Gas Tax

Fuel tax
For years the federal government has been pushing the car makers to increase fuel efficiency. They have been telling the American people to conserve gas, by fuel efficient cars, car pool or take mas transit. They have spent millions of dollars on car pool lanes and rapid transit. They are encouraging investments in alternative fuels and even giving tax credits if you buy a hybrid car. They are doing all this to cut our dependence on foreign oil and to help out the environment. II think these are all worthy things to do. I have always bought small fuel efficient cars; it’s my way of saving money on gas and helping to lesson my foot print on the environment. In the last year as fuel prices have gone up I got my boss to change my schedule a little so I could car pool. I am doing my part. Now you have to wonder what the government was thinking or how stupid they are.
Now they are complaining that as we cut back on driving to save money and cut our dependence on foreign oils they are not collecting enough gas tax. Almost every state is now facing a shortfall in their gas tax and looking at raising the fuel tax. I live in Washington State which has the privilege of having one of the highest if not the highest gas tax in the nation, 38 cents a gallon. Our governor last year had talked about putting a fee (not a tax so we do not get a vote) of $100.00 on all cars that get 40 MPG or better. Guess what my car is rated at 41 MPG highway so I would have to pay this if they do. They are also looking into raising our gas tax. They seem surprised that they have less gas tax money. Anyone with a third grade education can understand that if you tax something and then get people to buy less you get less tax money.
Driving nationwide is down is down 4.7%, California is down by as much as 8% and here in Washington and Oregon its down about 4.5%. Now the head of the federal transportation wants to raise the gas tax by .40 cents a gallon over the next five years (.08 cents a year) we currently pay .18 cents a gallon. This would rise what we pay in federal gas tax to .58 cents a gallon and for those in Washington State you can add the current .38 cents for a total of .96 cents a gallon in tax if Washington doesn’t raise their tax too. On the federal level this would amount to a 225% increase in gas tax. How in the world can a 4.7% drop in fuel use (gas tax) equal a need for a 225% increase? Can you imagine if your property tax, income tax, or sales tax increased by 225%.
Every time they raise the tax we will find new ways to cut back, all you have to do is look at cigarettes. As they have raised taxes less and less people are smoking, By the way for the record I have never smoked so this tax does not affect me but I still think it is unfair to tax one small group so heavy. I am sure that is how they justify such a big tax increase because they know they will lose sales of gas with an increase.
I am getting tiered of government thinking that the tax payer is a bottomless pit of money and every time they want or need something we will pay for it. I work hard and even harder to live on a budget. I do not have the option of spending more then I make and then expecting my boss to just give me more money. It is time the elected officials learn to live in the real world with the rest of us. They put these taxes and fees on and then wonder why when they do ask for tax increases on really important thing we say no.

Global Warming

I was watching the vice president debate and they were talking about global warming. Palin when asked said that it was both man made and a global cycle. Biden on the other hand said it was man made and criticized Palin for not knowing what caused it so she could not fix it. This is a very narrow view. I would have to agree with Governor Palin on this issue.

Yes man has had a big impact on the environment and global warming but there are also natural cycles in nature that warm and cool our world. This has happened many times over history with Ice ages and then the ice retreats. For Biden not to know this and only blame man is sad.

Now let’s look at how man has effected global warming. It is true that burning fossil fuels has a huge impact on this. It pollutes our air and traps in heat. Coal burning plant, cars on the road, even fires places burning wood all pollute the air. This is what everyone keeps talking about. We need to cut pollution and keep green house gasses out of the air. The one thing they have not talked about or possible thought about is the suns heat.

As the population grows we are cutting down more and more trees. These trees and plants not only clean the air and produce oxygen but they also shade the earth. Now we are building freeways and roads. We are building skyscrapers out of cement and steel all of which trap heat. All you have to do is on a hot summer day walk bare foot from your grass onto the street. You will find that it will burn your feet. All this concrete holds the heat and radiates it back into the air. Even at night when it cools off the roads are still hot.

Just cutting pollution and fossil fuel use will not stop what’s happening; it will just slow it down. We can start by planting more trees even in our cities to provide shade and help keep the cities cooler. They will also help clean the air and produce oxygen. If every person in the country planted just one tree the impact would be huge and this is something we can all do.

We also need to be more mindful of recycling. Not just after we use it but when we buy things. I look for items that use the least amount of packaging or have recycled packaging. These are all simple things that we can do and may not seem like they will make a difference but if everyone did their part they would add up and make a difference. Please do your part and help out.