Posted by Little Miss Cant Be Wrong at 12:02pm Sep 6 '05You must sign in to send Little Miss Cant Be Wrong a message
This should stir up some lively debate. I honestly think that there should be a gigantic tax on gasoline sales.
Pros:
* immediate decrease in dependance on foreign oil, through lowered fuel sales/use.
* immediate decrease in auto emissions, through lowered use of gasoline
* long-term decrease in dependance on foreign oil, through increased use of hybrid and alternative-fuel vehilces.
* long-term decrease in auto emissions, through increased use of hybrid and alternative-fuel vehicles
* tax revenue could be used to fund R&D of alternative non-fossil fuel vehicles
Cons/Objections:
* Makes it difficult or impossible for workers who barely make ends meet as-is to afford gas to get to work.
* increases prices of mass transit, shipping and consumer goods.
* why should we have to pay this huge tax? America thrives on a free market system, won't Adam Smith's invisible hand bail us out before we're really and truly fucked?
* mass assassinations of politicians
Response to objections
Makes it difficult or impossible for workers who barely make ends meet as-is to afford gas to get to work.
Issue a fully-refundable tax-credit to every employed citizen based on how how far they live from their workplace. Base it on a reasonable milage of 25 mpg, a three-dollar/gallon tax, a five-day work week 50 weeks a year, and be sure to include the return trip. (3.00 / 25 = 0.12, 0.12 * 5 * 50 * 2 = 60 dollars per mile-from-work per year.)
The beauty part is that this not only shields the poor(or those who otherwise live close to their means) from the impact of the tax, but encourages the use of mass transit. A person who lives 8 miles from work can get 480 dollars on their tax return at the end of the year, just by taking the bus every day instead of driving. That's enough to cover the cost of a yearly bus pass in every city I've ever lived in... plus they save on the non-tax cost of fuel, and car maintainence.
increases prices of mass transit, shipping and consumer goods.
This is relatively simple to solve: exempt commercial diesel sales from the tax. Make sure, however, that a good amount of the tax revenue goes into R&D for something powerful enough to run a commercial truck. We don't want them running on fossil fuels forever.
why should we have to pay this huge tax? America thrives on a free market system, won't Adam Smith's invisible hand bail us out before we're really and truly fucked?
It's almost certainly true: the free market will eventually set itself aright. However, in the meantime, our air is blackened, our planets non-renewable natural resources are squandered at an alarming rate, wars are fought, etc... and if something isn't done to stem the tide, things are going to get a whole lot worse, at least in terms of geopolitical stability.
Besides, we already pay large taxes on alcohol and tobacco. These so-called vice-taxes are seldom sneezed at, and alcohol/tobacco use only hurt oneself(except second-hand smoke, which legislation is catching up to, and drunks flying off the handle, for which ultimate responsibility in our legal system rests with the drunk, not the drink). Our total dependance on foreign oil hurts plenty of people, and will hurt plenty more in the future. Our rampant burning of fossil fuels hurts people too. Look at the asthma rates for the last few decades. Up, up, and up. So why the strong resistance to a vice-tax on gasoline?
mass assassinations of politicians
Wait, this is an objection? But seriously, I see the problem. Such a tax could never, ever, ever pass the legislature and the president's desk. And it did, those who pushed for it would probably actually be assassinated... or at the very least, voted out next term. why? Why do we feel this sense of entitlement to our favorite poison?
I'm sure some(or most, or all) of you reading this disagree with me vehemently. Do me a favor: share with me why you feel this way. What could possibly be changed about this proposal to make it agreeable for you? Is it that you disagree that things need to change at all, or do you just object to the method I suggest? Do you have an alternative to suggest?
Pros:
* immediate decrease in dependance on foreign oil, through lowered fuel sales/use.
* immediate decrease in auto emissions, through lowered use of gasoline
* long-term decrease in dependance on foreign oil, through increased use of hybrid and alternative-fuel vehilces.
* long-term decrease in auto emissions, through increased use of hybrid and alternative-fuel vehicles
* tax revenue could be used to fund R&D of alternative non-fossil fuel vehicles
Cons/Objections:
* Makes it difficult or impossible for workers who barely make ends meet as-is to afford gas to get to work.
* increases prices of mass transit, shipping and consumer goods.
* why should we have to pay this huge tax? America thrives on a free market system, won't Adam Smith's invisible hand bail us out before we're really and truly fucked?
* mass assassinations of politicians
Response to objections
Makes it difficult or impossible for workers who barely make ends meet as-is to afford gas to get to work.
Issue a fully-refundable tax-credit to every employed citizen based on how how far they live from their workplace. Base it on a reasonable milage of 25 mpg, a three-dollar/gallon tax, a five-day work week 50 weeks a year, and be sure to include the return trip. (3.00 / 25 = 0.12, 0.12 * 5 * 50 * 2 = 60 dollars per mile-from-work per year.)
The beauty part is that this not only shields the poor(or those who otherwise live close to their means) from the impact of the tax, but encourages the use of mass transit. A person who lives 8 miles from work can get 480 dollars on their tax return at the end of the year, just by taking the bus every day instead of driving. That's enough to cover the cost of a yearly bus pass in every city I've ever lived in... plus they save on the non-tax cost of fuel, and car maintainence.
increases prices of mass transit, shipping and consumer goods.
This is relatively simple to solve: exempt commercial diesel sales from the tax. Make sure, however, that a good amount of the tax revenue goes into R&D for something powerful enough to run a commercial truck. We don't want them running on fossil fuels forever.
why should we have to pay this huge tax? America thrives on a free market system, won't Adam Smith's invisible hand bail us out before we're really and truly fucked?
It's almost certainly true: the free market will eventually set itself aright. However, in the meantime, our air is blackened, our planets non-renewable natural resources are squandered at an alarming rate, wars are fought, etc... and if something isn't done to stem the tide, things are going to get a whole lot worse, at least in terms of geopolitical stability.
Besides, we already pay large taxes on alcohol and tobacco. These so-called vice-taxes are seldom sneezed at, and alcohol/tobacco use only hurt oneself(except second-hand smoke, which legislation is catching up to, and drunks flying off the handle, for which ultimate responsibility in our legal system rests with the drunk, not the drink). Our total dependance on foreign oil hurts plenty of people, and will hurt plenty more in the future. Our rampant burning of fossil fuels hurts people too. Look at the asthma rates for the last few decades. Up, up, and up. So why the strong resistance to a vice-tax on gasoline?
mass assassinations of politicians
Wait, this is an objection? But seriously, I see the problem. Such a tax could never, ever, ever pass the legislature and the president's desk. And it did, those who pushed for it would probably actually be assassinated... or at the very least, voted out next term. why? Why do we feel this sense of entitlement to our favorite poison?
I'm sure some(or most, or all) of you reading this disagree with me vehemently. Do me a favor: share with me why you feel this way. What could possibly be changed about this proposal to make it agreeable for you? Is it that you disagree that things need to change at all, or do you just object to the method I suggest? Do you have an alternative to suggest?