Michigan Congressman Wants 50-Cent Tax Hike on Every Gallon of Gas (1 Viewer)

[keepoursaints]

First of all, he proposed this back in July of 2007; secondly, as part of this proposal he said: "I sincerely doubt that the American people are willing to pay what this is really going to cost them." He was simply trying to spur debate in his district about the oncoming reality of an energy crisis. But hey, it's Fox News...why not pull out a year-old proposal by a Democrat while gas prices are hitting record highs now?

Here's a link to the July 2007 article.

TheHill.com - Dingell to propose 50 cent gasoline tax increase

So wait I was supposed to know about that article why?

I posted a new link on :gasp: foxnews OMGLIARSLOLZOMG and I was supposed to do research? Please

I didn't even look to see if the guy was a Dem or Republican.. BECAUSE IT DOESN'T MATTER... I didn't post this because he's a Democrat dude.. I posted it because it's dumb and I would be willing to bet most people agree with that.

Save the foxnews hate for somewhere else.

 

[St. Reginald]

Please don't misconstrue my mentioning of Fox News...I lump them in with all shoddy 24 hour news networks: no better, no worse. If it had been CNN, I'd have said the same thing. It's simply a matter of a news network doing what all news networks do: pulling in viewers by suckering them into getting emotional about irrelevent stories. Coincidence that this widely known proposal from a year ago is getting play now that gas is steady at $3.20 + a gallon? Don't think so.

 

[Thorin]

I sincerely doubt that the American people are willing to pay what this is really going to cost them."

That just makes it more ridiculous. Like the Mississippi (I think) congressman that wanted to ban overweight people from restaurants. Wasting the taxpayers money proposing legislation to "make a point" is one of the most irresponsible things they can do.

 

[Shawn]

So proposing this last year made much more sense? It's mentally challenged regardless.

It's not mentally challenged. That's where you look silly.

I don't agree with it, not now, because it would only aggravate a lot of serious economic problems.

But there are a lot of societal and economic costs created by excessive automobile use, and excessive gasoline consumption that aren't passed on directly to the users themselves. People who don't even drive bear some of these costs, and that isn't fair. On the other hand, it's also not fair to punish someone who uses a low mileage truck for example (by taxing the vehicle itself), when they need it for business, other legitimate purposes, or when they rarely use it at all. So the answer is a market solution. If you can afford to go 4-wheeling in the mud all weekend, and you have the money to do it, then you should be allowed to do it.

A tax that appropriately passes on the costs of gasoline use the consumer provides a market solution, and could also help fund alternative energy research, mass transit, etc.

To reiterate: I don't agree with this idea now, but I have in the past. So no, it's not stupid, it's not mentally challenged, and the gentleman who proposed it is not an idiot. You may not agree with his proposal, but your categorization, based on your knee jerk understanding of the issue and the reasons behind the legislation, are what seem humorous to me.

 

[keepoursaints]

Please don't misconstrue my mentioning of Fox News...I lump them in with all shoddy 24 hour news networks: no better, no worse. If it had been CNN, I'd have said the same thing. It's simply a matter of a news network doing what all news networks do: pulling in viewers by suckering them into getting emotional about irrelevent stories. Coincidence that this widely known proposal from a year ago is getting play now that gas is steady at $3.20 + a gallon? Don't think so.

I'll give you that for sure.

However, don't shoot the messanger bro.. I just posted something on the homepage of a site. No mention of how old this info could even possiblly be... and I had read the link before I posted it.

I reread it 3 more times to make sure I didn't miss that somehow.

 

[St. Reginald]

"While Dingell's idea will likely lie dormant until after the 2008 election..."

Uh...what's this costing Michigan taxpayers?

 

[keepoursaints]

That just makes it more ridiculous. Like the Mississippi (I think) congressman that wanted to ban overweight people from restaurants. Wasting the taxpayers money proposing legislation to "make a point" is one of the most irresponsible things they can do.

Exactly, that's the point I was trying to make. Unless something is done about public transportation this idea is dumb.

 

[Thorin]

The legislative arm is there to make laws, period. Not to influence people's social or travel behaviors. It's nanny state BS IMO.

 

[billinms]

It seems the bill is currently under consideration. And yes, it is stupid.

http://www.nationalcenter.org/PR-Global_Warming_Gas_Tax_Poll_0308.html

 

[St. Reginald]

No mention of how old this info could even possiblly be... and I had read the link before I posted it.

That's my point. They went out of their way to conceal that fact. By linking to that article, you unintentionally perpetuated a B.S. story. But that's bad journalism, not your fault.

 

[Doobsdemons]

Sad thing is, by the end of the year gas may be 50 cents more than it is now, just not due to "makes me friggin' mad" taxes.

 

[keepoursaints]

It's not mentally challenged. That's where you look silly.

I don't agree with it, not now, because it would only aggravate a lot of serious economic problems.

But there are a lot of societal and economic costs created by excessive automobile use, and excessive gasoline consumption that aren't passed on directly to the users themselves. People who don't even drive bear some of these costs, and that isn't fair. On the other hand, it's also not fair to punish someone who uses a low mileage truck for example (by taxing the vehicle itself), when they need it for business, other legitimate purposes, or when they rarely use it at all. So the answer is a market solution. If you can afford to go 4-wheeling in the mud all weekend, and you have the money to do it, then you should be allowed to do it.

A tax that appropriately passes on the costs of gasoline use the consumer provides a market solution, and could also help fund alternative energy research, mass transit, etc.

To reiterate: I don't agree with this idea now, but I have in the past. So no, it's not stupid, it's not mentally challenged, and the gentleman who proposed it is not an idiot. You may not agree with his proposal, but your categorization, based on your knee jerk understanding of the issue and the reasons behind the legislation, are what seem humorous to me.

I'm sorry we differ on opinions, but I still think it's asinine. The majority of people drive because they HAVE to drive to get to and from work because our government hasn't even come remotely close to giving us a feasible mass transit system. If I lived in DC, NY or somewhere that I could take mass transit, you bet I would.. as I would imagine the majority of people. Gas prices are killer as it is and I cringe everytime I HAVE to stop and get gas... charging more isn't going to stop me from buying it though because I have no other option. I drive to work and drive back home in my truck and that's pretty much it.

I can't remember the last time I saw a huge plume of black smoke coming out the back of my vehicle or one of my family member's vehicle, but I can promise you I'll see no less than 20 18 wheelers on the way home with a huge tower of smoke out the top. I would think those are the cars having a much bigger impact on the environment.

BTW I think Global Warming is mentally challenged too. Cycles of the earth....

 

[JimEverett]

the idea that it is so mentally challenged and just makes you so freaking mad does make your opinion come off as silly. You don;t have to agree, but its a legitimate issue.
So many people talk about personal responsibility, so where is the personal responsibility here? If you choose to live so far away from where you have to be every day or even have to be fairly often that .50 a gallon is going to make a huge impact on you then that is the choice you made. City dwellers have subsidized suburban dwellers for years so the latter can move out to cheap, usually beautiful, land and turn it into cheap housing and strip malls. And as Shawn pointed out, there are a lot of other costs as well - why shouldn't those costs be passed on to those who use the product?

 

[LSSpam]

I am so freaking mad.
Who in the hell does the Congressman think he is - proposing legislation and crap. He can go to hell. If I live 60 miles from my job and drive a 16 mpg car then that is my business.

Wouldn't the correct measure be to target the auto industry and enforce stricter emission standards? In otherwords, wouldn't the "smart" thing to do would be to force auto manufacturers to produce vehicles with better gas mileage?

Any increase in taxes on gas is regressive. It disproportionately affects the poor and middle class (and therefore the economy). It's an inherently bad and stupid idea. That this is coming from Michigan, the home of the Auto Industry, and is targeted at consumers as opposed to the same Auto Industry they so desperately want back in their lives, also makes it inherently cynical and exploitive.

This is a bad, dumb, law.

 

[keepoursaints]

the idea that it is so mentally challenged and just makes you so freaking mad does make your opinion come off as silly. You don;t have to agree, but its a legitimate issue.
So many people talk about personal responsibility, so where is the personal responsibility here? If you choose to live so far away from where you have to be every day or even have to be fairly often that .50 a gallon is going to make a huge impact on you then that is the choice you made. City dwellers have subsidized suburban dwellers for years so the latter can move out to cheap, usually beautiful, land and turn it into cheap housing and strip malls. And as Shawn pointed out, there are a lot of other costs as well - why shouldn't those costs be passed on to those who use the product?

I live less than 20 miles from my job and it still take almost 2 hours to get there because of traffic. What are they doing with the state taxes that already add up to a ton at the gas pumps? We have some of, if not the worst, roads in the country so what are they doing with the money now?