[DarkDawg]

Bloomberg$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A') U.S. panel created to recommend ways to fund road construction plans to propose that federal gasoline taxes rise as much as 40 cents per gallon over five years, a person with direct knowledge of the plan said.

The group will suggest that the current tax of 18.4 cents per gallon increase by 5 cents to 8 cents annually and be indexed to inflation after the five years, said the person, who didn't want to be named before the report is made public.

[steam_cannon]

It's a big amount, but the governments are getting desperate for money. People haven't been taxed enough to keep up our infrastructure and poor economy is cutting the tax base. So just to keep what we've got, taxes will have to go up. And as is popular in the US, most of these tax hikes will be regressive hitting the poor hardest. And as you know, gasoline taxes are regressive meaning the poor pay the most...




$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'i')ndexed to inflation after the five years

[Popeman]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I')t's a big amount, but the governments are getting desperate for money. People haven't been taxed enough to keep up our infrastructure and poor economy is cutting the tax base. So just to keep what we've got, taxes will have to go up. And as is popular in the US, most of these tax hikes will be regressive hitting the poor hardest. And as you know, gasoline taxes are regressive meaning the poor pay the most...

[Tyler_JC]

I'm fine with higher gasoline taxes.

It will encourage people to conserve and I'd rather have money go to the US government than foreign state-owned oil companies (Aramco and friends)

I'm no tax and spend liberal, but I do recognize the need for a functioning infrastructure to foster economic development and trade.

Alternatively, we can eliminate the 10% income tax bracket and raise gas taxes by a buck or two. This could be arranged so that it was revenue neutral and would be a big win for poor people who made good decisions about their transportation expenditures.

[mattduke]

I wish the government had never built the interstate highway system. How much differently would we have organized our society without it?

[Kingcoal]

The Iraq conflict has cost us God knows how much, estimates are between .5 and 1.5 Trillion. Getting out of Iraq would save enough to build a world class public transit system. Taxes my ass, we need to quit spending money on stupid stuff and spend it on building infrastructure.

[Bas]

I'm glad "commie" Europe raised gas taxes to 7/8dollars a gallon at the pump over the past 20 years; it has left this continent in a pretty good position to deal with the first stages of peakoil with an adapted economy, overal efficient car fleet and mass transit.

On the other hand; due to rising oil prices, European governments have stopped raising the taxes on gas pretty much; It seems too late to start a strategy like that now with gasoline prices already rising faster than in Europe over the last 20 years, and would hit poor working families extra hard; so much for "socialism", popeman (are you another one of those American style Anarchists?) , seems indeed that this tax proposal is more about funding rich boy Bush's pet war projects.

[Twilight]

Communist governments don't tax, they own all means of production and it is their money already.

Socialists on the other hand, they do tax.

Wise is the man who knows the difference.

[Kingcoal]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mattduke', 'I') wish the government had never built the interstate highway system. How much differently would we have organized our society without it?

[steam_cannon]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Popeman', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I')t's a big amount, but the governments are getting desperate for money. People haven't been taxed enough to keep up our infrastructure and poor economy is cutting the tax base. So just to keep what we've got, taxes will have to go up. And as is popular in the US, most of these tax hikes will be regressive hitting the poor hardest. And as you know, gasoline taxes are regressive meaning the poor pay the most...

[LoneSnark]

Too true, local governments have always been starved of funds. The solution we can all agree on seems obvious: The Federal Government elimintes its own gas tax, returning the 18.4 cents per gallon to state governments for their infrastructure needs.

Then, to cover the shortfall in revenue, the Federal Government can make up the whole shortfall just by eliminating federal agricultural subsidies. Anything left over can be saved by not invading Iraq.

There, does everyone agree?

[steam_cannon]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('LoneSnark', 'T')oo true, local governments have always been starved of funds. The solution we can all agree on seems obvious: The Federal Government elimintes its own gas tax, returning the 18.4 cents per gallon to state governments for their infrastructure needs.

Then, to cover the shortfall in revenue, the Federal Government can make up the whole shortfall just by eliminating federal agricultural subsidies. Anything left over can be saved by not invading Iraq.

There, does everyone agree?

[joeltrout]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('steam_cannon', ' ')I'm all for balancing budgets!

[vision-master]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Popeman', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'I')t's a big amount, but the governments are getting desperate for money. People haven't been taxed enough to keep up our infrastructure and poor economy is cutting the tax base. So just to keep what we've got, taxes will have to go up. And as is popular in the US, most of these tax hikes will be regressive hitting the poor hardest. And as you know, gasoline taxes are regressive meaning the poor pay the most...

[seldom_seen]

Will the gas tax cancel out the new economic "stimulus package?"

I mean "they" want to stimulate me, and then tax me. I'm starting to feel like a dirty french whore.

[Tyler_JC]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('seldom_seen', 'W')ill the gas tax cancel out the new economic "stimulus package?"

I mean "they" want to stimulate me, and then tax me. I'm starting to feel like a dirty french whore.

[alokin]

US gas taxes are one of the lowest in the developed world.
Gas taxes must not be used to build highways it could be a climate tax as well. If the US gov. have demanded had much higher gas taxes, the US car industry would be in a better position worldwide as their fleet would be more economic.

Popeman, you Communist- Capitalist world view is incredible simplistic!
Every state needs taxes because there are always means which are owned as a community like railways roads bridges hospitals schools.
You would really prefer taking your money and share it with no one and caring only for yourself and you family? Hope that no one gets in trouble!

[cube]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mattduke', 'I') wish the government had never built the interstate highway system. How much differently would we have organized our society without it?

[MrBill]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('cube', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('mattduke', 'I') wish the government had never built the interstate highway system. How much differently would we have organized our society without it?

[MrBill]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('alokin', '
')Popeman, you Communist- Capitalist world view is incredible simplistic!

Every state needs taxes because there are always means which are owned as a community like railways roads bridges hospitals schools.

You would really prefer taking your money and share it with no one and caring only for yourself and you family? Hope that no one gets in trouble!