Just a chief political trick that Gov. Daniels is wise to avoid (so far):
House Speaker B. Patrick Bauer, D-South Bend, is urging Gov. Mitch Daniels to suspend Indiana's sales tax on gasoline, which is hitting record prices of more than $3.30 per gallon.
Daniels so far is resisting the idea, saying that while he would "never say never" to suspend the tax, he did not consider it to be effective or responsible at a time when state government's revenues remain tight.
How cheap? Bauer talks about "greed" and "gouging" and the "exhorbitant price of gasoline," as if the phrase "supply and demand" isn't even in his vocabulary. The responsible discussion to have about the sales tax is whether it is a reasonable part of the state's mix of taxes. Any argument for an exception to it is an argument to just end it.
Comments
It is our money, and if the citizens petition their government to redress the greivance of repealing the gas taxes- state sales, excise, county; and Federal, while we're at it, they have a duty to respond. I thought less taxes was better? The govts. will still get taxes, just from other things than gas. Unless you recognize that Gas Taxes pay the daily cost of Govt, and without that steady stream, it will toss a spanner in the hole, and foul everything up.
Besides, it all sounds good on paper, but you know as well as i do that if gas tax repeal dropped the price at the pump to $2 /gallon, it would be right back up to current levels, with the loss of gas tax revenue.
one good thing- it would force our govts to replace the gas taxes by cutting spending, or finding a more consumer friendly tax to replace those almighty gas tax revenues..
windfall profit taxes? nationalizing oil companies? taxing the rich? lots of things.
You know the Germans in the 30's had a revolution when it cost a wheelbarrow of marks to buy necessities, like bread...
Maybe we need a revolution too?