Gas Tax
Raising the gas tax in the U.S. sounds like political suicide, and indeed a recent poll shows that the vast majority of Americans -- 85 percent -- oppose the idea. But that result depends a great deal on how the question is framed. Asked whether they would support a gas tax increase that actually reduced our dependence on foreign oil and 55 percent of Americans say they would. And 59 percent say they would support the increase if it reduced fuel consumption and global warming. That sounds more like political opportunity than suicide.
5 Comments:
I think we would see some real conservation kick in if gas was $4 a gallon. I am all for it.
More people are already taking transit in the Bay Area because of current prices. Article
People think I'm crazy for wanting high gas prices. I think it's one great way to keep people from the luxury of driving that big fat SUV and pumping out CO2. Because their luxury is our children's future!
I'm sorry, but we American's are spoiled rotten, shame on us for our greed and glutteny! I'm all for taxing that greed!
Gasoline prices are all over the map internationally, but one thing's for certain: We don't have much cause for complaint.
The Dutch currently pay just over $6 per gallon, and the Brits nearly that. On a recent trip in Peru, it cost us about $5 a gallon to fill the rental car and that's in a country where the per capita income is around $6,000.
On the other hand, in Venezuela, thanks to heavy domestic supply and subsidies, it's more like 14 cents per gallon. Those prices, not surprisingly, have also led to a boon in SUV sales in that country.
It's interesting to note the divergent economic consequences of these policy approaches: South Korea raises more than 30 percent of total revenues from its gas tax, whereas in Yemen, the government spends 17 percent of revenues on subsidizing gasoline.
For the curious, you'll find more such facts and figures here.
Thomas "The World is Flat" Friedman chimes in on this whole gas tax poll. He's giddy about it and, as usual, he whips himself into a kind of righteous tizzy, ending with, "Green is the new red, white and blue, pal. What color are you?"
I'm probably in the minority, but I find Friedman hard to like even when I agree with him.
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