"Gas Tax Vacation" is it a good idea?

[03cavPA]

Originally Posted by BNaylor

Also, remember the old 55 mph speed limit which a lot of us remember and experienced. Don't be surprised if this issue isn't revisited. For 21 years, from 1974-1995, the speed limit was 55 mph in response to the mideast oil crisis back then.

It would also have the effect of providing more revenue in the form of speeding tickets. I wouldn't be surprised if it was lucrative enough to increase the size of the enforcement divisions just to handle the extra work.

[Damien]

Originally Posted by BNaylor

The bottom line in this country is we are taxed on everything and way too much.

Live overseas much?

[BNaylor]

Originally Posted by Damien

Live overseas much?

Yeah. 6 years in Germany, 3 years in Saudi Arabia, and 3 years in S. Korea. So? What of it? And your point is?

How about you?

[Damien]

3yrs in Italy You should know they tax more genius and that our gas is nothing compared to theirs.

Obviously the point goes over your head or you never paid enough attention to anything. Common sense thing, tends be lacking lately.

[BNaylor]

Originally Posted by Damien

3yrs in Italy You should know they tax more genius and that our gas is nothing compared to theirs.

Obviously the point goes over your head or you never paid enough attention to anything. Common sense thing, tends be lacking lately.

What has Italy got to do with our taxes? You're comparing apples to oranges. Use your common sense.

[carczar]

Originally Posted by Damien

3yrs in Italy You should know they tax more genius and that our gas is nothing compared to theirs.

Obviously the point goes over your head or you never paid enough attention to anything. Common sense thing, tends be lacking lately.

I can appreciate your comments, but Bnaylor has lived overseas, so he has a right to his opinions too. I don't see the need to be sarcastic. We are all being affected by the high price of fuel, so we all need to come up with ways to get the costs down because as we can all see, our government is not willing to lend a helping hand. A couple years ago it was proposed that we boycott one company such as Mobil, and I was totally on board. I spread the word in different forums, and people hurled insults at me. Well I'm spreading the word again because we need to try something!

[ericn1300]

Originally Posted by BNaylor

Regardless of everyone's views on the federal excise and state taxes on gas states have other ways of making money to repair roads, bridges and general maintenance. For example in Texas the last time I checked I thought auto registration and vehicle state sales tax was supposed to go to road and bridge maintenance.

I assume "other ways of making money" is tax shifting? Reducing the gas tax and shifting it to registration taxes just penalizes those who drive less but still own a car. My mother in-law drives less that 600 miles a year. Why would you increase her taxes to cut yours? I firmly believe in the “pay as you go” gas taxes rather than raising cost for people with a lesser impact and ability to pay.

Originally Posted by '97ventureowner

To add to that topic, the "Right on Red" rule needs to be revisited and applied to more intersections where it could decrease congestion and "wait time" at certain intersections.

Here in Idaho we are not only allowed to turn "Right on Red" but we are also allowed to turn left on a red light when turning onto a one way street and "when turning with the direction of traffic". Duh

['97ventureowner]

Originally Posted by ericn1300

Here in Idaho we are not only allowed to turn "Right on Red" but we are also allowed to turn left on a red light when turning onto a one way street and "when turning with the direction of traffic". Duh

Actually it may be Federal law, at least it's allowed in many states in the US. You would not believe how many people do not know they can legally do this. Every three years I take a defensive driving course to get the insurance rate deduction , and 9 times out of 10 I am the only one in the class that correctly answers that question when it is posed by the instructor.( Q. Can you ever legally make a 'left on red'?)

[BNaylor]

Originally Posted by ericn1300

I assume "other ways of making money" is tax shifting? Reducing the gas tax and shifting it to registration taxes just penalizes those who drive less but still own a car. My mother in-law drives less that 600 miles a year. Why would you increase her taxes to cut yours? I firmly believe in the “pay as you go” gas taxes rather than raising cost for people with a lesser impact and ability to pay.

Obviously you missed my subsequent post. See quote below. For example states like Texas are already doing that and it is not a matter of choice. I made no mention about increasing anyones' taxes to reduce mine and/or tax shifting.

Plus let us not misconstrue what the federal excise tax is about. See link below. Pay special note to the last two paragraphs at first page.

Click here

So if your mother in-law drives less than 600 miles a year why should she have to pay the federal excise tax at all?

Originally Posted by BNaylor

Back to the subject of gasoline taxes Texas hits us up with 20 cents per gallon by itself so sum it with the 18% federal that is $38 cents per gallon in taxes.

As I mentioned earlier states have other ways to get road maintenance and transportation funds. So if you look at it closely we are getting taxed needlessly and to death. For example in Texas $10 of the annual vehicle registration fee is used for bridge and road maintenance. Also, property and sales taxes (aka sales and use tax) are used.

Berkeley ITS Department ran a Texas study several years ago that still holds true today except the revenues are much higher due to the population growth, amount of vehicles on the road and higher taxes to include property we now pay. See link below.

Click here

[03cavPA]

Originally Posted by Damien

3yrs in Italy You should know they tax more genius and that our gas is nothing compared to theirs.

Obviously the point goes over your head or you never paid enough attention to anything. Common sense thing, tends be lacking lately.

Looks like somebody has a case of the "Mondays".

[BNaylor]

Originally Posted by $PRIXGT$

I can appreciate your comments, but Bnaylor has lived overseas, so he has a right to his opinions too. I don't see the need to be sarcastic.

Thanks for pointing that out. We allow opinions within reason, however, we do not allow what is clearly a personal attack. Therefore, it is highly recommended to brush up on the forum guidelines. See below.

For what it is worth my experiences overseas/abroad is based on service in the US Armed Forces and defense contracts.

Originally Posted by fredjacksonsan

Please be warned and advised that the strongest debates on AF occur here in the Political forum.

There are extremely opinionated individuals on both (or even all) sides of most of the debates.

Although emotions can run high when debating something that you feel strongly about, remember that you are not debating someone else's intelligence (or lack thereof), background or location, but rather the topic itself and their position on the topic.

For best results try to back up your assertions with some sort of evidence, and also be prepared to have others find evidence against your assertions and shoot holes in what you have said.

Personal attacks will just get threads closed or worse, so avoid attacking the messenger and stick to attacking the message.

Enjoy the war, er, I mean the spirited debates to be found here.

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbul...d.php?t=675792

Now having said that I'm still waiting for him (Damien) to support his position or at least carry on an intelligent debate on how gas prices or the taxing system in Italy or Europe for that matter has any bearing or relevancy on our issue. See below.

I'm assuming he is implying that we should act like sheep and just take it up the you know what when it comes to the high cost of gasoline and the disparate or archaic taxing systems imposed by the federal and state governments.

Gasoline and the American People 2007

AND COMPARED WITH OTHERS?
Gasoline prices vary widely across national borders. In the United States, they are at the low end compared with many other nations. The reason is not the cost of crude oil, which trades at a world price, but because of tax policy. In the third quarter of 2006, US motorists were paying an average of $2.86 a gallon for regular unleaded. Mexico was a little cheaper--at $2.78 per gallon--while Canada was higher--at $3.49. Japan and India were virtually tied at $4.42 and $4.34, respectively. Of the countries surveyed here, China's prices were the lowest, at $2.21. The big spenders are the Western Europeans, where motorists spend more than double that in the United States--France at $6.20 a gallon; Germany, at $6.33; Italy, at $6.46; and Britain, at the top of the league, with $6.50 a gallon.

The disparity, as pointed out above, is not because of wide differences in crude oil prices around the world, but rather depends on how heavily governments choose to tax gasoline. In the United Sates, the gasoline tax (federal and state) is 39.4 cents a gallon--15 percent of the total cost of regular gasoline. In Canada, it is $1.06--30 percent of the cost. But in Western Europe, governments use gasoline stations as tax collecting offices for the national treasury. In Italy, the tax is $3.72, or 58 percent of the total; and in Britain, $4.19, or 64 percent. In the United States, there are at least two tax collectors (and sometimes localities add a third tax). The federal government takes 18.4 cents. The average state tax is 21 cents. The lowest tax state is Georgia--at 7.5 cents per gallon--as it was in the last edition of Gasoline and the American People. Last time, the top state taxer was Rhode Island, but now it is fourth from the top at 30 cents. Going up the ladder, the next is Washington state (31 cents), Pennsylvania (31.2 cents), and at the top Wisconsin at 32.9 cents.

http://www2.cera.com/gasoline/summary/

[YogsVR4]

The problem with all levels of government isn't the tax (though we pay to much as it is) its the spending. Until spending gets under control, there is little that can be done about taxes.

[xeroinfinity]

All I know is something needs done ASAP !!!!!!

This morning I paid $3.52 for reg unleaded, at noon, it was $3.85 for the same fuel.

I'm thinking electric car, with no plug-in charging.

[BNaylor]

Originally Posted by xeroinfinity

I'm thinking electric car, with no plug-in charging.

I'm thinking Japanese car that starts with the letter "H". And not the hybrid variety either.

['97ventureowner]

There is currently a bill going through our state's Legislature putting a gas tax vacation in effect for the summer. From what I've read there is a portion of the bill that allows the state to go after those station/stores for not lowering their prices when the "vacation" takes effect as many opponents have been saying ,(myself included.) But we all know how that goes when the government goes after those who break the law, especially price gouging during an emergency. Case in point, during several instances in the past where an emergency had been declared for some natural disaster or another and business blatantly raised their prices on commodity items like bottled water or generators or such. The governments excuse for not going after these businesses was that it was hard to prove price gouging, (BS).
Some are saying that if the Federal government and state government both declare a tax holiday on gas it could amount to .35 cents /gallon. I wonder what is going to happen post Labor Day when the price of gas, (which will in all probability be much higher than it is now,) go up an additional .35 cents or more per gallon overnight because the holiday will be over?

Originally Posted by YogsVR4

The problem with all levels of government isn't the tax (though we pay to much as it is) its the spending. Until spending gets under control, there is little that can be done about taxes.

I was a little surprised to hear you say this from reading your other posts in another thread on this forum concerning your high income and that you aren't concerned with high gas prices and laugh at those that do. I wouldn't have thought you'd be complaining that you pay too much in taxes after posting that.