Mastodawn

As fuel prices rise, US lawmakers push to suspend the federal gas tax

https://lemmy.world/post/44865393

As fuel prices rise, US lawmakers push to suspend the federal gas tax - Lemmy.World

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/44856828 [https://lemmy.world/post/44856828] > As the war in Iran pushes U.S. gas prices toward $4 a gallon nationally, some lawmakers are pushing to suspend the federal gasoline tax in the latest attempt to try to control surging energy costs. > > Lawmakers say the action would provide much-needed relief for families and businesses that rely on their cars and trucks to get to work and school and run everyday errands. > > Asked about the gas tax at a Cabinet meeting Thursday, Donald Trump said he has “thought about” suspending it but suggested states should consider suspending their fuel taxes.

lnxtx (xe/xem/xyr)1d ago

Everything but public transportation.

shininghero 1d ago

Or protected bike paths.
Or trams and LRTs.
Or even just some goddamn EV subsidies again.

driving_crooner 23h ago

It was already so low that the impact of removing it is going to be nothing

oil companies and gas stations already drooling over the thought of an extra ~ 20c a gallon pure profit.

Fluffy Kitty Cat 22h ago

And in a supply crisis like this, what we need is demand destruction

ThePantser 23h ago

The fact that states are thinking of pausing the tax just pisses my EV driving ass off. Here they made registration more expensive for EVs because “we don’t pay gas tax” so if they suspend it what are the chances we EV drivers get a refund? I bet its less than zero.

Meanwhite the drivers of the polluters and gas guzzlers get a discound to continue to pollute. They should be making EVs more desirable by having no tax or extra fees, make others jealous and have FOMO.

LibertyLizard 23h ago

The EV fees are a very stupid solution to a real policy issue.

They should change it to a fee by vehicle weight, based on road wear caused. This means the vast majority of road maintenance will go to the groups that actually cause it: freight companies.

We can keep gas taxes as a fee for poisoning everyone.

ByteJunk 19h ago

Trucking companies will be very happy to pass that cost along to you, esteemed final consumer.

Road infrastructure is already heavily subsidized by the taxpayers, which in the US is basically the same as saying drivers, so I don’t see how that changes anything.

Danquebec 4h ago

The point is that it would force trucking companies to make choices that consider effects on the road infrastructure.

Do I contibue shipping pretty much everything in trucks as big as possible? Or do I consider smaller trucks for shorter distances? Maybe I should hire developers to determine the most cost-efficient system of paths by small trucks and large trucks? What if I used trains or ships for some long distance travels? Would that make sense? Etc.

Optional 21h ago

The gummit don’t need money right? We just live off debt. 50 billion a week?

Still 2/3 of the inflation adjusted price in 07 under Bush, surprisingly.

Who wants to bet when the cut the taxes that the companies will just pocket the difference. Same as the tariffs. All these things supposed to be helping normal people end up helping the already rich. So weird. /s

skozzii 20h ago

US is burning through cash et a unprecedented rate and nobody seems to be talking about it.

RememberTheApollo_19h ago

There’s a lot of things the US press isn’t telling us.

infinitesunrise 18h ago

Remember how some car drivers get mad about cyclists because they feel like cyclists don’t pay for roads because bikes don’t pay gas tax?

altphoto 15h ago

Check this guy out!

SpacePanda 14h ago

Paying an extra dollar for a handi isnt the worst thing

altphoto 10h ago

You’re so right!

Armok_the_bunny 14h ago

I was under the impression that gas taxes paid for roads, in that case how do they plan to fund all the road maintenance that decades of overfunding road construction while underfunding transit has created a need for?

LOL, nope. Gas tax revenue is only a small fraction of the cost of road maintenance.

The notion that drivers are paying their fair share is just a lie carbrains claim in order to bully cyclists.

PedestrianError

@grue @Armok_the_bunny But with that said, as gas taxes do pay for some of road maintenance and expansion and the politicians in power (from both parties but especially Republicans) will never get over their addiction to reckless highway expansion, any temporary or permanent cuts to gas tax will be accompanied by efforts to end federal funding for transit as well as any facilities at all for people to walk and bike safely on roads.

BradleyUffner 2h ago

That tax argument has never really made sense to me. As an avid cyclist, I don’t know anyone that owns a bike but doesn’t also own a car. I’m sure they exist in big cities, but I’ve never met them.

Tehdastehdas 8h ago

These are the prices in Belgium Per LITER https://prix-carburant.eu/en/be/stations

Fuel prices Belgium – Official petrol, diesel and LPG prices

Track official fuel prices in Belgium for petrol, diesel and LPG. Compare gas stations and follow daily price changes.

So cheap :(

Screamium 1h ago

If only people didn’t need to commute to an office 3-5 days a week! Gee, if only that was proven to work at scale for multiple years!

Caveman 47m ago

How about just paying out the tax money directly to people instead?