Fuel Prices

[why?]

From the other thread

Originally Posted by Kal-El

I agree with you on some points. It is ridiculous that the government pulls in more money on oil than those that do all the work. However, the other way to look at it is that gas taxes [supposedly] go to roads/bridges which works out nicely because it's the road users that are paying for such work more than those who for whatever reason don't drive and therefore don't pay this extra tax.

I certainly don't want gas above $3 a gallon for the sake of our economy. $4/ gallon devastates it. However, I still have to say that $2.50/gal is a very fair price for fuel. Of course it used to be cheaper but lets not ignore inflation. Honestly, you can't really expect gas to be $1.50/gal in 2010, do you? What was $1.50 in 1990, isn't $1.50 now. The first major problem with that is that everyone owns massive gas hogs and no fuel alternatives are ever explored. Am I an environmentalist? Nope. But I appreciate a sensible balance. Make anything cheap as dirt, and it gets severely wasted. I think $2.50 is a point when people are still conservative but it's not killing budgets or the economy. People are buying sensible cars although you still see a return to SUV's which suggest that yes, it's still inexpensive.

Anyway, I think we need a new thread. This is way off topic.

Gas taxes go to our roads? You mean the ones that are falling apart, and the bridges that are literally falling down now?

Yea, maybe at one point that was true, but then again, at one point someone believed money collected for social security would not be stolen by congress, and look how well that worked.

Inflation is almost non existant. A table for inflation since 1913. And an inflation calculator.

Even during the late '90's gas was still 99 cents a gallon. In fact, using the above calculator, just using inflation, gas would have to have been 99 cents a gallon in 1980 for it to have been inflation that makes it $2.50 a gallon now.

Gas should be inexpensive because we have plenty of it, and it isn't going to run out any time soon. It is expensive because of greedy governmental types who think they can tax the heck out of anything, and they know they have people like you around who will say it is ok, because it is what we "should" be paying for gas.

As I noted before, oil companies pay more in taxes then they earn each year in profits. So that makes our gas prices at least twice as much as they should be.

Kinda sickening, huh?

[PhotoDu.de]

Originally Posted by why?

It is expensive because of greedy governmental types who think they can tax the heck out of anything, and they know they have people like you around who will say it is ok, because it is what we "should" be paying for gas.

How is it the government fault that the price of gasoline fluctuates when the tax rate stays the same? You were paying the same amount of tax (minus sales tax) when gas was a $1.50 versus now.
How is it greedy to want to fund the government? If tax money were being embezzled or misappropriated, I would agree with you. If they are going to pay for the programs written into the law, then we are really talking about what should be the responsibility of government.

[Altitude]

Originally Posted by PhotoDu.de

How is it the government fault that the price of gasoline fluctuates when the tax rate stays the same? You were paying the same amount of tax (minus sales tax) when gas was a $1.50 versus now.
How is it greedy to want to fund the government? If tax money were being embezzled or misappropriated, I would agree with you. If they are going to pay for the programs written into the law, then we are really talking about what should be the responsibility of government.

For some, the government is always the problem.

[STC]

Originally Posted by Altitude

For some, the government is always the problem.

Not government, but a Corporatocracy... Public (government) and Private (corporations) sleeping together in a technocratic business association...

Cheers!

[why?]

Originally Posted by PhotoDu.de

How is it the government fault that the price of gasoline fluctuates when the tax rate stays the same? You were paying the same amount of tax (minus sales tax) when gas was a $1.50 versus now.
How is it greedy to want to fund the government? If tax money were being embezzled or misappropriated, I would agree with you. If they are going to pay for the programs written into the law, then we are really talking about what should be the responsibility of government.

The tax rates have not stayed the same. Just the latest in literally thousands of gas tax changes through the years.

It is greedy to want to steal money and then use it for whatever they want to. And that is what they are doing at this point, just stealing more and more of our hard earned money.

You can't possibly think it is ok to waste trillions of dollars doing absolutely nothing.

And then there is the fact that at some mythical time gas taxes were suppose to only go for infrastructure maintenance and improvements, but that changed decades ago. Now they use the money for whatever suits their fancy.

Governments and bureaucracies are always innately evil. The more you allow them to do, the more evil they get.

[PhotoDu.de]

Originally Posted by why?

The tax rates have not stayed the same. Just the latest in literally thousands of gas tax changes through the years.

It is greedy to want to steal money and then use it for whatever they want to. And that is what they are doing at this point, just stealing more and more of our hard earned money.

You can't possibly think it is ok to waste trillions of dollars doing absolutely nothing.

And then there is the fact that at some mythical time gas taxes were suppose to only go for infrastructure maintenance and improvements, but that changed decades ago. Now they use the money for whatever suits their fancy.

Governments and bureaucracies are always innately evil. The more you allow them to do, the more evil they get.

That article is just about one tax increase just in California.

The government does use the money for something, not nothing. They can't use it for whatever suits their fancy, only what the law allows them to.

In my humbled opinion, you are being very paranoid.

Originally Posted by Altitude

For some, the government is always the problem.

If the government is always a problem move to a country without one, like Somalia.

[Altitude]

Originally Posted by why?

Governments and bureaucracies are always innately evil. The more you allow them to do, the more evil they get.

The same can be said of corporations no? Though you should really take it a step further and blame human greed and corruption since it is the people that comprise the governments and corporations that do these evil deeds, right?