They wanna raise taxes!!!

Gas Tax

Enough is enough! We finally get gas down to a reasonable price and they want to raise it? Screw them. They can piss up a flagpole.

Paul,How do you expect to pay for roads and infrastructure? People are driving less,which leads to even lower revenues. I'm all for it.

Artie60438 wrote:

Paul,How do you expect to pay for roads and infrastructure? People are driving less,which leads to even lower revenues. I'm all for it.

You mean to tell me there is no other way to get the money than to raise taxes on gas. I'm not buying it.

paul87920 wrote:

Artie60438 wrote:

Paul,How do you expect to pay for roads and infrastructure? People are driving less,which leads to even lower revenues. I'm all for it.

You mean to tell me there is no other way to get the money than to raise taxes on gas. I'm not buying it.

Well if you have any alternative ideas of where to get the money,I'm all ears.

Why, why, WHY is the first response to get more money is raising taxes??? You mean there isn't other pet projects that can be put aside? CUT THE PORK! How about quit bailing out all these companies? Oh yeah, don't forget how Congress gives themselves another raise- FOR WHAT????? I'm sick and tired of our taxes going up and up and up.

Big deal. Congress is getting a 2.8% raise. That's less than half of what Social security recipients are getting,and theirs is tied directly to the cost of living adjustment.

I don't see where a 10 cent increase in the gas tax is such a big deal. If it were up to me,I'd raise it higher.

Artie60438 wrote:

Big deal. Congress is getting a 2.8% raise.

Tell me what Congress did to earn that raise. I'm sure many of us can come up with a laundry list of things they didn't do to earn it.

paul87920 wrote:

Artie60438 wrote:

Big deal. Congress is getting a 2.8% raise.

Tell me what Congress did to earn that raise. I'm sure many of us can come up with a laundry list of things they didn't do to earn it.

Well the Repubs sure didn't earn it. Here's a list of legislation that they blocked....

Pending or failed

in (alphabetical order)

* America's Climate Security Act of 2007
* Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act, H.R. 7321
* Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act of 2007
* Deceptive Practices and Voter Intimidation Prevention Act
* District of Columbia House Voting Rights Act of 2007
* Employee Free Choice Act
* Employment Non-Discrimination Act
* Executive Branch Reform Act
* Family and Consumer Choice Act of 2007
* Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act of 2007
* Habeas Corpus Restoration Act of 2007
* Iraq War De-Escalation Act of 2007
* Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007
* Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2007
* Personal Use of Marijuana by Responsible Adults Act of 2008
* Public Safety Employer-Employee Cooperation Act of 2007
* State Children's Health Insurance Program
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/110th_United_States_Congress#Enacted

We will pay for highway repairs and improvements no matter what is done with taxes.Raising taxes on fuel is a fair way to pay for roads because it requires the people who are using the roads to pay for the upkeep. Not maintaining our roads is another option, but there is a cost there also. Unsafe roads lead to more motor vehicle fatalities, which is already the leading cause of death of people from the ages of 4 to 34 years old in the United States. 13 people died from the 2007 bridge collapse in Minneapolis. I am willing to bet the families of the victims of that bridge failure wish the gas tax had been raised sooner so that tragedy didn't happen.

Why can't they put another tax on tobacco? The addicts will pay it. (sorry smokers...)

sparks wrote:

We will pay for highway repairs and improvements no matter what is done with taxes.Raising taxes on fuel is a fair way to pay for roads because it requires the people who are using the roads to pay for the upkeep. Not maintaining our roads is another option, but there is a cost there also. Unsafe roads lead to more motor vehicle fatalities, which is already the leading cause of death of people from the ages of 4 to 34 years old in the United States. 13 people died from the 2007 bridge collapse in Minneapolis. I am willing to bet the families of the victims of that bridge failure wish the gas tax had been raised sooner so that tragedy didn't happen.

A report found the bridge collapsed due to engineering not maintenance.

Quote :

I-35W bridge tragedy may yield new rules

By KEVIN DIAZ, Star Tribune

November 14, 2008

WASHINGTON - Mystified about how a simple human error occurred four
decades ago, leading to the deadly collapse of the Interstate 35W
bridge, federal safety officials recommended new rules Friday to
prevent such error in the future.
In the end, the National Transportation Safety Board attributed the
failure of the downtown Minneapolis span to a math calculation that
wasn't made. The board found that the designers of the doomed bridge
failed to perform some necessary calculations on the critical steel
beam gusset plates that eventually gave way.

sorry, Princess.

LoisLane wrote:

sparks wrote:

We will pay for highway repairs and improvements no matter what is done with taxes.Raising taxes on fuel is a fair way to pay for roads because it requires the people who are using the roads to pay for the upkeep. Not maintaining our roads is another option, but there is a cost there also. Unsafe roads lead to more motor vehicle fatalities, which is already the leading cause of death of people from the ages of 4 to 34 years old in the United States. 13 people died from the 2007 bridge collapse in Minneapolis. I am willing to bet the families of the victims of that bridge failure wish the gas tax had been raised sooner so that tragedy didn't happen.

A report found the bridge collapsed due to engineering not maintenance.

Don't let facts cloud your judgement

With only 25% or so of the population smoking I don't know if that would bring in enough money. We could raise the tax on alcohol and bring in a lot more money. {sorry drinkers...} Since drinking seems to be a pastime in NWI at least, they could bring in tons of tax dollars!

mike3775 wrote:

LoisLane wrote:

sparks wrote:

We will pay for highway repairs and improvements no matter what is done with taxes.Raising taxes on fuel is a fair way to pay for roads because it requires the people who are using the roads to pay for the upkeep. Not maintaining our roads is another option, but there is a cost there also. Unsafe roads lead to more motor vehicle fatalities, which is already the leading cause of death of people from the ages of 4 to 34 years old in the United States. 13 people died from the 2007 bridge collapse in Minneapolis. I am willing to bet the families of the victims of that bridge failure wish the gas tax had been raised sooner so that tragedy didn't happen.

A report found the bridge collapsed due to engineering not maintenance.

Don't let facts cloud your judgement

Facts cloud my judgement? If a bridge is poorly designed, all of the paint and asphalt in the world is not going to keep it from falling down. Fuel taxes are fine for road maintenance, but at the Federal level, you are only talking about the Interstates and U.S. Highways. Our (Illinois) local roads are already maintained with a fuel tax. Just how do you think the incoming Administration will abuse this tax. Don't forget, our schools are in bad shape too. Wasn't the Lottery supposed to provide huge amounts of money to build and maintain the schools?

LoisLane wrote:

mike3775 wrote:

LoisLane wrote:

sparks wrote:

We will pay for highway repairs and improvements no matter what is done with taxes.Raising taxes on fuel is a fair way to pay for roads because it requires the people who are using the roads to pay for the upkeep. Not maintaining our roads is another option, but there is a cost there also. Unsafe roads lead to more motor vehicle fatalities, which is already the leading cause of death of people from the ages of 4 to 34 years old in the United States. 13 people died from the 2007 bridge collapse in Minneapolis. I am willing to bet the families of the victims of that bridge failure wish the gas tax had been raised sooner so that tragedy didn't happen.

A report found the bridge collapsed due to engineering not maintenance.

Don't let facts cloud your judgement

Facts cloud my judgement? If a bridge is poorly designed, all of the paint and asphalt in the world is not going to keep it from falling down. Fuel taxes are fine for road maintenance, but at the Federal level, you are only talking about the Interstates and U.S. Highways. Our (Illinois) local roads are already maintained with a fuel tax. Just how do you think the incoming Administration will abuse this tax. Don't forget, our schools are in bad shape too. Wasn't the Lottery supposed to provide huge amounts of money to build and maintain the schools?

I see you completely missed what I was saying, but I can see why. I forgot to add this to the end of my post

Artie60438 wrote:

Big deal. Congress is getting a 2.8% raise. That's less than half of what Social security recipients are getting,and theirs is tied directly to the cost of living adjustment.

I don't see where a 10 cent increase in the gas tax is such a big deal. If it were up to me,I'd raise it higher.

Big deal? You mean in todays economy when people are loosing there azzes left and right between job losses, and stocks plumeting, trillions in bailouts that a raise for Congress is a great idea? Give me a flippin' break. Like Paul asked- what the hell have they done??? Nothing- they don't deserve it. Nice try Artie trying to once again blame it on the Repubs; it is of course a Democratic led Congress... either way both parties are to blame!

Thank G-d it's not up to you to raise taxes higher. That comment sounds like something someone already getting their money from the government would make. It already takes someone who actually works- 1/3 of the year to pay the taxes we have to pay...

Quote :

Americans work 4 months to pay this year’s taxes (emphasis Ohhmama's)
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — April 30 is the day that Americans can stop working to pay the taxman and start working for themselves, according to the Tax Foundation’s annual estimate dubbed “Tax freedom day.”

Tax freedom day is theoretical because it assumes we’ve been working 7 days a week since the start of the year, and that we don’t spend anything we make. The 120 days from Jan. 1 through April 30 represents the time it will take the nation as a whole to earn enough to pay off all of the taxes that will be levied against us this year.

http://blog.t1production.com/americans-work-4-months-to-pay-this-years-taxes

Quote :

America Celebrates Tax Freedom Day

Tax Freedom Day to Arrive April 23 in 2008

America Will Work Three Days Less to Pay Taxes in 2008 than in 2007; Stimulus Rebates Push Date of Celebration Up

Tax Freedom Day will fall on April 23 in 2008, according to the Tax Foundation's annual calculation using the latest government data on income and taxes. (Click here to read the full study).

That’s three days earlier than in 2007. Stimulus rebates and a projection of slow growth in 2008 are the principal reasons for the earlier celebration.

http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxfreedomday/

I'll give it to Scrappy- tax on gas for those people using the roads, and I'm not against taxes as a whole, the money does have to come from somewhere- but these crooks in government keep loading up their pet projects with so much pork that it's no wonder they need to keep upping taxes.

mike3775 wrote:

I see you completely missed what I was saying, but I can see why. I forgot to add this to the end of my post

I didn't miss your point, I was making one of my own.

Ohhmama wrote:

Artie60438 wrote:

Big deal. Congress is getting a 2.8% raise. That's less than half of what Social security recipients are getting,and theirs is tied directly to the cost of living adjustment.

I don't see where a 10 cent increase in the gas tax is such a big deal. If it were up to me,I'd raise it higher.

Big deal? You mean in todays economy when people are loosing there azzes left and right between job losses, and stocks plumeting, trillions in bailouts that a raise for Congress is a great idea? Give me a flippin' break. Like Paul asked- what the hell have they done??? Nothing- they don't deserve it. Nice try Artie trying to once again blame it on the Repubs; it is of course a Democratic led Congress... either way both parties are to blame!

The Republicans blocked every one of those bills I listed. I don't see a problem with someone getting a raise that is less than 1/2 of the cost of living index.

Quote :

Thank G-d it's not up to you to raise taxes higher. That comment sounds like something someone already getting their money from the government would make. It already takes someone who actually works- 1/3 of the year to pay the taxes we have to pay...

I'll give it to Scrappy- tax on gas for those people using the roads, and I'm not against taxes as a whole, the money does have to come from somewhere- but these crooks in government keep loading up their pet projects with so much pork that it's no wonder they need to keep upping taxes.

What do you propose? How about raising taxes on the oil companies?

If I have less than a 30% approval rating at work guess what... I'm not getting a raise! More than likely I'm getting a pink slip. Their bosses AKA the voting age public haven't approved of the job they are doing.

*edited for grammatical error.

paul87920 wrote:

If I have less than a 30% approval rating at work guess what... I'm not getting a raise! More than likely I'm getting a pink slip. Their bosses AKA the voting age public hasn't approved of the job they are doing.

You are right Paul. None of them deserved a raise.

paul87920 wrote:

If I have less than a 30% approval rating at work guess what... I'm not getting a raise! More than likely I'm getting a pink slip. Their bosses AKA the voting age public haven't approved of the job they are doing.

*edited for grammatical error.

But really some did win re-election, because of the letter after the name

mike3775 wrote:

paul87920 wrote:

If I have less than a 30% approval rating at work guess what... I'm not getting a raise! More than likely I'm getting a pink slip. Their bosses AKA the voting age public haven't approved of the job they are doing.

*edited for grammatical error.

But really some did win re-election, because of the letter after the name

Fair enough, but I still don't believe they deserved a raise. There's no way in hell you or Artie will ever convince me otherwise.

Artie60438 wrote:

Big deal. Congress is getting a 2.8% raise. That's less than half of what Social security recipients are getting,and theirs is tied directly to the cost of living adjustment.

I don't see where a 10 cent increase in the gas tax is such a big deal. If it were up to me,I'd raise it higher.

First of all, a 2.8% increase when you are making over $165K, is a whole different story when you are suggesting those on social security were getting a cola raise. Secondly, if they would have been doing their job, we wouldn't be in this mess. Third, when you are talking about a 10 cent increase in the tax on gas, at current levels, you are talking about a 5%-6% raise. That tax is hitting those of us who really can't afford it. Finally gas is at a reasonable level, so lets tax it. Before we increase another tax, lets start cutting the budget by getting rid of needless and careless spending.

paul87920 wrote:

mike3775 wrote:

paul87920 wrote:

If I have less than a 30% approval rating at work guess what... I'm not getting a raise! More than likely I'm getting a pink slip. Their bosses AKA the voting age public haven't approved of the job they are doing.

*edited for grammatical error.

But really some did win re-election, because of the letter after the name

Fair enough, but I still don't believe they deserved a raise. There's no way in hell you or Artie will ever convince me otherwise.

I am not saying they deserved a raise

I wish Congress would actually have to live for a year on what they call a livable wage, which is the federal minimum wage. I bet if they had to do that, minimum wage would be raised big time real quick.

Must be nice to be able to work for only 9 months and get over $160,000/yr to do jack shit during that time

mike3775 wrote:

I am not saying they deserved a raise

I wish Congress would actually have to live for a year on what they call a livable wage, which is the federal minimum wage. I bet if they had to do that, minimum wage would be raised big time real quick.

Must be nice to be able to work for only 9 months and get over $160,000/yr to do jack shit during that time

That is the best thing I've heard all day. You're absolutely right.