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Sunday, January 25, 2015

Why It’s Time to Raise the Federal Tax on Gasoline

Twenty-two years ago, when the price of gas at the pump was $1 a gallon and a movie ticket was $4, Congress saw fit to set the gasoline tax at 18.4 cents a gallon. The idea was to ensure enough funds for the Federal Highway Trust Fund to keep our roads and bridges in good repair. Today, while almost all other prices have soared, the gas tax hasn’t budged, and the trust fund is depleted. With world oil prices crashing, we have a unique opportunity to raise the gas tax, replenish the trust fund, leverage private-sector financing and leave the U.S. consumer far better off than just a few weeks ago — all at the same time.

A number of lawmakers and senators from both parties are beginning to explore this idea. The new chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, Republican John Thune of South Dakota, said on Fox News on Jan. 4 that raising the federal gas tax was among the options to replenish the trust fund. A month earlier, Democratic Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Oregon proposed a 15-cent hike in the gas tax to raise an estimated $170 billion over 10 years.

Back in 1993, the 18.4-cents a gallon tax represented roughly 40 percent of the then-prevailing cost of a gallon of petroleum on world markets. The world price of petroleum has more than tripled since then, so that the unchanged gas tax has declined to around 12 percent of the world petroleum price for a gallon of gas. With highway and mass transit costs rising along with other costs, the federal gas tax no longer provides the trust fund with enough money to address the essential needs of the federal land transport system.

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21 comments:

  1. congress says cars have to get better gas mileage - less tax revenue

    electric cars - no tax revenue


    leave the gas tax alone, make the hybrid and elec cars pay a use tax

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  2. You might not like it, but they are actually correct.

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  3. Ok, but use it for what you say. Otherwise, leave it alone. I dont trust them.

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  4. How much of that 'Trust Fund' was actually used for it's intended purpose?
    How much of it was blown on other favorite projects?

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  5. next year when gas is back up to $4.00 raising the tax will hurt a lot more. No new taxes period.

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  6. so they wasted the transportation funds before.. what makes you think this time they wont steal it again

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  7. Build Keystone and charge them 18.4 cents per gallon that flows through.

    Then put the money in a lock box...no money from the gas tax can go to anything except paving roads and fixing bridges.....Especially no metro trains or high speed rail.

    Accountability for every penny...and then we'll think about it.

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  8. No more taxes republican fools.

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  9. Also end ALL tolls already.

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  10. No politician looks at anything without considering how many times it can be taxed.
    And they NEVER think ANY revenue stream is "temporary". They only SAY that.
    Gas prices WILL rise again. Dramatically. Will the politicians then eliminate that tax, or reduce it?
    We all know the answer to THAT.
    Lastly, only a slimy politician could consider raising our taxes an "opportunity".
    Keep cheering.

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  11. BS.just another libtard move.

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  12. You see Folks, this is how the Liberals work.

    Drop the gas prices in a big way, then introduce a higher tax while the prices are at an all time low and then raise the price of gas again.

    While they're raising it you think, well, that's not so bad. Then they slam you. Experts are saying gas prices will be at $5.00 a gallon very soon. Don't say I didn't warn you!

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  13. They rob the trust fund just like they have done with Social Security. So they want to make up the difference of their favorite projects. Get rid of the non profit mass transit systems instead of building more.
    Maryland is doing the same thing. They have raised gas tax and are continually robbing the Maryland State Retirement system of their Employees.

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  14. Obama's reparations.

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  15. it should be are patriot duty to try to use less and less oil.
    Stop sending our money to the middle east. They hate us, fine we get it, then live without our money.

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  16. The problem is that politicians have already robbed citizens of any excess wealth they have who have no ADDITIONAL revenue coming. You can call cheaper tax new excess revenue but it's already spent (mostly in Government charges).

    Good luck!

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  17. No.

    Any questions?

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  18. How about taking the money from the CIA NSA Homeland Security, TSA and others. I do not need the security provided (ha ha). I would like some of the money spent on data collection and bullets be spent on infrastructure.

    Take a good look at google maps. Street view will show you how 3rd world the ole USA has become.

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  19. Lets just tax the big oil companies and stop giving them tax breaks for no reason. This should provide plenty of money.

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  20. Doesn't the increase in the number of drivers and vehicles cause an increase in the gross amount of taxes collected??

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