This tax issue is quite fair to raise.
At the end of the day, I pay more in taxes than I do for gas. And with gas, I have options to reduce the expense (carpool, drive less, etc.), but with taxes I have no choice but to pay. If not, the 'Man' will come a knockin' at my door.
Also, wasn't it not too long ago that liberals were telling us that Americans paid too little for gas? And if gas was more expensive per gallon, then it would force us to drive less? Guess there idea for the "too little per gallon" was to add a $4 to $5 per gallon tax.
You mention that they're hasn't been a new refinery opened in years. Actully the only thing that's happend in that industry is the closing of plants. There's one in mid michigan that was closed down. There's another not far from my house. Not exactly sure what they are refining there though. All I know is my gas bill is $100+ every week and it's getting old very quickly.
I feel boog's pain. Why would the government want to allow for new refineries to be opened? They're making A LOT by stonewalling an increase in supply. That'd lower the price, but it'd also lower the tax revenue. Mustn't do that...where would money come for politicians' pet projects?
The last thing the American people need during tough economic times is more taxes! The only reason our government wants to impose even more taxes on the oil industry is for pure greed.
As posted above...
This is a fairly myopic view on the whole price of gas thing. I am entirely for cutting taxes, but taxes on gas is not the problem. Hell, the price of gas is not the problem. $3.00 a gallon is not that much for gas when you consider what the rest of the non-major-oil producing countries are spending.
The problem is spending and I am not for cutting any taxes until you can prove to me that spending will be cut by a larger percentage. The price of the military operations in Iraq and Afganistan, as well as our presence everywhere else in the freaking world; coupled with the billions upon billions that we spend on foreign welfare, corporate welfare, and personal welfare. Not to mention the billions in special interests, various pork projects, and the losing war on drugs and firearms. This out of control spending, which has only gotten worse with a president who has never seen a spending bill that he didn’t love is the real problem.
This overextension of the federal government has led to our obnoxious income taxes, which is the real issue. If we weren’t giving 20% of our income off the top, $3.00 a gallon would be nothing at all to pay for gas. Consumption tax is the appropriate way to pay for services. If we used the $0.60 a gallon on roads, I wouldn’t be rattled to death every damn morning on the way to work, but instead the money is going to all the above-mentioned frivolous spending projects.
Quit crying about the insignificant problems and start worrying about the big picture. Quit voting for Republicans that democrats who push Christian values and start voting for, and donating to, candidates that are really interested in shrinking the government and giving this country back to the citizens. Start voting for the libertarians and quit giving in to our current two party system made up of the far left and the middle left.
...that should say republicans that are nothing more than democrats who push Christian values...
Let's not overthink this issue. More taxes, especially a windfall profit tax, would hurt our energy production industry and hurt the country as a whole. Just as it did in the '80s when it was last tried.
You can vote libertarian all you want but all you're doing is marginalizing yourself. If you want to make a difference join one of the major parties and bring change from within. There are plenty of like minded people trying to do the same thing, join them and make it happen.
I disagree. Marginalizing yoruself is giving in to the idea that there should only be two major parties and voting for the lessor of two evils. With all the money and corruption in the major parties, it is nearly impossible to make a change from within. The only hope I see is to break down the doors to the lessor parties.
If the republican party puts a candidate out that can prove that he/she wants to shrink the federal government and give this country back to the people, I would consider voting for them. However, they will have to prove something to me first. I will not vote based on campaign promises, I was fooled by Bush in 2000 and I am proud to say that I was not foolish enough to make the same mistake in 2004.
I agree with the others who've said that a WPT only further hurts consumers. All of this finger pointing and calling for hearings is theater and nothing more.
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