Evidently, state governments are concerned that people moving to more fuel-efficient vehicles is going to reduce the amount of gasoline purchased, thus reducing gas tax revenues and the funds available for road construction and repair. In a sane world, you'd assume that they'd simply adjust the gas tax to cope with the new reality, right?
Wrong. People are seriously arguing that we ought to monitor how many miles each vehicle is driven instead with an electronic device that would allow the state to tell where your vehicle is at any given time.
This is incredibly stupid on so many fronts, it's hardly even funny anymore. First off, gasoline usage does correlate rather well to road wear & tear, and it's a fairly noninvasive excise. On the other hand, electronic devices are prone to breaking down, and mileage driven doesn't correlate nearly as well to road wear as gasoline usage does.
Second, we have here an example of a tax that is doing exactly what it's supposed to do. It penalizes gasoline consumption, and is driving people (pun intended) to choose lighter, more fuel efficient cars and live closer to their workplace. It cleans up the air, maintains older neighborhoods, reduces road wear--liberals should be happy, right?
Nope. Moving to abandon a system that works reveals the real goal of the left; state control.
Podcast #1047: The Roman Caesars’ Guide to Ruling
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The Roman caesars were the rulers of the Roman Empire, beginning in 27 BC
with Julius Caesar’s heir Augustus, from whom subsequent caesars took their
nam...
9 hours ago
6 comments:
Gee, for once I agree with what you said!
The Left is incoherent. They want state control so that we all make good decisions (driving fuel efficient cars, not smoking), but they raise a ruckus when anyone even criticizes libertine behavior. I don't think that they want state control. It's more simple than that. THEY want control. Whether by misrepresenting policy, judicial fiat or the occasional vote that they win on the merits. I just wish they'd be honest about.
Thanks, Joe. (but didn't you agree with me after I explained what I meant about ending remedial college courses?) :^)
Ben, quite right, but they do know they'd never get control by asking for it, no?
look. we're all not capable of making decisions on our own, let's be frank about it. decisions NEED to be centrally planned, because that's worked so well in the past.
(obvious what book i'm still reading?)
I was speaking with my local state Senator (Rick Olseen) a couple of weeks ago at an education forum. He told me that the state was thinking of investing in a fleet of hybrid buses for $75 million.
They have to find the money somewhere I suppose. Who better than the people who slog to work day to day in their cars, just trying to make ends meet.
They'll find a way to tax hybrids eventually like they always do w/ anything else.
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