Riding the backs of the poor.

[.... callchet ....]

Riding the backs of the poor

I am tired of hearing that in the long term higher gas prices will benefit the poor. That is total crap and it is a way to ride out of the gasoline

problem on the backs of the poor. Why not give the poor free gas credit cards for 75 gallons a month. Then put a $7 gallon tax on gas. In the long

term the tax will benefit everybody. Tax new cars at $5 lb for every pound over 3000. Use the tax for mass transit, alternate energy research and

fuel efficient cars.

" People First "

[LARED]

1. If I understand

your solution is to give poor people about $550 a month for gas at about $8.50 per gal?

And this benefits everyone?

Wow!!!!

[.... callchet ....]

2. The cards

would represent about $100 a month to the government. But look at all the other revenue !

[LARED]

3. I imagine the other revenue streams dry up pretty quick

as the US economy comes to a grinding halt when gas is 8.50 a gal.

Also the cards are worth about $550 per month to the rest of us. Costs that are transfered to all other non poor people. I'm not poor and I'm not rich, but if gas was 8.50 a gal, my standard of living quickly matches that of a poor person.

[.... callchet ....]

4. And

and that is a frightening thought, right ? What about this ? My question is: Is a tax on consumption anything other than riding the backs of the

poor. The law of supply and demand works on discretionary income. The only people with so little discretionary income such that they would cut back

on their driving because of an increase in gas prices are the poor. Nobody that makes $100,000 a year alters his driving habits because gas went up

25 cents a gallon. Why do we so mercifully sacrifice the poor to solve our problems ?

[.... callchet ....]

5. $5 a gallon

$5 a gallon to a poor person would be like $40 a gallon to you. My point is that the poor suffer unmercifully.

[LARED]

6. Right, I guess

Is a tax on consumption anything other than riding the backs of the poor

Huh, no. It's a tax on people that consume. We all consume. If your point is that poor people are disproportional hit by consumptions taxes, it depends on how that tax is structured. Giving poor people gas is a disproportionate tax on everyone that is not poor. (however that is defined)


The law of supply and demand works on discretionary income.

I have absolutely no clue what that even means. The law of supply and demand has little to do with income. It has to do with scarcity.


The only people with so little discretionary income such that they would cut back on their driving because of an increase in gas prices are the poor.

I don't think the facts bear that out. The recent high gas prices had a significant effect on driving habits for most Americans.

Nobody that makes $100,000 a year alters his driving habits because gas went up 25 cents a gallon.

That's likely true. I'm am absolutely positive nearly all except the very wealthy would alter their driving habits in a big way if gas was $8.50 a gal.


I guess I don't understand how pushing gas to 8.50 a gallon, giving poor people gas at that price for free, helps anyone. Except that those in the middle class become poor and the poor get to drive around for free looking for the jobs that all the middle class people used to have before gas was $8.50 a gal. Of course the folks getting the free gas would not actually want to take a job on the books so they could lose the $500 to $600 per month in free gas.

[.... callchet ....]

7. The whole point

The whole point is that we will go to no ends to rationalize ourselves out of a potentially uncomfortable situation that is already a disastrous situation for the poor. From your post "The law of supply and demand works on discretionary income.

I have absolutely no clue what that even means. The law of supply and demand has little to do with income. It has to do with scarcity. "

Supply and demand is all about discretionary income, when something becomes scare it becomes more expensive, only the people with

limited discretionary income stop buying it. As it gets scarcer it becomes more expensive and the amount of discretionary income

determines the purchaser. But some people will never have to do without. That group is never affected by suppy and demand.



"The only people with so little discretionary income such that they would cut back on their driving because of an increase in gas

prices are the poor.I don't think the facts bear that out. The recent high gas prices had a significant effect on driving habits for

most Americans." You said. I say that is your opinion. But a certain amount of driving has to be done, like going to work. I know

people that when the gas was $5 a gallon that not only were there driving habits affected, so were their eating habits, and

recreation habits, and health habits. I am afraid that people don't understand or want to understand what poor is. Poor is when

there is no money left after bills. And then when the bills get higher like gasoline, they miss car payments and house payments and

ever thing else payments.



And once again $8.50 a gallon gas to a poor person is like $50 a gallon to the middle class. So when the potential of the middle

class getting hurt appears to be so bad, that is already what is happening to the poor. Don't you think that high gas prices caused

some people to miss mortgage payments ? Some people were already at their wits end when gas was $2 a gallon. Just imagine what

happened to them when they had a major expense like gasoline double. These are people whose wages when adjusted for inflation have

lost money over the last few years.