Next Tea Party Boondoggle: The Gas Tax

[Trench]

From Bloomberg.com:

Tea Party Gas-Tax Fix Is Bad Economics, Worse History

By Ron Klain
Aug 22, 2011 7:00 PM CT

If the debt-ceiling showdown made your blood boil, if the shutdown of air-traffic-control work related to the airline-ticket tax drove you crazy, then you should unplug your TV and power down your computer in late September, as the deadline for extension of the federal gasoline tax draws near.

Because while President Barack Obama and most experts are pushing for a greater federal investment in roads and infrastructure to create jobs and strengthen our economy, a growing minority in Washington wants to end the federal gas tax and phase out funding for new construction under the federal roads program. That?s right: A sizable chunk of Republicans, led by Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Representative Jeff Flake of Arizona, want to abolish the tax that pays for the federal highway program and replace the whole system with one overseen by individual states.

This insurgency, inspired by the Tea Party, reflects flawed thinking on economics, transportation policy and even American history.

Like many other excise taxes, the federal highway tax comes up for periodic renewal, which is usually noncontroversial. But not this time. If Congress doesn?t act to renew the tax by Sept. 30, gas stations all over the country have to stop collecting it; the highway trust fund will never get the money; and new work on federal highway projects will come screeching to a halt.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-...is-bad-economics-worse-history-ron-klain.html

 

[Skulnik]

From Bloomberg.com:

Tea Party Gas-Tax Fix Is Bad Economics, Worse History

By Ron Klain
Aug 22, 2011 7:00 PM CT

If the debt-ceiling showdown made your blood boil, if the shutdown of air-traffic-control work related to the airline-ticket tax drove you crazy, then you should unplug your TV and power down your computer in late September, as the deadline for extension of the federal gasoline tax draws near.

Because while President Barack Obama and most experts are pushing for a greater federal investment in roads and infrastructure to create jobs and strengthen our economy, a growing minority in Washington wants to end the federal gas tax and phase out funding for new construction under the federal roads program. That?s right: A sizable chunk of Republicans, led by Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Representative Jeff Flake of Arizona, want to abolish the tax that pays for the federal highway program and replace the whole system with one overseen by individual states.

This insurgency, inspired by the Tea Party, reflects flawed thinking on economics, transportation policy and even American history.

Like many other excise taxes, the federal highway tax comes up for periodic renewal, which is usually noncontroversial. But not this time. If Congress doesn?t act to renew the tax by Sept. 30, gas stations all over the country have to stop collecting it; the highway trust fund will never get the money; and new work on federal highway projects will come screeching to a halt.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-...is-bad-economics-worse-history-ron-klain.html

This SHITHEAD reporter is SPEWING the LIBERAL line, Obama pushed OBAMACARE as JOB 1, it was JOBS, STUPID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You liberal MORONS keep pushing what SOROS tells you, you're still WRONG, LOSERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

JMHO

:moon:

:thefinger

 

[azbob]

Let's see...billions of dollars are collected and sent to Washington.

They siphon off those dollars to pay for beauracrats, buildings and binders of regulations. NOTE: No roads are repaired in the process just described.

Then, millions of dollars are sent back to the states along with guidance on what those dollars can be spent on.

THAT is better than the states keeping the dollars and prioritizing what needs to be done using local contractors to keep the dollars in state.

 

[Chadman]

I understand what you're saying, Bob, but what about the Interstate Highway system? Are you saying we would be better off with states, counties, etc., deciding whether they should put money into maintaining these huge highway systems (or clearing them in winter, etc.) instead of their local state and county roads, city roads, etc? This could produce chaos in many states, much like a lot of other ideas currently floating around to eliminate government programs and sending them to the states. These issues are usually more complicated than a simple "smaller government, smaller taxes, etc." concept which is running rampant right now.

 

[Duff Miver]

The states had plenty of opportunity to build good interstate roads, but they built none. Zero. Nada. It's not just the Eisenhower Defense Highway system, it's every major interstate road across the country, from US Rt 1 to US Rt 66 that were built by the Feds.

The states failed before, and they would fail again, given the opportunity.

 

[Trench]

Let's see...billions of dollars are collected and sent to Washington.

They siphon off those dollars to pay for beauracrats, buildings and binders of regulations. NOTE: No roads are repaired in the process just described.

Then, millions of dollars are sent back to the states along with guidance on what those dollars can be spent on.

THAT is better than the states keeping the dollars and prioritizing what needs to be done using local contractors to keep the dollars in state.

If your Tea Party has its way, Bob, all Federal authority and programs will be delegated to the States and we'll have the "Divided States of America".

Great plan Dick Armey, David Koch, Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann have for the "bright future" you keep crowing about, Bob. :0074

 

[azbob]

Citiizens of each state are moving the snow and fixing the roads now...there isn't a national organization of employees who do those jobs.

They are contracted and paid by the federal government (for federal work) but, the only thing that moves through Washington, for no reason is the money.

The states have to tackle that beauracy to get road projects approved. Each state is pitted against another for a piece of the pie.

If you leave the pie in the hands of the states, more dollars actually pave the roads based on local prioritization.

For states with less revenue (Montana for example) the government can supplement gas taxes (now collected by the states) with subsidies based on miles of federal roads in that specific state or based on some other measure.

You have to understand these are local people, local planning, local prioritization and local work that must go through Washington to be funded from dollars that were collected locally.

 

[Duff Miver]

Citiizens of each state are moving the snow and fixing the roads now...there isn't a national organization of employees who do those jobs.

They are contracted and paid by the federal government (for federal work) but, the only thing that moves through Washington, for no reason is the money.

The states have to tackle that beauracy to get road projects approved. Each state is pitted against another for a piece of the pie.

If you leave the pie in the hands of the states, more dollars actually pave the roads based on local prioritization.

For states with less revenue (Montana for example) the government can supplement gas taxes (now collected by the states) with subsidies based on miles of federal roads in that specific state or based on some other measure.

You have to understand these are local people, local planning, local prioritization and local work that must go through Washington to be funded from dollars that were collected locally.

Wrong, wrong, wrong. States collect their own gasoline taxes, separate from federal gas taxes, and use that money at their discretion to build and maintain state roads. DC has nothing whatsoever to do with state roads. DC controls expenditure only for Federal roads.

The Interstate Highway system accounts for 1% of all roads in the USA.

http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxdata/show/26079.html

You're getting as stupid as skulnutz.:mj07:

 

[Skulnik]

Wrong, wrong, wrong. States collect their own gasoline taxes, separate from federal gas taxes, and use that money at their discretion to build and maintain state roads. DC has nothing whatsoever to do with state roads. DC controls expenditure only for Federal roads.

The Interstate Highway system accounts for 1% of all roads in the USA.

http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxdata/show/26079.html

You're getting as smart as skulnik.:mj07:

Thanks for the compliment.

:kiss:

 

[azbob]

Yes Duff, states collect taxes on gas and will continue to do so. They should also get the share now siphoned to the federal government so those important dollars targeted to fixing roads and bridges are not instead given to the homeless and poor...after all, the homeless and poor don't even have cars.

NOTE: I know most of you will understand this post but, I just wanted to give the usual suspects something to comment on so I had to drop to about a third grade level of reasoning.

NOTE 2: To all third graders, sorry for grouping you with some of the mouth breathers posting here. Stay in school or you see what happens.

 

[Duff Miver]

the share now siphoned to the federal government so those important dollars targeted to fixing roads and bridges are not instead given to the homeless and poor


NOTE 2: To all third graders, sorry for grouping you with some of the mouth breathers posting here. Stay in school or you see what happens.

Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong.. 100% of Federal gas taxes are used for highway building, mass transit and maintenance. Not one penny is used for any other purpose.

Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997...Thus, of the total 18.3 cents dedicated to the Highway Trust Fund, 15.44 cents goes to the Highway Account and 2.86 cents to the Mass Transit Account. (29) As a consequence, the disposition of revenues was altered by the Act so that all revenues now accrue to the Highway Trust Fund and none are applied to deficit reduction. Consumers experienced no price related change due to enactment of this provision since the federal tax rate on gasoline remained the same.

http://ncseonline.org/NLE/CRSreports/Transportation/trans-24.cfm

Note 1: azzbob is so afraid the a poor person might get some help that he makes up "facts".

Note 2: azzbob and skulnutz are the mouth breathers here.

Note 3: It must really suck to be azzbob.

 

[Trench]

Note 2: azzbob and skulnutz are the mouth breathers here.

I heard Skulnik was car-jacked and when the police asked him if he could describe the perp, he said "No, but I got the license number!"... :142smilie