A Bump In The Gasoline Tax -- Deadly, In Any Guise

No, an Obama presidency will not be all sunshine and roses.

One of the biggest legislative likelihoods will likely be an enactment of a substantial increase in the Federal gasoline tax.

Never mind that millions of stalwart middle-class citizens reside on the edges of the outskirts, as we view the results of 70+ years of aggressive urban sprawl, accelerated
by the development of the Interstate Highway System.

And, as we quote a editorial in Tuesday's NYT:

"Expensive gasoline is not good news for most American families. In some rural areas where people must drive long distances, and a pickup is more of a necessity than a lifestyle
choice, filling up the tank can eat up nearly 15% of a worker's take-home income. Pricey
gasoline is acting as a brake on the economy and pushing up the price of food and other goods."

No kidding . . . not to mention that gasoline taxes are among the most regressive of tariffs, as they effectively hold a gun at the heads of people who must drive to their jobs and to best manage their children/personal affairs.

So, you want to make gas even MORE expensive?

Suuuure, if you're a limousine lib like those who live within major cities, where car ownership is realistically not a requirement, and think it's a simple decision to bump gas taxes substantially in order to conserve, and to reduce the nation's reliance on foreign oil supplies.

It's a simple decision, all right -- but not in the way they think. Simpleminded, yes.

Here's the Times' concluding leap of "logic":

"Still, Americans' response to rising gasoline prices makes in excellent case for a gas tax.
It proves that drivers will change their behavior in response to high fuel prices."

Sweet Jesus Christ. This is muddleheaded liberal social-engineering twaddle at its absolute worst, direct from the folks who editoralized against people being allowed to bring suitcases onto aircraft to store in the overheads.

Millions of people in this country don't HAVE a choice about their broad driving habits, given the aforementioned urban sprawl so beloved by the automotive industry, the oil
industry, and the auto-supply operations. Is everybody suddenly supposed to be able to work at home and/or in some kind of self-employed role? Is everybody supposed to move into major metro areas, at the snap of someone's fingers?

Braindamage.

So Congress is rubbing its hands together, eager to shake down victims of urbran sprawl -- already punished severely by the recent real-estate downturn -- for (badly-needed) tax revenue, in the name of some measure of eventual conservation.

Detroit already gets the picture about people wanting more fuel-efficient cars. Recent
sales figures on gas-guzzlers are abysmal. The marketplace effects have not been subtle.

But Detroit can't turn on a dime. And in the interim, the middle and lower classes get further abused between Mr. Rock and Mr. Hard Place, while the Treasury sucks up billions in NON-excess cash with a wholly-arbitrary tax increase no one wants except the eggheads.

Gag me.

 

Wait, I thought the purpose of taxes was to raise money for the government. You mean they're really a way for government to legislate behavior?

Silly me.

 

Certainly. Look at the outrageous levels of tobacco and liquor taxes. They're grotesque.

 

Thats why

Long live Duty Free. I love living near Canada.

 

Victims of urban sprawl?

How is somebody a victim when they chose to abandon the city for more house in the suburbs?

 

Did you actually have any proof of this likely legislative likelihood?

Also, the federal gas tax is 18.4 cents per gallon, a fraction of the current price, and it hasn't increased in years. And that money pays for highway repair, which is going to become more necessary and more expensive as more and more of the country's interstates age and begin to crumble. And, of course, highway construction, which we all know we need plenty of, so that the stalwart middle class can continue to move to the suburbs, as is their God-given right.

 

By that reasoning, using government to open new public areas to oil exploration in order to permit Americans to continue their behavior of consuming gasoline is also off limits.

 

God-given right!?! Don't you know they are victims of urban sprawl?

 

We could always cut some wasteful pork barrel spending from the budget. Unless of course Robert Byrd needs another high school named after him.

 

They have high schools in West Virginia? Who knew?

 

Surprised me too. I think Byrd had 'em built so his Klan buddies' kids would have someplace to hang out during the day.

 

Good Doc has no idea why he just re-enlisted at SportsJournalists.com.