GOP: Fun with math
Don't play funny with road numbers, Stafford Republicans
Date published: 4/17/2008
SUSAN STIMPSON, chairman of the Stafford County Republi- can Committee, on Tuesday launched a preemptive strike on our advocacy of a higher gasoline tax, this attack presumably coming to support the tax-averse House GOP caucus during a special transportation session Gov. Kaine will shortly convene. In her letter ("Raising the gasoline tax isn't the answer"), Mrs. Stimpson stole the words right out of House Speaker Bill Howell's mouth when she accused us of being "out of touch by calling for a 40 percent increase of the current gas tax." Oh, what a naughty use of the "%" key!
"Forty percent" sounds big, which is the effect Mrs. Stimpson intends. But it isn't very big when the numbers referenced are small. If the price of penny candy rises to two cents, for example, you must pay 100 percent more for a piece. But the "felt difference" between one cent and two is nil. To return to gasoline, Virginians pay 38 cents in taxes on each gallon they buy. We've advocated a 10-cent increase in gasoline taxes, which would raise about half the $1 billion per year in new income Virginia needs to fix and build mobility infrastructure. What we're proposing, then, is a 26 percent bump-up in the current gas tax. At the pump this translates to about $1.50 more per fill-up for the average car or small truck.
other percentages
Speaker Howell and his acolytes shouldn't talk in gas-tax percentages, because it's a tricky lingo for them. For example, the General Assembly last raised the state gas tax in 1986. A dollar from that year today buys 51 cents in goods--a 49 percent drop in purchasing power. Although Virginia is a fast-growing and relatively prosperous state, only 10 states have lower gas taxes, which means that 80 percent of the states impose higher gas prices.
Date published: 4/17/2008
Most recent reader comments:
Immigration does fuel traffic
(posted by
LibBuster
, Apr. 17, 2008 4:22 pm)  
Chriswald, you can pooh pooh my logic all you want but
within the next 30 years 80% of our population growth will
be through immigration. I know numbers, data, facts,
reason and logic can be behind the comprehension of
many on the Left, but more people equals more cars equals
more traffic. The root cause of traffic congestion is
population growth and immigration is the root cause of
population growth.
Percentages?
(posted by
CBVAUSA
, Apr. 17, 2008 9:00 am)  
Instead of taxing fuel at a cents per gallon rate, how about taxing at a flat percentage per gallon rate? That way, as prices increase (as most believe will), we can be more realistically indexed to inflation (or deflation!) and tax revenues will rise to keep pace with the devaluating dollar. Today we need fewer bridges to nowhere and more preventative maintenance on roads that are in use today.
My edition of the FLS says...
(posted by
bhaas
, Apr. 17, 2008 8:43 am)  
that they advocate a 10 cent increase. That seems to be fairly specific. gramps aka Bill Haas
Wow! Even the conservative FLS is dumping on the GOP!
(posted by
Chiswald
, Apr. 17, 2008 8:23 am)  
Finally, even the most conservative Republicans are waking up and getting religion on this issue! The gas tax makes sense. Bill Howell is a liability who does not deserve to be in office. And LibBuster...that was a great comment you made blaming traffic congestion on immigrants! Thanks for the laugh!
continued
(posted by
larryg
, Apr. 17, 2008 7:36 am)  
The Free-Lance might advocate for "more".
Why don't you be SPECIFIC?
Do we need a nickel? a dime? 40 cents?
Come out from behind the bush you're hiding behind and show a specific plan....
I submit that the reason this is not done by the gas tax advocates is because when you do that - it becomes painfully clear that a gas-tax ONLY approach fails miserably at being a solution.
so.. the tax advocates play the "we need more" game without being specific -which I think is just this side of being disengenuous
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