Neat Idea I just read about to help gas prices....

[ZacFields]

http://money.cnn.com/2007/05/21/news/in ... 2007052113 (http://money.cnn.com/2007/05/21/news/international/europe_gas/index.htm?postversion=2007052113)

You guys remember me in here yapping about supply and demand being the controlling factor of gas prices, right? And I had made the comment that maybe Americans just need to see gas prices get ridiculously high before they will change their ways.

Studies have shown that the way gas prices currently are, consumer demand is actually starting to decrease for gasoline. This is a good thing if you're a fan of lower gas prices.

THere is a new idea out that I dont know if I agree with or not, about raising the gas taxes so that the gas prices stay where they are for a while. The idea being that while demand is decreasing, and the gas companies are having to lower their prices to try and get demand back up where they like it, the demand will still be decreasing because the government will increase the taxes to keep gas prices approximately where they're at right now, or possibly even higher.

This would transfer a lot of "profits" from the big oil companies over to our government. Ideas for use of the money would be to use it for tax credits for more fuel-efficient cars, and tax credits for the lower-income people every year for the percentage of their income having to be spent on gas.

I'll admit this is a democratically-accepted kind of idea: Raise taxes to use for good purposes. But I kinda like the idea. The overall best concept to be gained here is that it would put us in control of gas prices. If one day our economy is doing poorly and unemployment is up, the government could potentially have the power to cut gas taxes so much that gas would be costing $1.50 per gallon. Another positive to mention is that the high gas prices mean much more funding is going toward alternative energy. Thus it would mean a quicker permanant relief. I believe hydrogen cars are still slated for 2012 but if gas prices continue to be this expensive, the right funding could even make those cars much more affordable via tax-cuts and funding going towards research, etc.

Zac

[warchild145]

Or have a president open the oil reserves and bam, low gas prices. How do you think Clinton did it?

Gas prices are high because they can be, their doesnt have to be much demand because the oil companies have basicly a monoply but nothing is being done about.

[ZacFields]

well the reserves would be a good temporary fix because there's only about a weeks worth in there. I know during katrina a while back, Bush opened up the reserves a little bit but that was only because he knew that what we had was a temporary problem.

The demand for gas simply has to lower because just like you said, the prices are high because they can charge that much for it. This is standard business procedure. Too bad it has to effect us like it does, but it's standard with any high-demand product. Think of how many things in this world are expensive just because they are in demand. Remember Tommy Hilfiger shit?

There will be some relief as newer and more fuel-efficient vehicles hit the lots and people start shying away from buying SUV's in favor for perhaps a large-sized car like a Chrysler 300m, Grand Prix GTP, etc. But that's a very slow and grueling process to have to go through.

Every city aught to be getting better public transit systems set up so that it becomes more realistic to take a bus, subway, etc. Every individual person needs to make a point to cut their driving habits down a little. Perhaps stay on your side of cedar rapids if at all possible when you go out shopping or whatever. Its little things that will really make a huge difference in the long haul.

I'd prefer that we don't have to raise taxes on gas in order to control the gas prices. I'd rather see Americans show some self restraint and tell the big oil companies to shove it. Find better and cheaper ways to get to where you're going.

Zac

[ZacFields]

Plus I just read more about that story, and the concept is to never let gas get cheap...and just pass the savings back to the people with things like lower healthcare and tax credits to the poor, etc. I'm not sure how much I like that... if gas at wholesale is costing $1.15 per gallon, I want to be paying no more than $1.75 per gallon, $2.00 per gallon tops.

Luckily I read somewhere that it would be a cold day in hell before a "carbon tax" (what this kind of tax is called) would ever be passed.

Zac

[JJ240]

Feeding more tax money to the government is about the worst idea I've ever heard >.< Like there aren't enough wasteful programs out there already lets just give them more to play with. Giving the government more money through odd taxes never results in a lesser burden on the taxpayer. The money just dissapears in the black hole of legislation. Its just like the cigarette taxes...they raise it another $1 a pack, and they use public stigma of smoking being bad as an excuse to get support. If they really wanted people to quit they would raise it $10 a pack, but they DON'T want people to quit they just want more money. And the logical purpose for the tax money would be to alleviate health care cost increases from smokers getting cancer...but nope that money is going to end up in the fucking general fund.

[DustinsDuster]

I believe hydrogen cars are still slated for 2012 but if gas prices continue to be this expensive, the right funding could even make those cars much more affordable via tax-cuts and funding going towards research, etc.

Zac

according to the documentary i saw last night on the History Channel, the world is going to end on December 21st, 2012 anyway. at least thats what the Aztec's calender, the I Ching, Merlin's prophecies, a few Native American tribes all came up with.

just had to throw that in there

[SLVR7]

If everyone boycotted 1 oil company gas would go down in a hurry. Not 1 day, but as long as it took for the prices to drop. If they start going back up, boycott a different company, big oil would get the hint when their wallets started shrinking.

[logans dad]

[quote="ZacFields";p="127243":7860c] I believe hydrogen cars are still slated for 2012 but if gas prices continue to be this expensive, the right funding could even make those cars much more affordable via tax-cuts and funding going towards research, etc.

Zac

according to the documentary i saw last night on the History Channel, the world is going to end on December 21st, 2012 anyway. at least thats what the Aztec's calender, the I Ching, Merlin's prophecies, a few Native American tribes all came up with.

just had to throw that in there[/quote:7860c]

I am going to take that day off work lol.

[ZacFields]

Feeding more tax money to the government is about the worst idea I've ever heard >.< Like there aren't enough wasteful programs out there already lets just give them more to play with. Giving the government more money through odd taxes never results in a lesser burden on the taxpayer. The money just dissapears in the black hole of legislation. Its just like the cigarette taxes...they raise it another $1 a pack, and they use public stigma of smoking being bad as an excuse to get support. If they really wanted people to quit they would raise it $10 a pack, but they DON'T want people to quit they just want more money. And the logical purpose for the tax money would be to alleviate health care cost increases from smokers getting cancer...but nope that money is going to end up in the fucking general fund.

You and I see exactly eye-to-eye on that. What you said is basically republican vs democratic logic. The cigarette tax was a democratic idea and was carried out by a democrat (Chet Culver). That's just the general democratic idea as far as taxes go is that you can assign these odd taxes, and it will "go right back to the public" in the form of better healthcare, tax credits, etc. Republicans generally feel that the best way to help people is to take as little money out of their pockets as possible through taxes. It's the most noticable different between the two, IMO.

I liked this idea before I read more about it. I am all for paying $4.50 per gallon until the rest of America realizes they need to get off their ass and change their ways enough so that demand can decrease and wholesale gas prices can decrease. However, the idea they're toying with is to put gas at approximately $3.50 per gallon or more and just leave it there forever, then with all that money try to give savings back to the public, mainly to the poor. I am definitely not cool with that.

But honestly the gas prices won't bother me one bit until I feel like America has curbed their demand for gas. Just like its been said a million times, they can and should charge you as much as you're willing to pay for it. I show them that I'm not willing to pay $3.00/gallon by driving my car less ever since it crossed that threshold. Now we need everyone doing that.

Zac

[ZacFields]

[quote="ZacFields";p="127243":7698e] I believe hydrogen cars are still slated for 2012 but if gas prices continue to be this expensive, the right funding could even make those cars much more affordable via tax-cuts and funding going towards research, etc.

Zac

according to the documentary i saw last night on the History Channel, the world is going to end on December 21st, 2012 anyway. at least thats what the Aztec's calender, the I Ching, Merlin's prophecies, a few Native American tribes all came up with.

just had to throw that in there[/quote:7698e]

Bring it on. I've always thought that was so weird that all those people prophesised the exact same date. Maybe it will end, eh? I'm with Vic though, I'm taking a vacation day that day :) And probably the day before just to be safe in case it ends at like midnight.

We should totally go to quartermania that night Dustin.

Zac

[DustinsDuster]

i suppose it is just as likely its just some kind of mathmatical equation that all those people accidentally stumbled upon, who knows though.

im with you, i might have to take that whole week off just to be safe...