It looks like you're using an Ad Blocker.
Please white-list or disable AboveTopSecret.com in your ad-blocking tool.
Thank you.
Some features of ATS will be disabled while you continue to use an ad-blocker.
The plan offered by Sens. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., and Bob Corker, R-Tenn., would raise the 18.4 cents-a-gallon federal gas tax and 24.4 cents-a-gallon diesel tax each by 12 cents over the next two years, and then index the taxes to keep pace with inflation. The increase would be applied in two increments of 6 cents each.
The plan also calls for offsetting the tax increases with other tax cuts. Senators said that could be done by permanently extending six of 50 federal tax breaks that expired this year, but they indicated they would be open to other suggestions for offsets.
The six expired tax breaks identified by the senators as possible offsets for fuel tax increases are a research and development tax credit, certain expensing by small businesses, the state and local sales tax deduction, increasing employer-provided transit benefits to the same level as parking benefits, a deduction for spending by teachers on classroom supplies, and an increased deduction for land conservation and easement donations.
originally posted by: buster2010
Yeah this makes a lot of sense. Let's make sure that gas tax keeps up with inflation but when it comes to minimum wage keeping up with inflation they throw a fit. I don't care if Donald Duck runs in the next election I'm voting against the incumbent.
originally posted by: Destinyone
a reply to: 727Sky
When every politician in favor of this gas tax hike, sells all their cars, and only ride bicycles....maybe I'll think about it.
Not until then. Every single one of those high end car dependent asshats, must sell all their cars and never buy another one.
I guess you can see where I'm going with this one....can you imagine DC with only bicycle lanes instead of roads....
Des
originally posted by: muzzy
Welcome to the real world Americans!
You guys pay a lot less than we do here in NZ, basically because of low Govt taxes, basically your fuel has been subsidized by your Govt up till now.
We pay $NZ2.20/litre for 91 Octane, 64.129 cents of that is taxes!
Get used to it, this is what the future is.
Its worse in the UK.
Looks like the Alberta Tar Sands and US Fracking hasn't made any difference, your supplies are mostly locally sourced now, but you are paying more for it....
Currently, the Interstate System is 46,876 miles long. The final estimate of the cost of the Interstate System was issued in 1991. It estimated that the total cost would be $128.9 billion, with a Federal share of $114.3 billion.
Federal and State Gasoline Taxes Total collected, 1977-2004
$1,324 Billion.
originally posted by: Ahabstar
I got it, rather than do this tax we can adjust the budgets given to our esteemed leaders in Congress that are used for housing, offices, staff, supplies, transportation, and so on and just consolidate that by providing them free lodging in the Federal Penitentiary of their choice for the rest of the more than 2/3 of a year that they are not in session but still get paid.
At least when they get caught doing something illegal (and actually serve time) they will already have some friends on the inside to make that transition easier.
How about we actually spend the taxes currently collected on the proper things. For example a recent informal study of Federal only taxes collected on per gallon sales could fully fund the replacement of the bridge (that needs replaced due to age and daily traffic usage) that crosses the Ohio River on I-75 in about 93-97 days. The Federal government has said that they will not fund it other than to partially contribute in which Oho and Kentucky must come up with the rest of the funding and fully refund the Federal contribution in x number of years.
So the taxes collected will fund a short term loan for a replacement project that close to 10% of the nation's GDP crosses every year. Ohio has agreed to allow tolls across the new bridge (but won't say if those tolls will stay in the Cincinnati area or can be used state-wide or if they will be lifted once the project is paid off). Kentucky will not agree to allow tolls on the new bridge at this time. So the project is stalled until there is agreement on the funding aspect which of course raises the cost for doing it later rather than sooner. Currently the bridge is almost 20 years past the expected lifetime.
And yes, ungodly amounts of mail crosses that bridge every day and yes the Constitution still stays that Congress is supposed to fund the upkeep of postal roads. But we should discuss a 12 cent hike in taxes and pin it to inflation so gas prices continue to go up and up and up.
originally posted by: Ahabstar
But we should discuss a 12 cent hike in taxes and pin it to inflation so gas prices continue to go up and up and up.
June 19, 2014 BOSTON — Activists working to repeal recent changes to state's gas tax law said at an event on Thursday outside the Statehouse that they had collected enough signatures to put the question on the ballot.
The group behind the effort, Tank The Gas Tax, said that they have collected 26,000 raw signatures to complete the second round of petitioning as required by state law, well ahead of the minimum 11,400.
The ballot question, if passed, would repeal a 2013 state law that ties any future increases to the state gas tax to the rate of inflation as tracked by the Consumer Price Index. Opponents of the law contend that it is undemocratic because any increase in the gas tax would happen without a vote in the state Legislature.
The new law raised the gas tax in July to 3 cents to 24 cents per gallon before tying all future increases to the rate of inflation.