Originally Posted by steveox

Now you know why Roads in Russia are so rough? Cause they spent their tax money on military. I rather spend on military then on roads and niggers on welfare who dont wanna work n sweat for a living.I rather live in russia thin here and drive on rough roads.

Originally Posted by Donkey_Left

Yeah but living in Russia sucks.

Maybe if the gas companies would stop fucking us, it wouldn't be an issue.

Originally Posted by timj219

Taxes serve two purposes. Raising revenue and discouraging behavior which is bad for the country.

Originally Posted by Little-Acorn

The Constitution permits the first purpose you mention, but forbids the Federal government from the second. The Fed is not allowed to raise taxes for the purposes of discouraging various behavior. It can ONLY impose taxes for the purpose of raising revenue; and that revenue must be spent only on certain specified things. It's one of the more-ignored parts of the Constitution, but it's still there.

However, the U.S. Constitution does not restrict the states and lower governments from doing that if they want to. Such restrictions would have to be found in the individual state constitutions, or city charter or whatever. I don't know what states if any, have such restrictions.

Of course, discouraging behavior by taxing it, is a bad idea. It simply prevents poor people from doing it while letting rich people do it. Course, then the demagogues who made the law, can then whine about the unfairness of rich people "buying liberty" or whatever the current phrase is. A win-win for the demagogues - now they get to demonize the rich for obeying the very laws the demagogues themselves made.

You want to discourage behavior? Make a law against it. Otherwise get out of people's faces. And quit behaving as though "putting a high price tag on it" will somehow make things better.

Taxes serve two purposes. Raising revenue and discouraging behavior which is bad for the country.

Originally Posted by Little-Acorn

I couldn't believe this when I first saw it. A state government is actually ACKNOWLEDGING one of the sources of the high prices for gasoline nowadays: TAXES. And they are even proposing to do something about it: repeal those taxes. At least for a short time. When was the last time you saw a government propose that people might know how to spend their own money better than that govt could? Naturally, liberals in the state Senate are doing their best to block the proposal.

But as government proposals go, this is earth-shaking. It's the most flatly conservative act I've seen from any government, since the Reagan tax cuts. Should be interesting to see what happens in three months. Will the people meekly accept a $.20/gal tax increase once this repeal expires? Or might we see a little bit of popular revolt?

People have been complaining about the oil companies making around $.10/gal on every gallon of gas they sell. That money goes mainly to stockholders - people with oil company stocks in their retirement funds, etc. Well, apparently the state of Texas currently adds $.20 to the price of each gallon, as taxes. The Fed govt does about the same.

Nice to see someone finally acknowledging that the charges of "unfair" may have been directed at the wrong people.

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Drivers could get a gas-tax vacation | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

May 9, 2007, 4:38PM
Drivers could get a gas-tax vacation
Texas House votes to halt 20-cent levy for 90 days, but Senate isn't yet sold


By GARY SCHARRER

AUSTIN — With pump prices surging toward $3 and possibly beyond this summer, the Texas House voted by a wide margin Tuesday to temporarily save motorists 20 cents a gallon every time they fuel up.

Call it "tax-free gas" for the summer driving season, Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio, said after the House tentatively approved his amendment 118-16.

But don't spend that savings just yet.

State senators also must vote for the measure before it can land on Gov. Rick Perry's desk. And they don't seem quite as enthusiastic.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst said the suspension of the gasoline tax isn't a done deal, "particularly at a time when we're trying to find more resources to build highways and reduce congestion."

But Martinez Fischer remained optimistic the Senate will bow to Texans growing increasingly weary of higher gas prices.

"My constituents are saying, 'Gas is too high,' and I imagine the Senate is hearing from the same constituents," he said.

His amendment to a gas-tax collection bill would repeal the state's gasoline tax for 90 days, which would cost Texas an estimated $500 million to $700 million toward highway construction and public education. But the proposal would make up for it by sapping the $8 billion budget surplus, currently split almost evenly between money set aside for future school property tax cuts and the state's Rainy Day fund.

"That fund goes to times when we are in crisis and, right now, with gas prices through the roof, there is a crisis," Martinez Fischer said. "The last time I checked,
that money belongs to the people of Texas."

Originally Posted by TheLastBoyScout

Please... gas taxes are not exhorbitant. What will really make a difference is when the oil companies use their full refining capacity and stop inflating prices.

I mean really. When the oil companies make record profits like never before, where do you think the "fat" is in the gas prices?
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Originally Posted by jviehe

You might look up profits vs profit margins to see why relying on that term is misleading. Oil companies are making no more profit margin than before. Nor do they control oil prices. The reason they have more profit is because oil prices are up, and demand is up.