Raise gasoline tax by 10 cents, Congress urged

It is abundantly clear from this vine that everyone wants to pay less taxes.  Many people also believe that the only way for the economy to grow is to decrease or eliminate corporate taxes so that business can put money into expansion. 

It is totally and completely unrealistic to expect to have taxes reduced every year.  The government would cease to function. 

The purpose of raising the gas tax is multi-fold.  Since the price of oil has dropped in less than six months from over $100 a barrel to less than $45 a barrel it is far to say that the price of oil is extremely volatile.  A new tax will help stabilize the price of gas.

This price fluctuation is bad for business.  Heating oil companies, and gasoline distributors rushed to contract supplies at a fixed price when oil was at an all time high are now locked into contracts that have them paying a high price for oil, so they can not reduce prices that much for consumers.   Oil companies that are getting less than half the amount of money for oil are less likely to invest in oil exploration, drilling new wells, or building new refineries, no matter how much new territory we open up for them.  Automobile manufacturers, who have not yet re-tooled to produce alternative and fuel efficient cars, have no further incentive to re-tool now that the price of gas has dropped.  Consumers seeing the price of fuel drop are likely to return to their old driving habits and oil usage will again increase.  We have been through this cycle twice since 1970.

Raising the gasoline tax will stabilize the price of gasoline above $2.00 a gallon.  The law can be written so that if the price of oil begins to rise again, at a certain point the tax will stop, to be started again when the price of oil drops past a certain point.  This will reinforce the conservation on the part of the consumer, as well as the behavior of the auto companies to build more fuel-efficient, hybrid, and alternative fuel cars. 

The money collected from this tax can be used to improve roads, bridges, mass transportation, railroads, and even airports and air traffic control.  All of these areas have been woefully neglected and need lots of work.  

If we are to get the amount trillions of dollars we need from foreign governments for all of our infrastructure and economic stimulus packages, we have to show that we are willing and able to tighten our belts and pay for some of these projects ourselves.  If we can not get loans from foreign countries, our economic problems will only get worse. 

Yes, any laws increasing taxes will have to be very carefully written. 

Yes, we need to monitor all our efforts to stimulate our economy and end programs that are not working (like maybe TARP, although it is rather late for that).

Yes, Congress should take time to make sure the law does not favor any particular business or industry at the expense of other businesses or consumers.  

Congress needs to stop writing and passing bad laws as emergency measures and start planning ahead. We need to move forward with a plan on ending our oil dependence, instead of just reacting as Congress has been doing for the past 15 years.

Seems iam late to this dance. Seems for the more part I am in the minorty..but this is my take on this...gas prices are down..this makes it the perfect time to raise federal gas tax.

I beleive this like the tabacco tax...those who insist on running around on gas hogs (for whatever reason) pay the piper much like tabacco tax payers have.

Of course I would hope the moneys gained would be used to 1, improve our roads and bridges (did you forget the defective steel we got from china was used?) 2nd, aid in subsidizing hybreds and alternative fuels, 3rd help R&D new sources of energy.

without this revene the downward sprial will not abate.

Redundancy that's what our government is about, We need to shrink our government they keep increasing the size because they don't want to work, they want to live off of us the people, why in the world do we need people that are there just to make new laws every year, that's crazy, every thing fits within a very few fundamental laws, the world started with just 10 now how many thousands of laws are there, We have a governor in every state and mayor, every job is duplicated now that is inefficiency if I've ever seen it, that's why the right hand don't know what the left hand is doing, we seriously need to change our system of government, LESS is BETTER ....

Why can our government find money to attack and rebuild Iraq, send millions of dollars to Mexico, etc, but when it comes to re-building our infrastruture, funding social security, etc, they have to raise taxes on the middle class?  Enough war on the middle class!

Congress,

Are you crazy or do you think we are crazy? We are driving 5-10% less and you want a 50% increase in tax!!!! I thnk if there is less use then there will be less demand! Unless you have wasted the money that you have already got! It may be time for Congress to open their eyes. Also by changing the name to a carbon tax does not mean a think Remember if it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck it is a duck and the is not only a TAX but a slap in the face to every citizen who has gone through the gas gouging and now economic uncertainty. Tha is every citizen except our elected officials.

Maybe the US should adopt better road technologies, those that last much longer, but may cost a little more upfront.  The problem with the way our "American" government spends money is that they go with the cheapest bid, no matter long-term costs.  Our government is very wasteful...

Welcome to the U.S.S.A.

People get the government they deserve.  And look at what's been voted into power: the most left-wing, socialists to ever hold power in U.S.S. (formerly U.S.) history.

But don't worry - as His administration people have proclaimed Hussein will be "ready to RULE" on day one. 

We'll all be fine.  Everything is okay.  All us Sheeples know that the Government knows what's best for us.  Baaaaaa.

Why doesen't the Government Pay the increase in taxes from there pay checks?All the money they make and as we the people of America know they waste it on junk for themselves and there kids. Why not put it into saving the economy? They should  stop trying to make the average poor person pay for what they caused in the first place. America has woken up our government Is the real blame for this horrible mess lets face it the facts are all over news.

Oregon is already equipping cars with GPS boxes to tax us on MILEAGE, NOT FUEL USAGE!! So go out and buy a Hybrid or Electric and STILL pay through the nose!! It's already happening in Germany and Austria, Commercial vehicles are billed for the actual mileage on the autobahns vis GPS boxes in the trucks! The only thing left is to install these boxes at the factories and you can get car owners to pay MORE!! Of course this doesn't even begin to explain the "BIG BROTHER" effect, i.e. GPS will detail where and for how long we were in our vehicles!!

If the everyone goes to electric cars who is going to pay the fed road tax?

I heard Obama is going to raise the fed gas tax $ 1.25

how many more people are going to loose their homes, fire them all in washington, gas was so high people could not pay for their homes, they had to get to work a$$holes