Gas taxes are going up

Off-Topic
1

I heard today on the radio that both the Federal and State (Utah) is considering increasing the gas tax to pay for more road construction.

the reason? The gas per gallon is now down around $2.00 a gallon.

So finally people are able to afford to drive, and the government wants to increase the gas taxes… Great…

by the way, here in Utah this is how our GOP governor thinks…
We will divert the money that was to go to transportation jobs (fixing the roads) and give it to Education. Then we will increase the gas tax to offset the diverted funds…

I am not always the smartest brick in the road, but to me… this does not make sense.

2

We haven’t used bricks to build roads for about 200 years :wink: So, I guess you aren’t the smartest one in the road :smile:
Maybe you might understand what Jim and others are saying about the size of governments both Federal and State. Too big and they could be cut down considerably so that Peter doesn’t have to pay Paul. It’s time to figure out a way to force governments to spend money only on what the money is intended for and not for anything else. If there is a surplus, give it back to the people.

We’ve given plenty of money to the government for road repairs and they use the money for other things. The budget must be balanced and strictly followed. Governments must cut out unnecessary programs and reign in out of control pension plans. Pelosi, Reid, Obummer, Hillary are always saying Democrats are for the middle class and the poor. So, now that gas is less expensive, they want to charge everyone the same in a new gas tax. Doesn’t that just hurt the poor and the middle class but does nothing to the rich like them? Hypocrites!

3

Scott … it is NOT the democrats wanting to increase gas tax, it IS the GOP controlled congress that wants to do it.

1 Like
4

please list all unnecessary programs Scott. then explain what you would with those affected by the change

1 Like
5

The proposal recently was by Corker (R: Tenn) and Murphy (D: Conn).

Just like schools need more money, road costs go up too. While I hate raising taxes, I don’t have quite the same feeling about those that go into infrastructure costs. The other issue I have is that much of the dollars get assigned to different states at different percentages. I far as I’ve read, California rarely ever gets close to getting the money that was taken from it for gas tax. They had to get a special law passed to get a minimum level back (somewhere between 90 to 95%). West Virginia for years got way over what it put into the system. Mostly do to Senator Byrd’s position in the Senate. I’ve been told they have some of the nicest roads in the US. DC gets the highest allocation above what it takes in. Last I heard was 350%. Those numbers are about 10 years old.

1 Like
6

I know in Utah the total tax about 48cents a gallon.

I would hate to see what California tax is…

7

We are just under 64cents for gas. #4 in the Nation. When I was discussing the taxes, I was only talking about the Federal part, which is 18.3. That is what the National government controls how much each State gets back.

8

Department of Education
Most of the EPA
Much of the IRS
You could cut half of everything else but the military and Homeland Security, FBI needs.

Face it Floyd, 18 trillion dollars in debt. 100 trillion in unfunded debt. The government can lose quite a bit without us missing any of it.

9

Scott…
I know this is difficult for you, but here is the problem with your suggestions…

if you abolished all those agencies, you might reduce the budget by 1 percent.

The four biggest items for the budget: (not in order)

  1. Military
  2. Social Security
  3. Medicaid
  4. welfare programs (food stamps, etc)

I know you don’t like the Dept. Of Education, but if you do away with it, are you willing to pay higher state taxes to come up with the lack of funding?

Working for the State Board of Education, I have found where they apply to the DOE for funds to cover Legally mandated programs for the poor (Title One, breakfast, cover expenses because of waivers, etc.).

Not sure what the best idea would be, but if they sent the funds directly to the state to manage educational needs and do away with DOE, that might work…

but then you would have to have some type of agency overseeing the funds and making sure the states used the money as intended… so it kind of circular problem.

1 Like
10

ouch… 64 cents… I was complaining about paying 48… LOL

11

No kidding. We were #1 last year. Three other states somehow passed us this year, but hey, the state has over 350 days to try and reclaim it! Then we can be #1 in gas tax and income tax again. :wink:

12

Didn’t read this thread until just now.

I’ve commented on nonsense like this a thousand times. This is how the ruling class does things. The bigger they get the more money they will need to feed themselves. Are we really worried about raising gas taxes to pay for better roads and infrastructure when the money has always been there to pay for it? The ruling class will take care of themselves first. The biggest burden on the state right now is paying for pensions and the ridiculous retirement packages they have given themselves. That is where the money will go.

In the meantime, poverty is on the rise and we have children who go to bed hungry in this country. So somebody please tell me where the real problem is and what the root of it is. It is the ruling class, politicians and upper level government management… ie. the ruling class.

1 Like
13

Jim,
while I disagree with you on so many levels about government employees (which I won’t get into right now).

I have to ask an honest question: What is your definition of “ruling class”?

Is it the 1 percent everyone talks about?
Is it the Politicians?
Is it the Special Interest groups (PAC’s)?

What is the ruling class that you speak of?

Then I want to think about something…

Why does the Federal Government need to expand (let’s look at it with a normal administration and NOT a Obama Administration, because this idiot is giving us government workers a bad name)?

Most of the time it is due to the fact that the people want something or want something done to protect them…

i.e. we have agriculture agents because people are worried about their food supply is healthy and without some type of disease.
or we have Human Services to help the poor with such things as Medical, food, maintaining life.
We have OSHA because some employers put the lives of their employees at risk, just so the employer can save money (I have been the victim this myself).

The real problem is “People” not the Ruling Class, the every day joe out there is the real problem.

Instead of taking care of their own stuff they want the government to do it.
Instead of employers (which are people) caring about their employees health and welfare, they look at the $$$ instead of the lives they could help.
Instead of people doing service for others, they simply walk pass the less fortunate (does that ring a bell in the BOM?).

PEOPLE are the culprit Jim… At least in my mind… if the people became more self reliant, the size of government would go down because the demand for services would go down. If the size of government goes down, the need for Taxes goes down… PEOPLE want the government to take care of them… so they hire lawyers to sue the state, the judges side with the people and the State is forced to comply (Which I have personally seen in my years at the State).

14

Chicken and Egg…

It is more complex than you imagine it. I could go on and on…

i don’t have the time or energy.

1 Like
15

For once, you do have good points. However, as Jim says, chicken or the egg… Unfortunately, the politicians are extending out the hand to feed those who don’t need feeding. They make more availability for food stamps and other government programs that many do not and should not be given. On top of that, politicians pass laws that prohibit self-reliance in order to get more people to want the government to lead them. So, it’s a dual problem. Once people are on the Dole, they are hooked. I know. I love my subsidies with health care. It would be hard to go back and this point. And, there you go. Politicians pass a law without reading it and without caring about the consequences of destroying self-reliance. Eventually, it will all cave in on itself.