What the f-ck is wrong with our gov? Why would we inflate gas taxes when people drove less directly because of the increase in gas prices? Gas prices have gone up 40-50cents in the past couple weeks already. Its back to $2 per gallon now. I don't care if you are dem or rep, we need to speak up strongly against this horrible idea.
No one talks about decreasing spending. Just how can they milk the taxpayor to support big government.
One of the key planks in the plan will be to implement it in association with the environment. This won't be partisan.
The economy has tanked, transfer payments to states have been reduced, and the various states have to raise revenue for their various infrastructure projects. There is no two ways about it. Dems & Repubs alike know roads, bridges etc, need to be repaired & maintained before the next bridge collapse occurs... remember Minnesota?
This does not mean global climate change is a scam, ...on the contrary, ...it's very real. With the wonky weather we've been having... hot to cold, to hot to cold back & forth changing entire seasons within the same week and in some cases even weekend, it has taken one heck of a toll on roads, bridges, underground pipes etc., Acid rain and other volatile oranic and inorganic pollutants continue to do their part to exascerbate and hasten the erosion of aging infrastructure, and because it is something we can all agree is important, attempts to raise revenues will come wrapped in a cloak of environmental altruism. They are desperate, because things have reached a desperate point and action needs to be taken. As long as action needs to be taken, ...why not incorporate a revenue stream into it? Vermont even considered a head-tax on dairy farms due to the methane produced by dairy cows. I don't think this
"udderly" ridiculous bid will go through, since it unfairly targets dairy cattle, and does not affect steers, or cattle ranchers. In any event, we will see much necessary and long overdue environmental initiatives wrapped in a revenue generation stream for the various states.
We may not see a direct "tax" added onto an item, ...however, we will see more mandatory requirements associated with various activites that have an accompanying expense associated with it.
The way they will accomplish this is to tax and fine the heck out of polluters... vehicular, and non-vehicular, as well as mandate costly additional requirements. Some states that currently do not do emission testing, will start to raise revenue through this mechanism. As standards become more and more stringent, the severity of fines, will increase, as well as penalties for non compliance. This ignites various industries within both the private & public sectors along with the tax revenue the sudden influx of economic activity stirs, ie: urea pumps, mandatory regen units, and other bolt-on applications etc., etc., etc.,
Of course the pollution problem will only get worse because more and more bio-fuels will be used, despite them being some of the nastiest producers of vehicular emissions. They are touted as being
'green' simply because they are renewable (unlike fossil fuels) however, they are just as big polluters, infact worse, and divert far too much of the world's food supply causing various other crisis' on a global scale. However, too many politicians have themselves already heavily invested in bio-fuels, not to mention existing corn subsidies that make ethanol and other engine destroying fuels profitable for ethanol investors, and engine manufacturers who then subsequently sell more engines and injectors etc., etc., etc., It truly is a very vicious and symbiotic cyle, not unlike the modern "healthcare" and "food manufacturing" industries.
As far as drivers are concerned, emission restrictions will become even tighter. Roving spot checks will require random spot testing of vehicular emissions and those that do not pass will be fined. They're currently working on a delicate balance. A fine significant enough that they can raise revenue, ...but not significant enough to cause an individual to go to court to fight it. in the case of over the road tractor trailordrivers, ...so far, the state of NY has appeared to settle upon $300. Enough to raise massive revenues, but not significant enough to cause a Montana based trucker to travel to NY to challenge the fine. In addition, vehicles will be required to add an extra substance "urea" to cut dangerous oxides of nitrogen. So in addition to paying to fill up fuel tanks, drivers will have to pull up to another pump, to pump in urea to reduce their oxides of nitrogen. ...just another added expense, and additional revenue stream for big business and state tax coffers.
There is another way however... they can get around all these added expenses, by using a nobel prize winning combustion catalyst that not only extends their fuel mileage, but will also protect and extend the lives of their engines, while reducing dangerous oxides of nitrogen and other vehicular emissions by 75% or more.
There's only 1 product technology that I'm aware of that has won a Nobel prize, that's EPA registered, as well as appears on the EPA's list of verified proven technologies, that does all that, ...as well as has allowed a 1991 truck with 2.7 million miles on it to pass emission standards better than brand new trucks with less than 60,000 miles on them, and to not only meet, but exceed the 2020 emission standards in 2007, ...and actually pays drivers to use it.
Smart drivers who were previously pinched beyond belief with their backs up against the wall, have been using this brief respite in fuel prices to invest in this catalyst, condition their engines, improve their mileage, lower their emissions, and enjoy the return on their investment before the price of fuel shoots back up again. They were NOT prepared the last time fuel prices surged, ...and smart drivers intend to be prepared the next time it does,
...and it will surge again Are you prepared for another meteoric increase in fuel prices? ...coupled with an EPA environmental dragnet?
