Pay at the pump

I keep hearing Pres. Bush saying that he wants to do something about gas prices (and suggests drilling in ANWR, which won't do a thing for gas prices in the short term). He also constantly talks about lowering taxes. How about repealing the federal excise tax of ~ $0.18 per gallon? It gets rid of a regressive tax, and lowers gas prices at the same time. Want to know why it'll never happen? Because the gas companies would absorb the reduction, prices would go back up, and we'd be paying the same amount for gas but the revenue would be going to the oil industry. Wait, maybe it will happen then... ;)

I still think that milk should cost less than fuel. I think that higher prices would encourage more responsible driving practices. After a period of adjustment, people would get used to paying fuel prices in the $3.50 range. We all talk fondly about how fuel prices were regularly under $1/gallon back in 1990.

Even after 1990. I remember paying $0.85/gallon when I brought my car to college in 1997.

but more to the point, shouldn't water also be cheaper than gasoline? A 20 oz. bottle of water costs anywhere from $1-$2, making the price for water anywhere from $6.40 to a staggering $12.80 per gallon.

The dates all run together after a while. I remember the prices around the time I was in high school, but I don't remember the prices from a month ago. :-)

Good point about the water, but if you buy it by the unrefrigerated gallon, it's about $1/gallon. It's only expensive when you buy small, chilled bottles.

You're complaining about $0.18 per gallon when oil companies have posted the highest profits ever?

My point was that they talk about lowering taxes, but they won't lower gas taxes because a) it's a regressive tax, and b) the oil companies would eat up the difference anyway.

I think we need higher gas taxes. Right now what we pay at the pump does not cover the true costs. It doesn't include the military costs needed to assure the flow of oil or the environmental costs. A higher tax would force the country to become more fuel efficient. The best plan that I head heard is that the tax raises the average cost now to $3.50 cents [the exact amount isn't crucial] and is adjusted to keep the price stable. When world events, like the war in Iraq or Hurricane Katrina force crude prices up the tax would be lowered. When the price comes down it would be raised.

I agree, and I think we should fund road construction and maintenance entirely from the gas tax. This has the added advantage of giving true "tax breaks" to carpoolers and to those who choose to drive responsible cars. Phase it in over a period of years, along with incentives to car companies to produce more fuel-efficient cars over the same time, and you'll have one hell of a great way to reduce dependence on foreign oil.

And I'm so desperate to pay the lowest possible gas price that I just ran out of gas today trying to get to Costco for their gas. Made it to within a quarter mile of them and conked. Then walked and got some gas, and once we put it in, car wouldn't start because it had gone dry and got all pluggy. Sigh. Happily right next to a servicey tire place that worked out the problem with a hammer and didn't charge me. yay!

Once upon a time I didn't care THAT much about gas price. But now I end up doing stupid things in order to save 12cents per gallon! sigh. :)

I do that too. Every time, I tell myself that the savings don't justify the inconvenience. That argument hasn't worked yet. :-)