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| Economy |
| Momentum builds in Congress for raising the federal gas tax |
| 2015-01-10 |
| [THEHILL] Record-low gas prices across the U.S. have given rise to fresh talk in Washington of raising the federal gas tax for the first time in over 20 years, with leading Republicans now saying a hike must not be ruled out. The GOP has long resisted calls from business leaders and others to boost the 18.4 cent-per-gallon tax as a way to pay for upgrades to the nations crumbling roads and bridges. Yet in recent days, senior Senate Republicans have said they want to keep options open and that "nothing is off the table" when weighing the best mechanisms to pay to finance infrastructure projects. Nothing is off the table, save for a tax cut. "I just think that option is there, it's clearly one of the options," said Sen. Inhofe (R-Okla.), new chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Senate Finance Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the third-ranking Senate Republican, also said they were open to the possibility of raising the tax. Democratic leaders in both chambers of Congress, meanwhile, declared this week that now is the time for an increase. While major obstacles stand in the way namely the House of Representatives business groups believe there is a real chance to raise the tax in the final two years of the B.O. regime. Comments this week from Sens. Inhofe, Hatch and Thune signal a growing recognition that the gas tax is a fair and consistent way to fund our infrastructure needs, Association of Equipment Manufacturers front man Michael OBrien said in an interview on Thursday. Democrats have typically been more open to the idea of hiking the gas tax, but its the shift in Republicans' tone that is drawing more attention to the possibility. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #16 Yeah, sure. Put a ten cent tax on gas dedicated to the infrastructure. Then, lay a tariff to keep the cost of imported oil at $60, with the proceeds going solely to advanced energy development: non-conventional fission, fusion, black solar cells, and advanced energy storage, e.g. carbon nanotube capacitors. |
| Posted by: KBK 2015-01-10 19:57 |
| #15 I am not opposed to a gas tax for infrastructure. I am opposed to nothing being talked about being cut. Unless this current batch of publicans start cutting back some of the government overreach, I will not support them. Ever. |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2015-01-10 19:21 |
| #14 Let's start by us all holding hands and walking backwards to make a nice circle. That's step one. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2015-01-10 18:33 |
| #13 By all means, raise the gas tax a nickel a gallon. But in the same bill: Clear keystone and lower all income tax rates by 20% or so and pass a balanced budget law. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2015-01-10 17:04 |
| #12 Not one moment's consideration for a spending cut now that they have the votes to enforce it. Not a dime's worth of difference between the current crop of Republicans and Democrats. Watch them not repeal ObamaCare or do anything about executive amnesty either. |
| Posted by: Abu Uluque 2015-01-10 14:03 |
| #11 The Wrong Republicans. |
| Posted by: Iblis 2015-01-10 10:36 |
| #10 They are such pieces of shit. The only break Americans have had, and they are all over it. I want DC to cease to exist. The whole thing is a torture chamber of stupid. These are scumbag GOP talking about this. How very democrat marxist of them. Nuke DC |
| Posted by: newc 2015-01-10 10:32 |
| #9 |
| Posted by: Skunky Whatch6970 2015-01-10 09:56 |
| #8 I hate it when rats get into my exhaust pipe and think they have got momentum for raising my taxes. |
| Posted by: Skunky Whatch6970 2015-01-10 09:53 |
| #7 I can remember paying $0.199 per gallon circa 1968. Until THAT number is cracked don't give me this "record low" BS, 'kay? I'll even give you $1.25 adjusted for inflation. |
| Posted by: AlanC 2015-01-10 09:09 |
| #6 So this tax increase would be used to fund infrastructure repairs that should have been funded by the previous taxes that were diverted to the general fund And this one will also end up going to the general fund for things like "Free" Community College 'to teach' people what the K-12 system failed to teach them. So the 'Infrastructure' still will not be maintained (and the college students still won't be taught what they should have been taught in K-12). And we would be looking at even higher tax increases in the future to pay, once again, for infrastructure maintenance. |
| Posted by: Spats Jones1481 2015-01-10 08:14 |
| #5 I'm good to go as long as the peanut allotment is protected. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2015-01-10 06:28 |
| #4 What about shutting down the Department of Education, firing the bunny inspectors and other useless Federal paycheck cashers, etc? Why is the subject being changed? |
| Posted by: Anguper Hupomosing9418 2015-01-10 04:51 |
| #3 You didn't build that fracking and tar sand technology. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2015-01-10 03:47 |
| #2 What about taxing POLs as parasites? |
| Posted by: 3dc 2015-01-10 02:10 |
| #1 So this tax increase would be used to fund infrastructure repairs that should have been funded by the previous taxes that were diverted to the general fund, or spent on underwriting hugely overpriced boondoggles like the California bullet train. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2015-01-10 00:41 |