Summertime shocker: Gas could hit $3 a gallon

Chicago Sun-Times ^ | 1/16/04 | Lucio Guerrero

[numberonepal]

Gasoline Tax Rates by State

State	Tax/Cents per gallon	State	Tax/Cents per gallon
Alabama	18	Montana	27.75
Alaska	8	Nebraska	24.6
Arizona	18	Nevada	23
Arkansas	21.5	New Hampshire	18
California	18	New Jersey	14.5
Colorado	22	New Mexico	17
Connecticut	25	New York	29.65
Delaware	23	North Carolina	23.4
Dist. of Columbia	20	North Dakota	21
Florida	14.1	Ohio	22
Georgia	7.5	Oklahoma	17
Hawaii	16	Oregon	24
Idaho	25	Pennsylvania	25.9
Illinois	19	Rhode Island	30
Indiana	18	South Carolina	16.0
Iowa	20.1	South Dakota	22
Kansas	23	Tennessee	20
Kentucky	15	Texas	20
Louisiana	20	Utah	24.5
Maine	22	Vermont	20
Maryland	23.5	Virginia	17.5
Massachusetts	21.5	Washington	23
Michigan	19	West Virginia	20.5
Minnesota	20	Wisconsin	31.1
Mississippi	18	Wyoming	14
Missouri	17	Federal Tax Rate	18.4

The Federal Tax of 18.4 cents per gallon is collected in all states in addition to any state or local taxes on gasoline sales.

Gasoline taxes are levied in various ways in different states. Some states, such as Louisiana, levy a flat rate per gallon. Others charge a tax similar to a sales tax in that it applies to the monetary amount of the gasoline sold. Other states allow local communities to levy gasoline taxes in addition to any state taxes that might be levied.

Source: American Petroleum Institute 1/07/03

[goodnesswins]

What YOU said needs repeating...big time.....

Build More Refineries

[gathersnomoss]

I doubt that prices will rise to $3.00/gal. during an election year. However, if they do who will be making fun of "the liberal guy and the liberal gal...in a Yugo?

Love that tune...

[arm958]

Or drive a fuel-efficient car.

Can't do that. One's status as real man, or a real man's wife, is entirely dependent on how many tons of steel one cranks up in the morning. At least that's true here in Wyoming.

[CROSSHIGHWAYMAN]

Do you have some sort of problem with filet-o-bird?

I love poultry.

But my friend, Walter Cronkite, told me that he is disgusted by the possibility of a wind farm offshore from his summer home.

He said,

"Hey Cross, why don't those wackos buld windmills on top of big building in the cities, where the extra electricity is needed more?"
Nobody but tourists look up anyway."

But then he added,

"Wait a moment, I own a penthouse in NYC. Forget about it."

[gathersnomoss]

You know, you are beginning to sound just like that over-fed, pill popping, vast right wing leaning, woman hating, homophobic, fear mongering, liberal bashing, racist, hippocrite Rush Limbaugh.

Sorry, just quoting a liberal snob....

[RicocheT]

Gas this summer will be the same price as now or a bit lower. OPEC has already announced it will pump more oil to keep the price below $30 per barrel.

The oil producers do NOT want to derail the US and western world's economic recoveries. They can't sell if we can't buy, so all of us are in this together.

[Hammerhead]

http://www.oilcrisis.com/magoon/

[dalereed]

"In Colorado the total tax is 40 cents a gallon state and federal."

That's only the visible tax.

Joe Shell, President of the California Independant Oil Producers at the time, told me in 1974 that the total tax from ground to pump was 86 cents on the dollar. That was just after they put in the 10% excess profits tax which was actually a well head tax and had nothing to do with profits.

I have no idea what taxes have been added since 1974 but you can be assured that they haven't removed any!

[RockyMtnMan]

I'd be a wealthy man if it wasn't for all the hidden taxes we pay. I pay as much in visible taxes as some people earn all year.

[bankwalker]

Yawn. We hear this every year.

You got that right, but here's a tip.

When Chuck Schumer announces it on the evening news, short the futures market. It works every time.

This time the tip is free. Next time I charge.

[NCC-1701]

"...Or drive a fuel-efficient car..."

Or put an end to court-ordered bussing. For almost 40 years, this failed social experiment has WASTED millions of gallons of fuel. We have been told over the years to use more fuel-efficient vehicles, carpool, mass transit, etc. to save gas. Meanwhile, the busses kept rolling, WASTING fuel!!!!! Put an end to this failed experiment once and for all and maybe there will be more gas. Meanwhile, I will continue to drive my car to get around in continued protest to court-ordered bussing.

I'm sure this $3.00 a gallon prediction isn't price gouging, is it? A couple of months ago, someone wrote a letter to the editor in the Memphis Commercial Appeal stating that BIG OIL is conditioning us to accepting ever-increasing pump prices. There was a lengthy explaination about that. He was right on target with that. END COURT-ORDERED BUSSING NOW!!!!!

[lelio]

it looks like the Federal tax was 18.4 cents per gallon as of 1/1/03

Add in state taxes. Maybe I notice it as Washington state's gas tax was just raised last year 5 cents to 28 cents a gallon.

[GraniteStateConservative]

It would take like 20 years to get the gas price benefit of that.

[Cobra64]

These people are all a twitter about a gallon of gas going up... but they don't bother to look at the flippin taxes they pay! If these dolts would look at their 1040 form, better yet, write a check each payday to the IRS, they might have some perspective. I don't see that happening though. Too many persons verticle with no perspective.

[Cobra64]

Glad I got my H2 in time!

[IYAS9YAS]

Direct taxes on fuel (at the pump) are the federal rate ($0.184/gallon for gas and $0.244/gallon for diesel) and your state fuel taxes (most under $0.25/gallon, but some way over) and any local crap...for example, Kalifornicatia not only taxes the gallon with a per gallon rate, they tax the total purchase with sales tax as well. Paying a direct tax on a direct tax...gotta love socialism.

Indirect taxes (hazardous materials fees and the like) are harder to tell.

To be honest, I'm surprised it didn't go over $3.00/gallon years ago with all the crap the government wants.

[NCC-1701]

Since you, me, and others on this forum can't refine crude oil ourselves, we all are at the mercy of the small but powerful monopoly of BIG OIL companies that can. I'm in general agreement about the first part of market pricing. That's true with many other products. As for the second part about price fixing, you're probably right there, too. However, whehter you call price gouging or price fixing, to the average consumer,(which means us), it's basically the same. And illegal!!!!!

[ksc]

One problem with Strategic Oil Reserve. No new refineries since the 70's. All that Unprocessed oil has to be shipped to the Mideast for processing, then shipped back as gasoline.