guionM

Everytime an article like this comes up, it's set up as a government attempt to dictate, and is painted in a way designed to stir up politics and confrontatation.

The way it works is some influential civilian individual or group that has some agenda finds a sympathetic congressperson (or one who needs to cater to his or her base or look like they are doing something for their paycheck) or a related government department, and dumps their request/position/demand on this congressman or federal department representative.

With us living in a democracy, and at least in theory having a government that listens to the people, that congressman or Federal Department has to look into it, and air it out in public debate. With over 450 members of congress, and at least that many key influential people in position to influence automobile rules at the EPA, NHTSA, and perhaps one or 2 other agencies, there is certainly going to be some people in that 800+ that is going to not simply give it lip service, but take it up as a cause.

Then this has to clear congress and an administration, both of whom want to get re-elected. They do this by getting an idea of what their constituents position is, and also the effect on the economy.

This is normal.

David Friedman is not a lawmaker. Neither is Jay Baron, both whom the article names.

guionM

Always the alarmist, and always the one without a soultion, huh Maxx?

Once again (I know we went over this in another thread) there's 2 issues here.

1. We are essentially borrowing money, going in debt to China.

2. By taking easy and irresponsible positions we're laying waste to our national security.

You dislike CAFE, and you view CAFE as the "Government" forcing you to do something you don't want to do.

Typing on a keyboard, repeating idealogical phrases isn't presenting an idea to fix a situation.

I have frequently said that the only solution is a gas tax. I pointed out that even automobile executives have said they support a gas tax, which I believe it was you stated it wasn't true (only to find out later it was).


Taking the position that raising the gas tax simply puts more money into the Government to waste is pure idealogy. Here's reality in 2 very unpleasent doses.

First, The government WILL get money to fund it's operations. There isn't once ounce of retoric that's going to change that. that leaves two choices. Either get the revenue from it's own citizens and the money at least stays in the US, or borrow that money from somone else and pay them extra in intrest costs. In short, we can either pay a dollar ourselves or we can pay China $1.10.

Second, The amount of oil we use puts us at the mercy of other countries. We get more oil from Venzuela than we do from the middle east. We're pouring money into Hugo Chavez's pocket while he insults this country and our leaders & nationalizes foreign companies, laughing all the way to the bank. Now, China is working on a deal with him to get most of his oil, which will push us out and forcing us to get oil elsewhere. When the world's largest consumer of oil goes looking for more, it drives prices up. A lot. I won't go into how OPEC can minipulate us or where our oil money actually goes.

Ever see those programs where there is some 800 pound guy in a bed that hasn't left that bed in years? How he has nurses coming by to keep him clean and feed him, while money he needs comes from others because he no longer works? He says he wants to lose weight as he's stuffing himself with 10,000 calories per day, and gets angry when someone attempts to refuse him the food he wants?

Now, subsitute the food for oil, the nurses as other countries, the person bankrolling the whole thing is China, and the "I can eat anything I want" mentality with "We should use as much oil as we want", and I think we get a pretty good picture of the condition we're in.

Something has to be done, and the choices are about as limited as they can get. Either regulate us, or regulate the industry, or (like cigarette taxes) influence behavior for the better good (decreasing cigarette use helps states medical payments) by adding a financial incentive.

They can't regulate us, and even though gas taxes haven't gone up since George Bush the first, no one wants to raise gas taxes even to match inflation.

That leaves the ridiculous CAFE standards, which force the industry to make the vehicles they sell to us more efficient, even though a gas tax is by far the best solution.

With a gas tax, you still have the freedom to buy whatever you want, and if you want to pay less tax, simply get a vehicle that uses less fuel.

The free market still works. But unlike cigarettes, you aren't forcing the auto industry out of business, and it isn't costing the auto industry extra money. In fact, they will make more money on smaller vehicles instead of being forced to cough up large quanities of money to make larger vehicles fuel efficient.

But, things in the world are perhaps too complex.

It's easier not to offer a solution, and take political positions.

DAKMOR

gas tax is great until you realize the only person youre helping is the one with money to buy a new car at whim of the prices of fuel.

how can i offload my 22/26 Whateva with $4gal when i dont make more than $1500 month? and now you want to add an extra $0.25 to $1 per gallon...

King Moose SS

Gas tax = political suicide. It would be nearly impossible to increase gas tax unless the general public could see how beneficial it could be. Hazz maxx is a great example, that's what the general public views gas tax as.

The market would eventually adjust and there would be a lot of used high mpg vehicles, and most 22/26 whateva's would be off the road or be in special niche markets. $.25 to .$50 on top of $4 of gasoline is small % difference in the price your paying to fill up.

Z28x

Not if a large project was tied with it. Something like ~25% of the bridges in this country are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. If the tax went right to major projects that the public could see then I think that would provide the political cover to increase the federal gas tax from 18 cents to 50+ cents.

Z28x