Should there be a surtax on gas guzzlers?

[MaggieD]

Isn't this the best way to socially engineer conservation? If cars, including SUV's, don't get a minimum of X-miles-per-gallon, should there be a $5,000 surtax on them to discourage buying? These cars aren't made for consumption anywhere else in the world (I don't think), yet we are trying to become energy independent? Doesn't that start with the manufacturers?

 

[Gipper]

Should there be a surtax on...

Hay-ell no.

 

[Spartacus FPV]

Why? They're already being penalized by paying more for gas.

Some people get inefficient cars for work, like trucks, taxing them hurts already hurting businesses.

 

[clownboy]

Isn't this the best way to socially engineer conservation? If cars, including SUV's, don't get a minimum of X-miles-per-gallon, should there be a $5,000 surtax on them to discourage buying? These cars aren't made for consumption anywhere else in the world (I don't think), yet we are trying to become energy independent? Doesn't that start with the manufacturers?

We already do - CAFE standards.

 

[Fisher]

Isn't this the best way to socially engineer conservation? If cars, including SUV's, don't get a minimum of X-miles-per-gallon, should there be a $5,000 surtax on them to discourage buying? These cars aren't made for consumption anywhere else in the world (I don't think), yet we are trying to become energy independent? Doesn't that start with the manufacturers?

If conservation is your concern it would likely have the opposite effect--older vehicles that are gas guzzlers and more polluting would stay on the road longer to avoid the tax--kind of a reverse stick-version of the new car purchase stimulus plan carrot they had a few years ago. The people who drive clunkers are already not able &/or inclined to upgrade unless forced to by their car breaking down. A $5K tax would suddenly make "Well it ain't worth putting a new Transmission into a 15 year old truck" suddenly worth it.

 

[Gipper]

I personally get that conservation is important. I try to make my carbon footprint as small as I can. However, I'm not going to force it upon others.

 

[Helix]

Taxes like this end up being too regressive. Would not support.

 

[clownboy]

There are several things we could do to lessen our dependence on foreign oil, but we will never have true energy independence. There are just too many little bits and pieces we need for our energy picture to supply them all from one location in the world. However, we can lessen oil dependence enough that we can choose our foreign oil suppliers more wisely. Right now our top foreign suppliers are Saudi Arabia, Canada and Mexico. If we can lessen our oil needs to winnow that list to Canada and Mexico I believe most folks would be good with that.

There are a few things we could do to lessen our use of oil to meet that goal that don't involve the auto industry. We could start with plastics. Require non-petro based biodegradeable plastics. Not as cheap as it stands, but that could change.

 

[radcen]

No. The increased total they already pay in gas taxes from buying more gas is surtax enough.

 

[iliveonramen]

Isn't this the best way to socially engineer conservation? If cars, including SUV's, don't get a minimum of X-miles-per-gallon, should there be a $5,000 surtax on them to discourage buying? These cars aren't made for consumption anywhere else in the world (I don't think), yet we are trying to become energy independent? Doesn't that start with the manufacturers?

The US is just too spread out to tax gas too much. It's a different ball game than a smaller more urban Euro state.

I do think there should continually be increasing standards on MPG (as another poster referenced).

I personally think SUV's or large trucks are pretty inefficient and wasteful for folks that don't actually use them...not to mention dangerous for others. I can't count the number of times someone in a much larger vehicle uses the size to drive aggressively.

 

[DiAnna]

No. There's no fairness in charging a family of 7 more per gallon than a single college kid with a 2-seat VW. Not to mention working vehicles like pickup trucks that are required for just about everything on a ranch, farm or construction site.

 

[specklebang]

More logically we should tax the hell out of people driving those stupid little economy cars. Oil is American (USA, USA, USA) and we should use as much as possible.







(I drive a stupid little economy car)

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

The gas guzzler tax is ineffiecent and makes automakers produce cars people do not want, so do the CAFE standards.

The easiest and most efficient method would be to increase gas taxes

 

[sawyerloggingon]

No. There's no fairness in charging a family of 7 more per gallon than a single college kid with a 2-seat VW. Not to mention working vehicles like pickup trucks that are required for just about everything on a ranch, farm or construction site.

We finally agree.

 

[DiAnna]

We finally agree.

Then you should have "liked" my post. I "liked" yours. :lol:

 

[TurtleDude]

Isn't this the best way to socially engineer conservation? If cars, including SUV's, don't get a minimum of X-miles-per-gallon, should there be a $5,000 surtax on them to discourage buying? These cars aren't made for consumption anywhere else in the world (I don't think), yet we are trying to become energy independent? Doesn't that start with the manufacturers?

there already is-its called four dollar a gallon gas


and some people need such vehicles

 

[radcen]

and some people need such vehicles

I know, we can apply a "conditional non-legitimate use fee", complete with a brand spanking new federal department where people must submit their intended uses for these vehicles, which would then be approved or denied by a faceless (and soulless) government bureaucrat. To be properly run, people would have to re-apply every year to avoid the hefty "non-legitimate use fee". Of course, there would be a fee for the process to avoid the fee.