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Today's Poll: Should the federal gas tax be increased?

By Howard B. Owens
tom hunt

I wish the 7 voters who voted YES would explain their thinking. No amount of gas tax is enough....it all goes down the rat hole or some Politian's pocket.

Dec 27, 2013, 8:47am Permalink
Doug Yeomans

Raising taxes never works. It's counterproductive and it never means more money in the coffers that it's supposed to fund. The last thing we need to do is contribute even more money to a government department. It seem like the government is so fat that it eats all the money we send it without accomplishing anything meaningful. I say "NO."

Dec 27, 2013, 9:35am Permalink
Mark Potwora

Why should those who buy gas have to be taxed more...What about those electric cars that use the roads? Tax them for road use..What about all those who use public transportation at a subsidized rate.Raise their rates to ride the bus. The buses use the roads..

Dec 27, 2013, 10:46am Permalink
Tim Miller

http://www.itep.org/images/gasfigure4.jpg

"I wish the ... voters who voted YES would explain their thinking."

Check out the chart. Our infrastructure is in dire need of repairs, yet the money to do so is not there (or, as many will point out, not being spent where it is needed). The gas tax has not kept up with the rebuilding funding needs.

The gas tax hits those who use the roads (like me), and those who benefit from road use (everybody). Drive a gas guzzler? You pay more. Drive an efficient vehicle? You pay less. Odds are, that guzzler is heavier than the other vehicle and causes more wear and tear on the road.

Seems to me the libertarians who view this page would be for taxes that can be tied directly to benefits - especially when the user can control how much benefit they consume.

Yes - eventually a new tax/funding scenario will need to be implemented as electric or other non-gasoline fueled vehicles become more numerous, but until then we have to work with what we have.

Dec 27, 2013, 11:24am Permalink
John Roach

No. The money collected at the State and Federal levels now have not been used for their intended purpose now. The money was put in the general fund and nobody can tell us where it all went.

Show us a few years of actual dedicated use of the gas tax funds, with accountability, then come back to us.

Tim, part of the problem is that many now buy fuel efficient vehicles, meaning government got less taxes. Just like water efficient appliances. They use so much less water, water rates have to go up. It is a vicious cycle.

Dec 27, 2013, 11:38am Permalink
Mark Potwora

Good example of money for roads not going where it should is the thruway..We pay tolls to maintain the thruway but they take some of those tolls to prop up the Erie canal..All these taxes and tolls go down the same rat hole that the government uses to spend when and where they please.

Dec 27, 2013, 10:29pm Permalink
C. M. Barons

I have a great idea. Cut the Offense Department budget to the point it disappears. Start a Defense Department with about 15% of what the Offense Department had, and put the balance in infrastructure development and education.

Dec 27, 2013, 2:14pm Permalink
Dave Olsen

great place to start CM. I like it. After about 5 years they could then start returning money to taxpayers. Was it Dennis Kuchinich who said he would have a cabinet Secretary of Peace?

Dec 28, 2013, 9:21am Permalink

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