Quote:
Originally Posted by hector
while i'm with you on the issue of consumption and wouldn't argue against higher fuel taxes as a means of achieving reduction, why should the tax revenue generated become a windfall for government? the proceeds should be returned to the taxpayer via a tax reduction of some sort such as reduced earned income or capital gains tax. after all the purpose would be behavior modification not to put more money into the pork barrel.
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My main point is that the only way the rest of the world has achieved reduction in consumption has been through taxation and I think that's the way to go. I'm thinking like $0.20/year for 10 years. What to do with the revenue I'm not sure. I do know that the past few generations of politicians have chosen to ignor the coming disaster which is our inability to pay for what was promised, social security and medicare/medicaid. If noting is done NOW, in 20 years the entire federal budget will be needed just for those entitlements, nothing left for education, the military or anything else. Most people don't understand the magnitude of the problem and the politicians like to push it off on the next generation as usual rather than face the music themselves. So, my idea of having the tax revenue go to our medical care is just a drop in the bucket compared to whats actually needed. I also think it would be appropriate as well to provide a tax break to lower income people who would be disproportionately affected by a gas tax.