Tax on Gas

Originally posted by duecer
they should double the federal gas tax, and allocate that money for alternative energy research.

Problem is it doesn't work that way. Tax revenue usually doesn't go towards its original purpose and all we wind up with is another tax that goes to feed the already bloated federal government to fund another unnecessary and inefficient program.

Originally posted by whodey
BTW: I have no alternate modes of transpertation to even get to work from where I live and walking or riding a bike is not an alternative because it is too far away. I suppose I could live closer to work but I really can't afford it. What do you suggest I do?

Dude, if you can't afford to pay for gas, then you shouldnt' have a car.

A true capitalist would tell you that in a free capitalist society, a worker has freedom of movement and can move to any market the worker wishes. In other words, if you can't afford to live in the city you are in now, you are free to move to a cheaper city and find employment there. Capitalism requires the free movement of the labour workforce.

So to answer your question, if I was a right-wing conservative i'd tell you to move to a cheaper city.

A Democrat might offer you some alternatives but I won't bother listing them because the usual suspects would jump all over you for sucking from the taxpayer trough, or accuse you of not paying your way.

Originally posted by Ullr
Problem is it doesn't work that way. Tax revenue usually doesn't go towards its original purpose and all we wind up with is another tax that goes to feed the already bloated federal government to fund another unnecessary and inefficient program.

Please state some programs that Mr. Bush has been funding for the past 8 years that you think are unneccesary and inefficient.

Then, please state why you will be voting Conservative again in the upcoming election.

Originally posted by uzless
You have to stop thinking of the gas tax as a revenue generating tax. That is NOT it's purpose. It's purpose is to discourage the use of gasoline. The tax is supposed to encourage people to find more environmentally friendly ways to get around town.

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The tax is a kind of punishment?

So what is the tax on food?

Or the tax on income to support a mans family?

A fine is a tax for doing bad.
A tax is a fine for doing good.

With reasoning like that uzless....damn...can't do a thing right...may as well just give up.

Originally posted by Wajoma
The tax is a kind of punishment?

So what is the tax on food?

Or the tax on income to support a mans family?

A fine is a tax for doing bad.
A tax is a fine for doing good.

With reasoning like that uzless....damn...can't do a thing right...may as well just give up.

The tax is a kind of punishment?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pigovian_tax

So what is the tax on food?
You mean sales taxes? These are purely revenue generating taxes. Essential items like food usually have reduced (and are sometimes exempt) tax rates. So they're actually taxed less.

Originally posted by uzless
Please state some programs that Mr. Bush has been funding for the past 8 years that you think are unneccesary and inefficient.

Then, please state why you will be voting Conservative again in the upcoming election.

The Iraq war for starters.

I'm not voting conservative again in this election. Nor did I in the last election. I'm voting libertarian.

Way to jump to conclusions. Luckily not every Canadian is a "know it all" like you.

Originally posted by Ullr
The Iraq war for starters.

I'm not voting conservative again in this election. Nor did I in the last election. I'm voting libertarian.

Way to jump to conclusions. Luckily not every Canadian is a "know it all" like you.

Who's the Libertarian candidate for president? They haven't mentioned the person in our media too much.

I'm not a "know it all" as you profess. Maybe a "know alot" but not a "know it all" That'd just be way too much pressure.

But as an intelligent person like you must realize, a war isn't really a program and it isn't being funded by taxmoney. It's being funded by the Iraqi government selling oil and making payments to the US and by debt financing. The last estimate I read was that the Iraq war has cost the US over 1 Trillion dollars. Your national debt has risen accordingly.

No tax in the US is being used to pay for this war. Your kids will eventually pay for this war when the debt comes due but that's another story.

I'm curious to hear what "programs" you have in mind for the chopping block from the federal budget. Please enlighten us.

Originally posted by uzless
Who's the Libertarian candidate for president? They haven't mentioned the person in our media too much.

I'm not a "know it all" as you profess. Maybe a "know alot" but not a "know it all" That'd just be way too much pressure.

But as an intelligent person like you must realize, a war isn't really a program and it isn't being funded by taxmoney. It' e in mind for the chopping block from the federal budget. Please enlighten us.

Okay so you're not a "know it all", well I'm not a Terry Nichols so now we're even.

To answer your questions. The Libertarian candidate has not been decided just yet. Here is the one I am pulling for:

http://www.christinesmithforpresident.com/

The Iraq War isn't a goverment program? I beg to differ. I'd argue that the Iraq War is indeed a government program of the Bush Administration to secure lucrative contracts for multinational oil companies like Halliburton under the convenient guise of "The War on Terrorism"

You ask what what programs I would cut. Well for starters if it were up to me I would have kept us out of Iraq and saved us the 1 trillion dollars that you speak of. Pretty good start. From there I'd like to see the federal government rolled back closer to what it's consitutional role was meant to be and let the state and local governments take care of more of their own business. Let's start with slashing the Federal Department of Education which based on the US track record the past few decades apparently doesn't do a whole lot to improve education. Let citizens keep the money that is being sent to the Department of Education and use it to actually educate their children. Should I continue?

Originally posted by uzless
Dude, if you can't afford to pay for gas, then you shouldnt' have a car.

A true capitalist would tell you that in a free capitalist society, a worker has freedom of movement and can move to any market the worker wishes. In other words, if you can't afford to live in the city you are in now, you are free to move to a cheaper city and find employment there mp all over you for sucking from the taxpayer trough, or accuse you of not paying your way.

But a true capatilist would say to reduce or even rid the country of the governmental tax on gas so that free trade would not be impeeded as it is now. It playing havoc with such things as the price of food and international travel etc.

As for the left wing answer I am still waiting. Government subsedies perhaps? Funny thing is, is that the money has to come from some where.

Originally posted by Ullr


The Iraq War isn't a goverment program? I beg to differ. I'd argue that the Iraq War is indeed a government program of the Bush Administration to secure lucrative contracts for multinational oil companies like Halliburton under the convenient guise of "The War on Terrorism"

?

Dude, tht's not a "government prgram"...that's a SCAM! That's grounds for impeachment and imprisonment. It's illegal!

Originally posted by Ullr
[b Let's start with slashing the Federal Department of Education which based on the US track record the past few decades apparently doesn't do a whole lot to improve education. Let citizens keep the money that is being sent to the Department of Education and use it to actually educate their children. Should I continue?[/b]

Do you know how many of the tax dollars that you pay go towards paying for the Department of Education?

Let's do the math.

Take the the total amount of money you pay in Federal tax money and divide that by the percentage of the federal budget that the Department of education gets each year.

How much money then does the Department of Education get each year from you?

Now, how much would it cost you if you enrolled your child in a private school?

Finally, take the amount private school will cost you and subtract that from the amount of your taxes that goes to the Department of Education. How much money do you end up with?

It leaves you with a negative value, doesn't it. More to the point, it would cost you thousands more money to send your kid to private school than it does to send your kid to a public school.

However, if you are willing to pay thousands more dollars each year to send each kid to school, then ok, you should get your money back.

Please continue though, what other programs do you find are worthy of the chopping block?

Originally posted by whodey
But a true capatilist would say to reduce or even rid the country of the governmental tax on gas so that free trade would not be impeeded as it is now. It playing havoc with such things as the price of food and international travel etc.

.

The price of gas in the US doesnt' really impact Free Trade that much. Free trade is usually referred to as trade between countries. In the case of the US, the price of gas within the united states will only really affect goods shipped via NAFTA...namely products shipped to mexico and canada.

Now, Canada has a higher tax rate on gas than the US does so the US actually has an advantage when it comes to transportation costs so I'm not sure how your point applies to free trade.

Beyond NAFTA, most counties outside the US have higher taxes on gasoline so again, the US actually benefits from having lower gas taxes compared to the rest of the world so the US has a trade advantage.

Originally posted by whodey
.

As for the left wing answer I am still waiting. Government subsedies perhaps? Funny thing is, is that the money has to come from some where.

The only way you can afford to remain in your city is to either get more income, or reduce your expenses.

So you either get a higher paying job, get a 2nd job, or you slash your budget. But slashing a budget isn't always possible.

At this point a right winger would say, "well time for you to get outta here" and would have little sympathy for you. You'd be best to pack up your things, put the for sale sign on the house, and kiss goodbye to the life you've made in your community.

From an economic perspective you are a liability. Pure and simple. We have to get rid of liabilities, so time for you to move.

From a social perspective however, you may not be considered a liability. You may contribute to your community in ways other than strictly financial. You may provide services to the community that are not renumerated to the degree that reflects their true value. If you were to leave, a void would be created and the service to your community would drop. Pulling your kids out of school and moving them to a new community can cause kids to have behavioural programs, become alienated and potentially turn to a life of crime in the worst case. Cities that are affordable now, will see an influx of families from communities that were too expensive to live in. This influx of new families will actually raise the cost of living in that community because the "demand" to live in these cities will increase. If you increase the demand, and decrease the supply....price goes up. So anyone living in this other community that could barely afford to live there, now may find themselves unable to afford it, so now THEY have to move. It creates a domino effect.

This is why "social programs" exist in communities. They are designed to help families stay in a community. You may disagree with this reasoning and in a rare moment of non-hostility I will not criticize a different ideology. Because really, that's all this is. Are you someone who helps others, or someone who helps themself?

Originally posted by uzless
Do you know how many of the tax dollars that you pay go towards paying for the Department of Education?

Let's do the math.

Take the the total amount of money you pay in Federal tax money and divide that by the percentage of the federal budget that the Department of education gets each year.

How much money then does the Department of Education get eac ...[text shortened]... .

Please continue though, what other programs do you find are worthy of the chopping block?

The premise of the argument you just made is completely flawed. For starters we do not need the federal government in order to have public schools. But don't let that stop you from making idiotic and false assumptions.

Originally posted by Ullr
The premise of the argument you just made is completely flawed. For starters we do not need the federal government in order to have public schools. But don't let that stop you from making idiotic and false assumptions.

What kind of school system are you proposing then? Home Schooling? I admit sure, I hadn't considered that you are proposing that all kids be schooled at home. Is that what you are getting at?

If not, what kind of non government, non-private school system are you suggesting?