more change tax the gas more

[Drachen]

Any large scale increase (of just about anything) should be graded in. It's not good for anyone when prices jump about.

I'd certainly be in favor of adding a tiered fee inversely based on rated MPG of the vehicle. It'd suck for me (driving a guzzler and all), but it's something I've liked the idea of for a while.

I'd still like to see the gas tax go up at least a little bit, such as increasing the TX state gas tax from 20 cpg to 30 or 40 cpg.

I do agree with the gas tax going up a little. In my first post in this thread I recommended doing both (though I had said to increase the federal gas tax by .20 to pay for Obama's 15B per year to go towards research and implemetation for alternative energy. Maybe a 10c increase on both the state and federal level will due, because that amount would provide 14 B on the federal level (according to the OP's article), and would allow the state to have more money to upgrade infrastructure. Meanwhile the inversely graded registration fees would pay for public transit on the local level. I really do like this idea.

[Aggie Hoopsfan]

Europeans consume much less gas than US does, have much more efficient cars, because the Europeans accepted high gas taxes as the adult way to force down consumption permanently.

The Americans freaked out with gas at $4+ and reacted dramatically to reduce driving, shop for more efficient vehicules, quit buying gas guzzlers. Imagine how they would react, with all the fantastic benefits of reduced oil import and kicking the corrupt oilcos in the balls, if gas were taxed to European levels of $7-$9.

You're an idiot. Europe copes because they built their cities around mass transit (subway, bus system).

The USA has built its cities around a hub and spoke model of downtown business districts with everyone living in the suburbs.

Yeah, give it another 50-75 years if we started now, and you could have cities remodeled in the U.S. for mass transit.

But just getting up tomorrow and saying crank up the price of gas and that will fix everything is idiotic (but the norm for you).

Oh yeah, and tack on another $100 billion or so to the cost of this plan to bailout the Big 3 up in Detroit again when people stop buying their cars and go for the Toyotas, Hondas, etc. that are getting 35+ mpg.

[Drachen]

You're an idiot. Europe copes because they built their cities around mass transit (subway, bus system).

The USA has built its cities around a hub and spoke model of downtown business districts with everyone living in the suburbs.

Yeah, give it another 50-75 years if we started now, and you could have cities remodeled in the U.S. for mass transit.

But just getting up tomorrow and saying crank up the price of gas and that will fix everything is idiotic (but the norm for you).

Oh yeah, and tack on another $100 billion or so to the cost of this plan to bailout the Big 3 up in Detroit again when people stop buying their cars and go for the Toyotas, Hondas, etc. that are getting 35+ mpg.

Or I guess we could just do nothing. I dont support immediately raising the gas tax to European levels and I realize that this would kill the system, but making a move towards that seems to be prudent. Saying, on the otherhand, that it will take this long and these bad things will happen, without offering potential solutions (as you have), is nothing but counter productive. I honestly dont have a problem with someone having a different opinion, but if you are going to call someone out and say their idea sucks, tell them why it sucks and give ideas on the direction of how you think progress should be made to reach whatever goals you think should be sought after. Unless you have a fear of the same kind of ridiculous "beat down" of your ideas that you administer. Yes I read a lot here so I do know that it happens on both sides and sorry for singling your out, but it is frustrating listening to people complain with no clear vision, themselves, on how problem X should be solved.

[smeagol]

You're an idiot. Europe copes because they built their cities around mass transit (subway, bus system).

The USA has built its cities around a hub and spoke model of downtown business districts with everyone living in the suburbs.

Yeah, give it another 50-75 years if we started now, and you could have cities remodeled in the U.S. for mass transit.

But just getting up tomorrow and saying crank up the price of gas and that will fix everything is idiotic (but the norm for you).

Oh yeah, and tack on another $100 billion or so to the cost of this plan to bailout the Big 3 up in Detroit again when people stop buying their cars and go for the Toyotas, Hondas, etc. that are getting 35+ mpg.

Every AHF response to a boutons comment starts with "You are an idiot . . . "

[fyatuk]

Every AHF response to a boutons comment starts with "You are an idiot . . . "

That's an appropriate way for anyone to begin a response to boutons

[boutons_]

Summary of mass-transit votes 4 November

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008...ss-transit.php

If self-interested assholes and corps and capitalists would get out of the way, the USA just might make some progress.

[Wild Cobra]

Summary of mass-transit votes 4 November

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008...ss-transit.php

If self-interested assholes and corps and capitalists would get out of the way, the USA just might make some progress.

Mass Transit has advantages. It also has disadvantages. The obvious advantages are the way people can get around. The disadvangates are many. The costs are tremendous and highly subsidized. It's a tremendous drain on the local coffers. Gangs ride them from point to point. They become dangerous for other riders.

There is a Max stop (train) not far from where I live. I take it to downtown Portland rather often rather than parking. If America wants more of these things, fine. Just know what you're getting in to.

[baseline bum]

Mass Transit has advantages. It also has disadvantages. The obvious advantages are the way people can get around. The disadvangates are many. The costs are tremendous and highly subsidized. It's a tremendous drain on the local coffers. Gangs ride them from point to point. They become dangerous for other riders.

There is a Max stop (train) not far from where I live. I take it to downtown Portland rather often rather than parking. If America wants more of these things, fine. Just know what you're getting in to.

It's not the gangs so much as the schizophrenics who make the trains dangerous. They're the ones who attack people for no reason, and I've seen it many times on the red line through Hollywood. Happens when you put people who have no concept of reality on the streets.