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Is a Higher Gasoline Tax Good Or Bad For America? - READ ONLY

874 messages,  Last post on Jul 03, 2011 at 8:41 AM

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What is this discussion about? Legislation

Messages Page 88 of 88

#867 of 874 Re: he said, she said [steve_] by kernick

Feb 04, 2010 (1:09 pm)

Replying to: Stever@Edmunds (Feb 04, 2010 10:42 am)
Take a look at the 2010 budget summary that says $42B is being budgeted for the nation's 160,000 miles of federal highway. I don't think this jives too well with your links, of what's being spent. From your SubsidyScope link: "Subsidyscope has calculated that in 2007, 51 percent of the nation's $193 billion set aside for highway construction and maintenance was generated through user fees—down from 10 years earlier when user fees made up 61 percent of total spending on roads."
 
What's different here?
 
http://www.dot.gov/budget/2010/bib2010.htm#fhwa

#868 of 874 Re: he said, she said [kernick] by Stever@Edmunds HOST

Feb 04, 2010 (1:32 pm)

Replying to: kernick (Feb 04, 2010 1:09 pm)
As near as I can tell, the rest of it comes under separate appropriation acts:
 
"the President’s Budget contains no policy recommendations for surface transportation programs subject to reauthorization, including highway, transit, and highway safety programs"
 
Check out last year's Budget In Brief:
 
"It is the final installment of the $286.4 billion in highway, transit, and safety program funding agreed upon in last surface transportation re-authorization act."
 
That's a wee bit different from the $40 billion "budgeted". And that was just one act, albeit likely spread out over 5 years.

#869 of 874 Re: he said, she said by kernick

Feb 04, 2010 (3:14 pm)

It's a little confusing isn't it? But I see "multi-year" and "installment" mentioned so when was this last reauthorization act started? 10 years ago? Also note that it says - without subsidizing transportation spending with other tax dollars.
 
"The request fulfills the President’s multi-year commitment to invest in surface transportation without raising taxes or subsidizing transportation spending with other tax dollars. It is the final installment of the $286.4 billion in highway, transit, and safety program funding agreed upon in last surface transportation re-authorization act."
 
  We both could prove this either way using these numbers. Just like in the OJ trial there was so much evidence it was confusing.

#870 of 874 $3 a gallon is cheap by Stever@Edmunds HOST

Feb 16, 2010 (7:49 pm)

"Americans' interest in small cars and hybrids has never accounted for a sizable segment of the market and may be falling as gas prices stabilize at less than $3 a gallon in most markets.
 
Meantime, the low level of interest in small cars highlights the challenge car makers face as they try to gage the return they'll get on their investments in smaller, more fuel-efficient engines as well as conventional hybrids, plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles - all vehicles they are being pushed to build by government policy demanding ever-higher annual fuel efficiency figures for their retail fleets."
 
Gas Prices Must Soar If Public Policy, People's Wants Are To Mesh in Auto Market (Green Car Advisor)

#871 of 874 Re: $3 a gallon is cheap [steve_] by grbeck

Feb 17, 2010 (2:06 pm)

Replying to: Stever@Edmunds (Feb 16, 2010 7:49 pm)
Car purchases aren't just driven by gas prices. One must also consider the initial purchase price, along with maintenance costs.
 
Most SUVs and mid-sized and larger crossovers are priced north of $30,000. Plus, they have large wheel-tire combinations that will be expensive to replace. My wife and I are hardly poor, but those vehicles are simply not on our shopping lists for those reasons.
 
Gas prices DO play some role in vehicle purchases. Just because gas prices are $3 a gallon NOW does not mean that they will not increase in the future.
 
Also remember that many of those $30,000+ SUVs, crossovers and larger sedans were purchased with home equity loans, and that source of funds has largely dried up over the past two years.
 
The "sweet spot" for mass market brands over the next few years will premium subcompacts (Civic, upcoming Focus) and small SUVs (Escape, CR-V, Tuscon). Maybe they aren't stingy enough on gas for the Green Car Advisor, but they are hardly gas guzzlers.

#872 of 874 happy birthday by Stever@Edmunds HOST

Jun 30, 2011 (1:01 pm)

How did we pay for this thing anyway?
 
America’s Interstate Highway System celebrates 55 years (USDOT)
 

#873 of 874 Re: happy birthday [steve_] by andre1969

Jul 03, 2011 (5:34 am)

Replying to: Stever@Edmunds (Jun 30, 2011 1:01 pm)
How did we pay for this thing anyway?
 
I believe that segment of it was funded under the Ozark Chapter of the Loyal order of the Mafia?

#874 of 874 Re: happy birthday [andre1969] by fezo

Jul 03, 2011 (8:41 am)

Replying to: andre1969 (Jul 03, 2011 5:34 am)
What? Just because the guy on the left was shot from an unmarked Caddy while eating at Luigi's?

Messages Page 88 of 88

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