TH3 Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Everyone - well almost everyone - agrees that our infrastructure is in need of investment. Some middle oriented GOP members even say the gas tax needs to be raised. http://www.nationaljournal.com/policy/insiders/transportation/gas-tax-hike-looking-more-palatable-to-republicans-20150112 Meanwhile Tea Party leader Paul Ryan - Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee says No way... http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/paul-ryan-gas-tax Tea Party out of their minds? We spend too much on infrastructure already? We can live without adding more money to our already bloated highways ports and airports? Gas tax hasn't been raised in decades, the highway fund is bankrupt and cars are using less gas than ever reducing revenues - something has to change? Is Paul Ryan helping us out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 More taxes not necessary. Existing tax revenue has to be allocated more responsibly. Get this idea that gas tax revenue will go directly to fixing roads. Just part of the big slush fund. They take 40% of what we earn now. Something wrong with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
\GoBillsInDallas/ Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Some say yes to gas tax but Ryan says no.... Why would Rex be against a gas tax increase? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 (edited) If the federal gas tax is 18.4% why has infrastructure improvement ground to a halt? Where is all that money going? Edited January 20, 2015 by Chef Jim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B-Man Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 (edited) Everyone - well almost everyone - agrees that our infrastructure is in need of investment. Some middle oriented GOP members even say the gas tax needs to be raised. http://www.nationaljournal.com/policy/insiders/transportation/gas-tax-hike-looking-more-palatable-to-republicans-20150112 Meanwhile Tea Party leader Paul Ryan - Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee says No way... http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/paul-ryan-gas-tax Tea Party out of their minds? We spend too much on infrastructure already? We can live without adding more money to our already bloated highways ports and airports? Gas tax hasn't been raised in decades, the highway fund is bankrupt and cars are using less gas than ever reducing revenues - something has to change? Is Paul Ryan helping us out? What a wonderful piece of fiction.................from the (laughable) Paul Ryan is a Tea Party 'leader" to the amazing "if you are against a gas tax, you must be against infrastructure improvement." By the by, neither of the links that you provided say these things..................this is simply your projection of what you misunderstand about the Taxed Enough Already Party. Rep. Ryan favors a pro-growth solution, he has stated in many articles, and it is one of the reasons that he pulled out of the 2016 race, to concentrate fully on REAL tax reform. EVERYONE has acknowledged the need for highway improvement, the differing opinions are on how to pay for it.........despite your attempt at spin. Here is a basic article. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2015/01/16/how-republicans-can-save-our-infrastructure-without-raising-gas-tax/ You may disagree with their view, but you don't get to so blatently misrepresent it. . Edited January 20, 2015 by B-Man Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IDBillzFan Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Some middle oriented GOP members even say the gas tax needs to be raised. Middle oriented GOP members. I remember all the middle-oriented Democratic members who helped give Obama a full sweep of both houses in 2008. Then they did something stupid, too. They voted for the ACA. Where are they now? Exactly. Let these GOP members vote to raise the gas tax simply because the price is down, and they'll be gone, too. But hey...thanks for holding truth to the belief that progressives never met a tax they didn't want to levy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TakeYouToTasker Posted January 20, 2015 Share Posted January 20, 2015 Everyone - well almost everyone - agrees that our infrastructure is in need of investment. Some middle oriented GOP members even say the gas tax needs to be raised. http://www.nationaljournal.com/policy/insiders/transportation/gas-tax-hike-looking-more-palatable-to-republicans-20150112 Meanwhile Tea Party leader Paul Ryan - Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee says No way... http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/paul-ryan-gas-tax Tea Party out of their minds? We spend too much on infrastructure already? We can live without adding more money to our already bloated highways ports and airports? Gas tax hasn't been raised in decades, the highway fund is bankrupt and cars are using less gas than ever reducing revenues - something has to change? Is Paul Ryan helping us out? What was wrong with this thread: http://forums.twobillsdrive.com/topic/173905-raise-the-gas-tax/page-1 And I'll repeat what I said then, now. "...given that it's a consumption tax, I'm not philosophically opposed; however, before raising taxes one cent, I'd require a line item justification of all existing taxes, as well as a Constitutional Amendment guaranteeing that every nickel of those new dollars were to be invested in highway, bridge, and dam infrastructure." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Yes, the problem we have in this country is the government can't handle its CONSTITUTIONAL obligations despite touching nearly $.20 of every dollar generated. Good luck blaming Paul Ryan for that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim in Anchorage Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 If the federal gas tax is 18.4% why has infrastructure improvement ground to a halt? Where is all that money going?Its not 18.4% Its 18.4 cents on the gallon. Cheaper gas, people buy more. Revenue go's up not down. So why do we need to raise the tax? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Its not 18.4% Its 18.4 cents on the gallon. Cheaper gas, people buy more. Revenue go's up not down. So why do we need to raise the tax? That's what I thought originally but read it wrong in the story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keepthefaith Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Yes, the problem we have in this country is the government can't handle its CONSTITUTIONAL obligations despite touching nearly $.20 of every dollar generated. Good luck blaming Paul Ryan for that. Bravo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
/dev/null Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 If the Feds get to increase their gas tax do the greedy Big Oil companies get to increase their profit margins correspondingly? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DC Tom Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Its not 18.4% Its 18.4 cents on the gallon. Cheaper gas, people buy more. Revenue go's up not down. So why do we need to raise the tax? Because gas is so cheap now that people can afford to pay more in taxes. At least, that's the reason given in the People's Democratic Republic of Maryland. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alaska Darin Posted January 21, 2015 Share Posted January 21, 2015 Bravo. The best part is birddog is going to line himself up with baskin and pretend they're "high information" voters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B-Large Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 What was wrong with this thread: http://forums.twobillsdrive.com/topic/173905-raise-the-gas-tax/page-1 And I'll repeat what I said then, now. "...given that it's a consumption tax, I'm not philosophically opposed; however, before raising taxes one cent, I'd require a line item justification of all existing taxes, as well as a Constitutional Amendment guaranteeing that every nickel of those new dollars were to be invested in highway, bridge, and dam infrastructure." Agree 100 percent, again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dayman Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 (edited) It's not a percentage and it isn't a flat fee per gallon that is tied to inflation by any formula. It's just 18.4 cents a gallon and has been '93. There's a highway trust fund that this goes toward, and that fund just keeps needing supplements from general revenue to stay afloat...and infrastructure spending as percentage of GDP is historically low. Most people agree that if you are going to do something...building infrastructure is as good as anything. $50 a gallon. It's not going to stay 18.4 cents a gallon forever, it's arbitrary at this point. Since you have to revisit at some point, why not now? It's a pretty regressive tax, conservatives should be able to stomach a small increase if it comes by way of some formula. Edited January 22, 2015 by MoreOffense Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TakeYouToTasker Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 It's not a percentage and it isn't a flat fee per gallon that is tied to inflation by any formula. It's just 18.4 cents a gallon and has been '93. There's a highway trust fund that this goes toward, and that fund just keeps needing supplements from general revenue to stay afloat...and infrastructure spending as percentage of GDP is historically low. Most people agree that if you are going to do something...building infrastructure is as good as anything. $50 a gallon. It's not going to stay 18.4 cents a gallon forever, it's arbitrary at this point. Since you have to revisit at some point, why not now? It's a pretty regressive tax, conservatives should be able to stomach a small increase if it comes by way of some formula. There is not a "highway trust fund". That's political accounting. There is only a General Fund, and it's been that way since the Clinton Administration. As I said, I'm not opposed philosophically since it's a consumption tax (stop it with "regressive tax", that's a red herring), but before I'd agree to it, I'd want a line item justification for all existing taxes, and a Constitutional Amendment ensuring this new tax could only be used for infrastructure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dayman Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 There is not a "highway trust fund". That's political accounting. There is only a General Fund, and it's been that way since the Clinton Administration. As I said, I'm not opposed philosophically since it's a consumption tax (stop it with "regressive tax", that's a red herring), but before I'd agree to it, I'd want a line item justification for all existing taxes, and a Constitutional Amendment ensuring this new tax could only be used for infrastructure. Well neither of those things are happening. I think it would be reasonable to designate in the law that the funds are to be used on infrastructure and only infrastructure...and then find a reasonable thing to do with the tax rate. Pass an infrastructure bill (that has keystone in there for those who for some reason love keystone) and mess with the gas tax, go build/improve more stuff. Economy is rolling and gas is cheap, now is a fine time to do this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Well neither of those things are happening. I think it would be reasonable to designate in the law that the funds are to be used on infrastructure and only infrastructure...and then find a reasonable thing to do with the tax rate. Pass an infrastructure bill (that has keystone in there for those who for some reason love keystone) and mess with the gas tax, go build/improve more stuff. Economy is rolling and gas is cheap, now is a fine time to do this. Now is the time to do this when things are starting to get better? Then what happens when gas becomes expensive again and the economy is no longer rolling? They're going to roll back this tax? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koko78 Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 So is the plan to use extra revenue generated by this proposed tax increase to buy signs to let everyone know that their money is going to buy more signs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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