Is now the time for a gasoline tax increase?

[kentuck]

I think it may be?

Gasoline goes up and then it goes down. Then it goes back up again. Except when it comes down, the oil companies only make moderate profits. When it goes up, they make obscene profits. It never seems to go so low that they lose money? It's a game they play with the American consumer.

And considering the humongous deficits we are accumulating, we really should start looking for places to raise money and for places to cut spending. The first two most obvious choices are the oil companies and the military. A .50 cent per gallon tax should be placed on the oil companies as long as they stay under 2.00 per gallon. They should be taxed a dollar a gallon if it goes to 3.00 and beyond. This would bring in huge sums to our Treasury.

Also, there is no better time than now to start cutting some of the military programs. Barney Frank was right. We need to cut military spending. A 25% cut in military spending should be made right away. That would save us about $175 billion right off the bat. We should re-visit it a couple of years down the road and re-evaluate to see if we can cut another similar percentage?

The Repubs want to talk about fiscal responsibility. This would give them something else to whine about. Oh my God, the Democrats are cutting our defense budget when we should be raising it! They are threatening our national security....etc...etc. Democrats should ignore them.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

1. Its a flat and therefore regressive tax

[Oregone]

2. If it decreases consumption, then perhaps its a means to an environmentally progressive End.

I think the topic of climate change most definitely makes issues multi-faceted. But we would first need data to see how it would affect the consumption levels.

33% of gas here in BC is taxes I think. It sucks, but there are worse gripes I have.

[cabluedem]

7. Canada doesnt count as your taxes go towards universal healthcare. Ours dont. nt

[orleans]

3. not yet. we're still dying here. n/t

[excess_3]

4. the poor are undertaxed

(sarcasm)

[cabluedem]

6. Yes, lets tax the poor since we are afraid to tax the rich. (puke) nt.

[Skink]

5. Let's go for the universal health care first. Then maybe work on saving the planet.

Let the states decide what they want to do. Taxing windfall oil profits is another matter. I'd say do it.

[pampango]

8. "Now" is never a good time. The "future" is a possibility.

:)

[ThomWV]

9. There's a fine way to insure that fewer poor people can find a way to work.

The height of stupidity is to raise the tax on something that is required by the less fortunate to get to work but as a portion of total income means absolutly nothing to a rich man.

[SammyWinstonJack]

11. !

:thumbsup:

[pampango]

12. Should we cut the gas tax or just leave it the same? n/t

[dkofos]

10. NO

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

13. NO NO NO

If Exxon-Mobil didn't make record profits I wouldn't mind.... (much)

[Honeycombe8]

14. No. It hits the poor and unemployed too hard. Imagine having $5 to your name...

and you have a job interview across town. I've been there.

No, now is NOT the time to increase the gasoline tax.

[.... callchet ....]

15. Good move, we need to make up for this !

lawmakers included $70 billion to shelter upper middle-class and wealthier taxpayers from an income tax increase that would otherwise hit them, Got to be fair. Can't just throw money around without paying for it.