Dumb Idea of the Week: Repealing the Gas Tax Because Too Many People Drive Priuses

Dude 27% is low when you add consumption tax Sales Tax on top if federal, state,local,gas,property, HOA, etc. exemptions are disappearing there is talk of eliminating mortgage interest deduction. Think about the subject and not a knee jerk reaction.

 

Corwin never put a ruthless dictator on the same playing field as the USA. There was a war and they lost. Inspectors is a small price to pay for losing a war.

 

When was the last time the US used WMD against its citizens? When did it last use WMD against another country? Last I recall is Japan to end the war and save roughly 1,000,000 or more lives. The horror of those two weapons changed the face of the planet, and started the cold war, and put millions of people in fear of total annihilation around the world. It also led to many rules being written to prevent WMD from ever being used.

In any case
Taxed
Enough
Already

 

That's pretty much what I thought. We don't need morals because we have a bigger army.

 

So exactly why do we have enormous stockpiles of such weapons?

 

You seem to have a real problem with statistics. The US spends more per pupil than other countries, but does not do as well as many countries spending much less.
U.S. Education Spending & Student Performance vs. The World Infographic | MAT@USC
I don't know where the 57th came from, but 76% of statistics are made up on the spot.

The US also spends more per patient than most countries but outcomes are worse. You make it sound as if we just need to spend more government money, and there is scant evidence of that. Heathcare reform is needed, but the politicians keep putting it off because they don't want to stand up to the insurance companies, lawyers, and AMA to make it work.

 

Do you think there is a moral equivalency here? Saddam used chemical weapons his own people and attempting genocide against a minority in his own country. He started a war with Iran and used WMDs in that war. It is estimated that 1 Million people died.

The reason to not fight Iraq was really they were not a military threat to the US. Many other countries had and have even worse human rights abuses. I felt that the US would screw up the war and reconstruction and hurt many innocent people. There was no moral equivalency.

 

I posted the real numbers showing US as one off the lowest overall tax rate countries in the world. That is a real problem.

As for school spending, armed guards (there was one at Columbine when those students were killed), metal detectors, security systems (there was one at Newtow when those students were killed), No Child Left Behind, Race to the Bottom all cost a LOT of money but provide no education.

Go to schools in poor neighborhoods and show me all that money being spent. It's not there. The buildings are falling down, the books falling apart, half the teachers laid off.

The lack of tax funding is why US public schools, once tops are now near the bottom. The last 30 years has seen an attack on US public education and teachers and US falling to 57th in the world is the result.

To this conversation of taxing solutions to US problem (Prius, EV's and other fuel efficient cars) it is interesting to note the hypocrisy of the "deficit hawks" in being all in on taxes on fuel efficient vehicles (3% of vehicles tops) and not taxing the other 97% of vehicles via a gas tax to pay for the costs of oil, the $14T oil war debt, the crumbling roads, bridges, the underfunded mass transit system.

US (tax rate 27%) should model itself more on Germany (tax rate 38%) rather than Mexico (tax rate 23%). Stronger industrial base, better public school system, better health care system, 50% more energy efficient with...ha!...better roads and much better mass transit system.

 

We do not have chemical weapons, they were banned by treaty. Our Nuclear stockpile has been reduced to a small fraction of what it once was, and what we currently do have is on par with Russia and China. Between these 3 countries, there are still enough WMD to wipe out all life on the planet. Our mainstay is still conventional weapons, and if we reduce ANY portion of any of these items, we are at the low end of the pole and just because China is a good trade partner, and Russia is no longer the USSR, does not mean they are no longer a threat to us. There is also Iran, India, Pakistan and North Korea to be concerned about.

We NEED them to remain alive, and attack free, regardless of the fact we may never ever use them. We would never use them as an aggressor, just in the defense of our country.

 

We have Morals. We also have a much more skilled and equiped Military.

So you think that the USA was illmoral & wrong and Iraq was right and Moral? Geez kid you got to pull yourself out of this immediately. Don't diasgree for the point of disagreeing.

Look war is a living nightmare and it should be the last resort before all other channels have been exhausted. Sadam H is an idiot, he was given endless options to comply and avoid war. The diplomatic channles were open and he just thought he could win the war.

Many Iraqies live in East San Diego county and belong to the Cathlolic church. They were a minority in Iraq. When you speak with them they thank G-d to be in America and avoid the constant bullying by other citizens and the Governments because they were different. Nothing is more Moral than the USA helping people self determine and live with basic Freedoms and protections.

Perhaps one day we can live without war and disagreement.

 

Look Kid nothing is safer then the ability to protect yourself and others.

 

The information you got is not accurate. I have quicken and measure every penny in and out and I can say that those numbers are innacurate. They are based on INCOME Tax returns of a family of 4 making 100K and living in NY. That is close to the Poverty rate near NYC and the burbs. Consumption tax is not caculated.That is a lower middle class income and subject to many tax forgiveness. My point is why should we have more taxes than Germany, we should have less taxes. Way less taxes. The economies of Europe are is worse shape than us. Again I'm shocked that you would want to pay more taxes and have less money for yourself. That is silly. I would want to pay less Taxes and have more money for me to invest in my future and create jobs and get this economy growing. Kid equating Mexico and it's problems to lower taxes is uneducated. Mexico's fiscal policy is in the dark ages. There was until recently no credit markets for consumers thus Consumers could not take a 30 year mortgage to buy a home or get a car loan. Everything was cash and carry. Homeownership is a wealth builder for Americans. That was not possible in Mexico unless you paid cash. Recently it is changing it's consumer financial policies but it has a long way to go but as a result it has the fastest growing Middle class rate in the world on par with China, but like China it's challanges with the very poor . China GNP surpassed Germany and Japan a long time ago and it has lower taxes. Germany and the USA capital markets are strong, Mexico is not. However Mexico and Brazil are emerging economies and not mature. Comaring the USA to Mexico is apples to oranges with respect to taxes.

Schools, Public Education is in part what you make of it. Part of the problem with the school system is much of the funding is wasted on a Public Pension System that is far above what private employees recieve and the tax payer pays for benefits to teachers who are long retired whan that money can be given back to students and current teachers to improve scores. I have a freind who at 55 retired at 80% pay. That is crazy I have to support that with my taxes. Teachers should be on Social Security, Medicare, and Matching 401K like everyone else thus free up $ to give to student development. The President of UCSD a Public University makes 15 Million a year and gets 80% guaranteed income at retirement and he has tenure you can't fire him. This union pay packages is killing us as we pay out in taxes to support pensions that we cannot support.

I'm preplexed that you think we should have higher taxes like Germany. Unbelivable.

 

The extremist Islamic regime US installed in Iraq contrasts poorly with the secular regime of Saddam which saw equality and school for girls (just one example) vs. the current regimes Islamic regime which punishes women.

And then there was US backing Saddam to go to war with Iran killing millions on both sides.

And then there was US backing Bin Laden, al-Queda and Taliban in Afghanistan to kill Russians and overthrow secular regime that also schooled girls vs. US allies above shooting them for wanting to learn.

Things we do for oil...which gets us back on topic of a gasoline tax which would boost US energy efficiency, eliminate oil imports, encourage fuel efficient cars and trucks, rebuild the US roads, bridges and rail systems and pay off the $14T oil war debt from last 30 years.

 

It is accurate OECD data on comparative tax rates. Your personal anecdotes have no factual value as no way to verify.

It's what those taxes would buy. 1st class public education system. 1st class health care system 50% less cost than US, 100% coverage and healthier population. 50% more energy efficient than US. Well regulated banking system. World leading alternative energy industry. Great roads. 1st class public transit system.

To this topic, high gasoline tax in Germany is key to 50% more fuel efficiency, stronger auto industry, stronger alternate energy industry, better roads, better mass transit. Germany 12 tons CO2 per capita. US 23 tons per capita.

 

The less of the 2 evils.
I just can't believe you think Sadam H is a good guy and we are the bad guys. Unbelivable. :-(

 

Increased taxes don't buy that. Why give more money to someone who cannot manage what they have already. Get a new manager. Managing the current income taxes better can accomplish that.

The great thing about Private Enterprise and our capital markets is if you fail you go out of business. The company that can deliver a great product or service and manage it's ledger stays in business. Government when it fails it asks for more money. That is the flaw in Gov. Sure I want a safety net for the old and poor, unemployment insurance for teh guy between jobs, I want paved roads just like you. But I want the system to be efficient, and I want to pay way less in taxes. America wins when it pays les and less taxes not more and more.

 

Saddam was a dear friend and ally of US who supported him vs. Iran. US was big supporter of Bin Laden and Taliban also vs. Russians.

We were Saddam and Bin Laden when it suited us as long as they killed who we wanted them to kill. Poor choices...but then it gets back to what we do for oil and need for higher gasoline tax which encourages Prius and EV purchases while the topic here was crazy proposal to discourage purchase of Prius and EV's.

 

Real world example of Germany proves you wrong. Higher taxes, particularly gasoline tax means much greater energy efficiency, better roads, better mass transit sytem.

 

Ever been to Germany? It has a hard time accepting foreigners or non German people into it's society. It is not the standard of anything. German cars are expensive, break often, and it's roads are nothing near as great as the USA roads. The Japanese car story is much better. It's economy is in the dumper and it is trying to control the EU. The reason why the England did not join the UE was because of Germany. The USA is a far better story on modern economies. German war crimes and the fact that so many Germans knew and did nothing is a shame Germans must live with. I would never put Germany in any light of good ever. The autobahn was built in the 1930 and frankly not as good as the American Interstae ststem which covers a far larger country.

 

USA has lower taxes and an economy (GNP) twice as large. Based on your logic Lower taxes prevails.