-existent.

Those calling for the depletion of what is already measly paychecks by supporting huge increases in regressive taxes like the gasoline tax are no better than the "Let 'em die" crowd in the Tea Party.

[madokie]

37. for every penny raised lower the price at the pump by 3 or 4 cents a gallon

The oil companies are ripping us off big time and its time the government did something about it.
I won't be holding my breath btw

[taterguy]

42. How do you do that?

[bluestateguy]

43. I have a better idea

Abolish the gas tax outright and replace it with a 1 cent per dollar tax on the value of every stock transaction on Wall Street.

Problem solved and cheaper gas.

[bluestate10]

44. No. But.

A tax on new automobiles that increases with the sticker price of the automobile should be enacted. A gas tax is regressive because it hurts people that use their car for driving to work. A gas tax should not be used a tool for desirable environmental change, that change is better gained by other policy initiatives.

[spin]

45. It may sound like a great idea if you live in a city with a good mass transit system ...

But if you live in a rural area or have a 30 mile plus drive to work, it can be a burden.

[Ter]

46. No, the gas tax should be eliminated

Raise taxes on the rich.