Gas tax may be next Tea Party target

[sinkingfeeling]

http://money.cnn.com/2011/08/04/news/economy/gas-tax/index.htm?iid=HP_LN&hpt=hp_bn4

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- You may want to consider investing in some good shock absorbers for your car this fall.

Fresh from blocking any new tax increases during the debt ceiling debacle, some lawmakers in Congress may now oppose renewing the federal tax on gasoline and diesel fuel, which is used to maintain our nations highways.

A bill was recently introduced by Senate Republicans that would allow states to opt out of the federal highway program. The highway program uses $32 billion each year collected by the gas tax, plus a handful of smaller fees and some borrowing to distribute some $50 billion a year to the states for road construction, maintenance and mass transit projects.

Norquist didn't say if he'll use his considerable influence among Republicans to attempt to kill the gas tax next month, but did say "we should move now, or soon, to allow all states to raise and keep their own gas taxes to build and fix roads."

Both the Chamber of Commerce and General Motors (GM, Fortune 500) have recently come out in favor of a higher gas tax -- the latter arguing for a dollar-a-gallon increase.

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So, you see the real goal of the Tea Party (Norquist & co.) is to completely destroy the federal government. Won't it be fun to drive across the crumbling roads of the 'poor' states?

[jpak]

1. These people are fucking morans - do roads fix themselves?

apparently in Teabaggerland they do

idiots

yup

[Kolesar]

2. So how is Wyoming going to fund a thousand miles of cross country interstate highways?

and other highways??

[madinmaryland]

5. They will become toll roads. In fact, most roads would just get privatized.

:shrug:

[Kolesar]

8. They cannot put tolls on roads that were financed by the federal government

Pennsylvania tried and failed to put tolls on I-80.

[madinmaryland]

14. But that is their goal. Sell off everything that government has created.

Whether it happens, is up to us the people (hopefully). If the teabaggers and the Scott Walkers of this country get their way the Cock brothers will own everything.

:mad:

[jpak]

11. The Koch Bros will buy them up - and make you pay

yup

[WinkyDink]

6. Wyoming is the #1 Red state, so WGA rat's arse?

http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/11/10/1412004/wyoming-topples-idaho-from-red.html

[Lyric]

3. If I get into an accident caused by badly-maintained and crumbling roads

...can I sue the Tea Party?

:shrug:

[izquierdista]

4. Welcome to the third world

To be a true third world country, you have to be able to tell where you are when you are blindfolded and riding in the trunk (comes in handy for solving kidnappings). If the roads are all maintained the same, with funding from the top, how you gonna do that? You need to be able to tell which neighborhood has the washboard roads and which one has the kidney-busting potholes.

The only roads that REALLY need to be maintained are the expressways that go from shopping centers to the rich neighborhoods, that's where all the commerce is. Think of the positives, no need to put in paved speed bumps, a few bathtub size potholes in the right of way will slow down all those dangerous drivers.

It also helps the jobs situation. Do you realize how often you have to get the car washed when the roads aren't paved? Why, it could drop unemployment a whole percentage point if all the roads were dirt. Not to mention the proliferation of tire and axle repair shops.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

7. Wow, that will save us...pennies.

Let's see. Rising gas prices. Do we blame a small per gallon tax, or oil company greed?

Oil company private enterprise. Ayn Rand say private enterprise good. Oil company greed good.

[Bandit]

9. He has stated that goal in no uncertain terms

"My Goal is to shrink Government to the point we can drown it in the bathtub"

[flamingdem]

10. Add to that attacks on Health Care Reform

They'll dig at it from all angles relentlessly.

[BadgerKid]

12. Roads will then be privatized and given toll transponders.

[southmost]

13. exactly

many of the new road construction projects down here in Texas are toll roads