Is there anyone here who thinks having a gas tax holiday for the summer is a good idea?

[rateyes]

Do you really think that the oil companies are going to pass those savings on to the consumers? Do you really think the oil companies won't raise the price of gas another 20 cents on some flimsy excuse and then pocket all that tax money that they would have had to send on to the government?

And, if you do think the oil companies will play nice and do the right thing and pass the savings on to the consumers, are the $28 bucks you'll save on gas during the summer worth allowing our infrastructure to continue to crumble?

If you really believe that Hillary Clinton's and John McBush's idea of a federal gas tax holiday is a good one, then....shhhhhhh.....come over here....I want to offer you a another good deal on a piece of property I own.....here's a picture of it....

[shain from kane]

1. That's an old picture.

[rateyes]

2. Yes, I know. The twin towers in the background

is a clue. But, the bridge is still there.

Like this one any better?

[shain from kane]

13. I'll offer you $24.00 worth of beads for the island, even without the towers.

[ruby slippers]

22. hey, that's what my 16th generation ancestors did.....BTW, is Kane in PA?

[ruby slippers]

23. double post sorry

[rateyes]

48. Hell, that's what I paid for it....

I've got to make something off that island. Look at the improvements I've made to it.

[RaleighNCDUer]

52. $24 of beads. Hey, you could buy them with all the money you

save on the gas tax! It comes out about the same.

[truebrit71]

3. No it's fucking stupid gimic that means almost ZERO in our pockets...

...it just sounds good...

[rateyes]

4. Heck, I was hoping to find a buyer for my bridge.

:evilgrin:

[truebrit71]

30. ROFL!!

:rofl:

[rox63]

5. The drop in gas price from the "tax holiday" amounts to less than the rise in gas prices last month

At best, it would only be a drop in the bucket. And it would further defund our already under-funded infrastructure.

[rateyes]

6. I just can't find any takers this morning.

Is there not one Clinton supporter out there who agrees with her on this?

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

7. McCainonomics.

:thumbsdown:

[rateyes]

11. Good name for it.

You aren't interested in the bridge either, I see.

[lastliberalintexas]

8. I do, IF

it is also done in conjunction with price caps imposed on gasoline. I would actually like to see gas taxes eliminated in their entirety, since they tend to be one of the most regressive taxes we have. But again, it can't be done in a vacuum.


And no, I don't want to buy your bridge. :P

[whistle]

9. The oil companies will just go right on ratcheting up the price at the pumps and

...each price increase will go directly to their bottom lines. This is all about oil cartels and profit maximization

[Catchawave]

10. Every little bit helps the working folks

Think of them :D

Also, you don't mention the windfall profit tax that's included in the "plan" ?

[rateyes]

18. You think Congress will pass a gas tax holiday along with

a windfall profits tax---that the Democrats will get that past a Republican filibuster?

The only legislation that has a prayer of coming out of Congress before the summer driving season would be the gas tax holiday...caps? no windfall profits tax? no.

Therefore, anything coming out of Congress is this move will be nothing but MORE windfall profits for the oil companies.

[lastliberalintexas]

31. In an election year with the current mood of the electorate?

Yes, actually I think this may be our best time to try it. And even if we fail, we then have the republicans on record and have another great campaign issue.



Why are some people here opposed to good ideas just because the other candidate proposed it? Geez.

[onenote]

54. the "plan" is nothing but hot air: why hasn't Hillary actually introduced legislation

Her proposal calls for eliminating the gas tax starting Memorial Day - three weeks from now. SHe's been talking about it for nearly two weeks. She has been in DC for votes.

But no legislation.

Its not just a gimmick, its an insincere gimmick since she doesn't even have the courage to actually introduce it. Probably because it would be voted down 99-1.

[TexasObserver]

12. No, it's a lousy idea. The gasoline companies will simply jack the price back up.

They will take as additional profit the amount that consumers would save if the tax holiday were given.

Has anyone seen interest rates on consumer debt cut in half recently due to the fed decreases in the discount rate? No. The banks do not pass on the savings to many of their customers. Some debt is impacted, but much is not.

This idea is outright pandering.

[mike772]

17. Gasoline companies don't set the price.

[rateyes]

20. Pray tell, who does?

[mike772]

27. Around 74% of the cost is set by OPEC for Crude oil.

The weak dollar is the main reason prices have gone up and up and up. And the more the fed cuts the rate the higher they climb.

Roughly
10% is taxes
8% is marketing & distributing it
8% is refining it (yet all Republicans want you to believe if we allow refineries to blow their shit into the air it will mean cheaper gas)

[lastliberalintexas]

34. Add to that the weak dollar and speculation

and viola, you have the perfect storm.

We could always just nationalize the whole system. :)

[rateyes]

39. Who sets the price at the pump?

[mike772]

42. Everything I outlined is what sets the pump price.

[rateyes]

47. The operators of the gas station get calls from the oil companies

during the day---sometimes more than once a day---as to what to set the price at the pump to. The pump operators have no control over that, and the government can't tell the oil companies not to jack up the price of their product.

[lastliberalintexas]

50. Yes, the government CAN

Price controls are available tools of the government, they are just very rarely used. It would give us a great opportunity to actually help some working poor by lowering/eliminating a freaking regressive tax imposed on them, take profits away from the oil companies and use some of those profits for infrastructure.

And if the republicans block that at this time, absent some new "terrorist" attack, they would be *toast* in the fall.


But I guess we still have some arguing that we should keep our powder dry? Or is this more about the fact that Clinton proposed it? Or do you not think it would be a great issue to campaign on this year? I really don't get it.

[TexasObserver]

53. you're wrong

The refineries are run by the gasoline companies. They set production and they decide how much they charge. You're no more right than Neil Cavuto, and equally brainwashed.

Sell crazy somewhere else, Hillary fan.

[meow mix]

14. this exposes hillary as a horrible politician with even more horrible ideas.

shes nailing her own coffin shut with this one.

[mike772]

15. YES

I am for the windfall profits tax part too, that industry should be more involved in paying for the roads just as much as the taxpayer (if not more) tax them, tax them and use the money to quickly fix infrastructure. The 18¢ or whatever is a side-benefit that should be off for good as well.

[rateyes]

25. If you don't pass the windfall profits tax, which won't get by

a Republican filibuster, the repeal of the gas tax does nothing but put more money in the pockets of the oil companies. And, Hillary is talking about doing this THIS SUMMER before the election.

Interested in buying my bridge?

[mike772]

28. How does it put more money into oil companies pockets? The GVMT collects the taxes not the oil

companies?

[rateyes]

36. The tax is collected at the pump.

The cost of that tax is figured into the price that the oil companies charge the gas station operators for it when it's delivered.

[mike772]

41. Right I understand that.

Lowering the tax will lower the costs to us too, if they don't pas the tax savings on they will have a major accounting problem. But this is so ridiculously small that it is really not worth talking about if they rest of it is not passed. That I agree with.

[rateyes]

44. Not a big accounting problem...

They simply, as they reduce the amount they figure into the price of a gallon of gas, they charge more for the product itself, again with some flimsy excuse about "demand."

[mike772]

49. So are you saying we should

NEVER reduce taxes, never increase restrictions and never increase MPG standards because it is just going to screw us at the pump? Why don't we just drill in AK then if that is what the Oil companies say is going to reduce prices? We need to hold them accountable and NOT be afraid of them.

[rateyes]

58. No not saying any of that....

I'm saying that Clinton's and McBush's "gas tax holiday" is a stupid idea. Period.

[BlueJazz]

16. Interesting Observation: I service Computers (at people's houses)...

..and a large share think that it's a "Great idea"

When I talked to my European friends the other night ...EVERY SINGLE ONE of them said...something like..

"If you do the math, it won't save you at all...it will cost you more in the long term"
"Who came up with that stupid idea"

Just goes to show you that American's math/critical thinking skills leave much to be desired....Sigh..

[rateyes]

29. 10.9 billion dollars!!!!! in one quarter....

...and the stock falls. Perhaps Exxon Mobil will buy my bridge and set up toll booths to recoup the losses. :crazy:

[ruby slippers]

19. only if they give us the day off with pay, too........

[bluescribbler]

21. Supply and demand

The law of supply and demand tells us that consumers will not see any savings from this plan. I saw yesterday that Exxon Mobil posted 1st quarter profits of $10.9 Billion. But they did not meet Wall Street's expectations so their stock dropped 4%. :wtf:

But I'll give you a nickel for the bridge.

[Billy Burnett]

24. Today's Miami Herald op/ed cartoon on it.

[rateyes]

37. That's the long and short of it...

good toon.

[ruby slippers]

26. I'm not sure. I'm still waiting for my economic stimulus check to be deposited....

[AllentownJake]

32. Stupid Idea

I went to the gas tax calculator. I drive 100 miles to work everyday.

I save 13.43 over 3 months. The government can keep the 13.43.


http://www.jabberwonk.com/flinker.cfm?cliid=13lkzo

[Bad Thoughts]

33. If it's really a big deal ...

... then the money should be refunded to the families that need the relief. It's not difficult to set up a system by which a rebate can be offered whereby low income families can receive money back for the gas they have bought. The rest of us can contribute to maintain roads and bridges.

[ruby slippers]

35. the families that need the relief most likely don't own cars

[lastliberalintexas]

38. Seriously?

While I grant you that is the case in some areas of the country and especially the larger cities, you seem to have no idea of the rural poor in this country. And many of the poorer among us who do own cars often own older models which guzzle more gas.

[ruby slippers]

45. sorry, but that was in defense of the rural poor. I was thinking of the

people in New Orleans who couldn't get out of there because they had no transportation nor money to escape properly. Believe me, I came from rural poor and have been rural poor. My comment was in defense of them....I've walked the walk....

[lastliberalintexas]

51. New Orleans is not rural

I can see where your post was in defense of the *urban* poor, and I agree that many of those folks often don't have personal transportation. I would love to see a complete overhaul of our tax system so that we once again have an honest to god progressive income tax and then we could actually eliminate these regressive taxes like gas and payroll taxes. I can dream. :)

[Bad Thoughts]

46. That's probably only true of those who live in cities

THey exchange public transportation for higher rents. In many parts of the rural US, car ownership is necessary.

[aquarius dawning]

40. No. reducing taxes is never a good idea. We should raise the gas taxes to induce conservation

:sarcasm:

[rateyes]

43. Want to make an offer on my bridge?

[aquarius dawning]

56. Never met a tax you didn't like, did you?

[rateyes]

57. Want to make an offer on my bridge?

[SoonerPride]

55. No. It is sheer pandering and economic lunacy. Clinton should be attacked on this.

It won't save any money, further erodes our infrastructure, increases demand, and is the crassest political pandering of all.

Morevoer, if clinton thinks it is such a good idea, then someone should ask her WHY THE HELL HAVEN'T YOU PROPOSED LEGISLATION ON THIS THEN?

It is clearly just an empty talking point or she would ACT on this "great idea."

She hasn't and no one else has either.