Daniel said:
I'd like to see a $5 per gallon tax on gasoline, with the money put into sustainable energy.
Daniel, I like and respect you. But I really have to take issue with what you said above. I think there may be a few things wrong with it. Okay, a lot of things.
I urge you to reconsider. Think about the impact.
A tax increase of $5.00 per gallon would be economically disasterous, logistically and legally unworkable, unsustainable, morally wrong, and just plain mean. Please allow me to clarify:
Economically disasterous: The price of gasoline is part of the cost of every service and product we buy. Raise it, and you crush those who can least afford to buy things anyway. You'll cause more outsourcing (because it'll now be even cheaper to make things overseas in countries where the tax doesn't exist), company bankruptcies, layoffs, factory closings, and more. If it's bad enough, maybe people will consider leaving the US just so they can find work and feed their children.
Which is your real intent, mass exodus? Or increased dependence on government?
Logistically unworkable: Mass transit doesn't go anywhere and everywhere. Not everybody lives in Manhattan. What are you proposing, that we all start walking or riding bicycles at all hours, even in places that are potentially
dangerous?
Legally Unworkable: Okay, maybe we could pass a law, and maybe it would even stand up in the courts. But look at how badly the government already spends our woefully overtaxed dollars! Did you know that less than 30-cents (out of each dollar collected in taxes) actually goes to the person, group or agency that is supposed to benefit from it? Your plea for more government is really just asking for more taxes and more waste.
Unsustainable: We'll have a tax revolt, for sure. And it won't just be tea in the harbour, either. Hmmmm, on second thought, maybe we're due for a tax revolt.
Morally wrong: Because your proposed new tax would probably have lots of loopholes, giving special treatment to certain segments of the population. Invariably, there will be the "special class" that is exempted from the tax.
Who will it be this time? Goodies for sale! All we want is your vote! People who simply must drive their kids to day care? People who are obese (who couldn't possibly be expected to walk)? I know...maybe we'll give a tax break to people who can't afford a car newer than a 1975 model...we'll let them continue to guzzle and pollute, because that's where the voters are this cycle!
I'm tired of our government constantly pitting one economic class against another, and always making allowances for one "special" group of people or another. That's why I say it's
morally wrong to elevate one group to a status of "more important" than everybody else. Honestly, if everybody doesn't share in the pain, then it's
morally wrong, period.
Just plain mean: Come on, do I really need to explain
this one? Five dollars a gallon? Eventually, I believe this will happen on its own, just because of the various market forces (dwindling supply, increased demand) at work. But to
artificially implement such a tax, and to funnel the money into yet another wasteful public works program, knowing full well that it probably won't change anything...well, that's pretty mean. And all it does is make us all even more dependent on the government.
Somebody please stop this mad merry-go-round! I'm sooo friggin' overtaxed and overregulated, I'm getting dizzy! I want to get off!
