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Motorists' habits spur call for tax increases
Thw Wichita Eagle, Kansas.com ^ | JOAN LOWY, AP

Posted on 01/04/2009 6:43:36 PM PST by Publius6961

Motorists' habits spur call for tax increases

By JOAN LOWY
Associated Press Writer

http://financecommission.dot.gov/index.htm

WASHINGTON - Motorists are driving less and buying less gasoline, which means fuel taxes aren't raising enough money to keep pace with the cost of road, bridge and transit programs.

A federal commission created by Congress to find a way to make up the growing revenue shortfall in the program that funds highway repairs and construction is talking about increasing federal gas and diesel taxes...

... The 15-member National Commission on Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing is the second group in a year to call for increasing the current 18.4 cents a gallon federal tax on gasoline and the 24.4 cents a gallon tax on diesel. State fuel taxes vary from state to state.

LINK

(Excerpt) Read more at kansas.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: abuse; corruption; idiots; taxes
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This popped up today as "local news" on my ISP home page.
Needless to say, I had to take a few hours to calm down before attempting any kind of comment or response.

Incompetence, corruption or national indifference of the worst kind from our elected representatives.

To say nothing of outright lies.

I look forward to others' comments.

1 posted on 01/04/2009 6:43:37 PM PST by Publius6961
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To: Publius6961

As Ronald Reagan said, the more you tax something the less of it you get. Tax gas, people buy less, tax driving they drive less.

Today it is required that to be an elected official you have to know absolutely nothing about economics.


2 posted on 01/04/2009 6:46:57 PM PST by Patrick1 (conform and celebrate diversityÂ….or else!!!)
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To: Publius6961

Wait a minuit... I thought they just said a while ago that we were driving too much, so they were going to have to raise taxes so we would drive less... now they say were not driving enough, so they will have to raise taxes... oh dear, I’m just so confused....


3 posted on 01/04/2009 6:47:34 PM PST by Funee Kat
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To: Publius6961

This is a fait a compli ... OBamBam and his new Dimmy congress WILL raise gas taxes while gas prices are low, because they feel they can get away with it now, by complaining about just what you see in this article. They figure they can get anuf of the public to swallow the idea while pump prices are low to get away with it, and they are prolly right.

Some states will try the same hat trick.


4 posted on 01/04/2009 6:50:08 PM PST by webschooner
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To: Publius6961

Remember this when you see some union numbskull leaning against a shovel on the side of the road making $40 an hour backing up traffic for 10 miles in both directions.


5 posted on 01/04/2009 6:53:23 PM PST by xcamel (The urge to save humanity is always a false front for the urge to rule it. - H. L. Mencken)
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To: Publius6961

I’m wondering what the correlary to this will be when the number of smokers drops to a point where tobacco taxes no longer produce “enough” revenue. Maybe that’s the point at which the gubmint will enact that fat tax they keep talking about. Or the sugar tax. Considering it’s O and the dimmies in power, maybe it’ll be a big tax hike on ammo.


6 posted on 01/04/2009 6:58:57 PM PST by squidly
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To: Publius6961

Funny, when we drove more they didn’t lower taxes as revenue surged...

Instead they spent it as if it was always going to be that way. They’ve been telling us endlessly that we drive to much so now they want to penalize us for actually driving less...

And last but not least the less you drive the less road maintenance required. They just want money, whatever they can get...


7 posted on 01/04/2009 6:59:51 PM PST by DB
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To: xcamel

I heard that the last union contract specified orthopedic shovels to reduce back strain while leaning.


8 posted on 01/04/2009 7:00:52 PM PST by Farmer Dean (168 grains of instant conflict resolution)
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To: Publius6961

Gas taxes are supposed to be spent on roadworks. If we drive less, then there is less wear. The logical action is to cut spending on roadworks.


9 posted on 01/04/2009 7:02:02 PM PST by LoneRangerMassachusetts
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To: Publius6961

That’s their answer for every problem: take our money and throw it at the problem....or at “working families” who as we all know go to bed hungry every night.


10 posted on 01/04/2009 7:02:15 PM PST by clintonh8r (For the first time in my life I'm ashamed of my country.)
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To: Publius6961

Rush talked about this very thing some time ago. We MUST crush these tax and spend, corrupt politicians, we must! We cannot survive the mega-bailouts and ever increasing taxes, we must run this scum out of office, they must be forced by confronting them when they return to their home states, it’s past time.


11 posted on 01/04/2009 7:03:10 PM PST by brushcop (We remember SSG Harrison Brown, PVT Andrew Simmons B CO 2/69 3ID KIA Iraq OIF IV)
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To: LoneRangerMassachusetts
Gas taxes are supposed to be spent on roadworks. If we drive less, then there is less wear. The logical action is to cut spending on roadworks.

IIRC, that money goes to mass transit too, I'd cut that out, mass transit should only be privatised or at worst, a local or state thing. Everytime I get my paycheck, I feel raped I wish I could even have half the money that I pay in taxes, I'd be better off. I'm just a working class guy who delivers auto parts.
12 posted on 01/04/2009 7:06:12 PM PST by Nowhere Man (Is Barak HUSSEIN Obama an Anti-Christ? - B.O. Stinks! (Robert Riddle))
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To: LoneRangerMassachusetts
Many roadwork dollars are siphoned off for mass transit boondoggles. Until last year, $2 out of $5 of Missouri gas tax dollars went to prop up other state agencies.
13 posted on 01/04/2009 7:08:53 PM PST by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: Publius6961

They are throwing out this idea now . We can have a field day on this issue;

Practically this is the best tax to raise, but politically we should attack democrats with all our guns on this. To many attacks on “big oil republicans” to let slip by


14 posted on 01/04/2009 7:10:19 PM PST by sickoflibs (GWB : "Give me a 700B blank check to save the UAW until Obama takes office")
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To: All

The whole idea of this tax is ridiculous. If these socialists want more money then they should propose raising the gas tax (and suffer the public fallout that goes with it). This new scheme will require every car to be equipped with a GPS transmitter costing hundreds of dollars, system infrastructure to track every car and sent out bills monthly, operators, customer service reps, and on and on. Not to mention the privacy concerns.

Not that these socialists really care. Their goal is to increase the size of government.


15 posted on 01/04/2009 7:10:43 PM PST by CaliGangsta
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To: Publius6961
Sadly, my man, we are saddled with "one man, one vote"...which naturally elects dumbass people. The welfare "electorate" will vote for the people who promise the most free stuff....which are the dumbest, greediest and most power-hungry people on the earth.

There is no way to help us...other than scrap "one man, one vote"....but alas....the dumbest amongst us are now in charge.

They will take us down to Zimbabwe status....and I am afraid that there is nobody on earth that can save us...

This will take a direct intervention from God IMO...(maybe by raising up a saving army?)

16 posted on 01/04/2009 7:13:17 PM PST by B.O. Plenty (I am not ....him!)
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To: xcamel; Farmer Dean
Remember this when you see some union numbskull leaning against a shovel on the side of the road making $40 an hour backing up traffic for 10 miles in both directions.

I found this while searching for old comics, I like the old comics from the late 1800's to about 1930:

Fancies at the Fair - 1904

It's called "Fancies at the Fair" from 1904

It Reads:

GOOD TIMES Coming

"The days are getting shorter."
"The labor unions ought to be happy."
17 posted on 01/04/2009 7:15:03 PM PST by Nowhere Man (Is Barak HUSSEIN Obama an Anti-Christ? - B.O. Stinks! (Robert Riddle))
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To: Publius6961

Raising taxes on a necessary commodity during this time of economic stress is ludicrous. It will just make the cost of EVERYTHING we buy more expensive because it increases transportation costs.


18 posted on 01/04/2009 7:17:22 PM PST by randita
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To: Publius6961
Motorists are driving less and buying less gasoline, which means fuel taxes aren't raising enough money to keep pace with the cost of road, bridge and transit programs.

BOO EFFING HOO!!

Find the loot somewhere else, you EFFING thieving BASTARDS!!

Yes, I'm PISSED at these pathetic people!!!!!!!

19 posted on 01/04/2009 7:22:04 PM PST by unixfox (The 13th Amendment Abolished Slavery, The 16th Amendment Reinstated It !)
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To: B.O. Plenty
Sadly, my man, we are saddled with "one man, one vote"...which naturally elects dumbass people. The welfare "electorate" will vote for the people who promise the most free stuff....which are the dumbest, greediest and most power-hungry people on the earth.

There is no way to help us...other than scrap "one man, one vote"....but alas....the dumbest amongst us are now in charge.

They will take us down to Zimbabwe status....and I am afraid that there is nobody on earth that can save us...

This will take a direct intervention from God IMO...(maybe by raising up a saving army?)


Mr. Hammer, meet Miss Nail. I think there is a saying where if it got to the point where the people can vote to take from the government (actually us), then that is the day we are done for. I do believe that if you are on welfare, unless retired or not able bodied (but you still have to pass the test), then you lose your right to vote. Once you're off of it, you get it back. Also, there should be a test as well before you can vote where you need to know basic math, history, and reading comprehension. In short, if you are able bodied and living off the rest of us, then you do not deserve to have a say since you do not have a stake in the system and living off of it. I don't care if you are working, have your own business or a rich playboy living off the family money, as long as you are not living off of public funds, then you are able to vote.
20 posted on 01/04/2009 7:22:31 PM PST by Nowhere Man (Is Barak HUSSEIN Obama an Anti-Christ? - B.O. Stinks! (Robert Riddle))
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