Proposed tax on fuel efficient vehicles?

[user removed]

The governor of VA proposed elimination of the state gas tax and a raise in the sales tax from 5 cents to 5.8 cents. Sounds like one less tax and another slightly higher. I do like the idea of one less tax, but then there is still the Federal gas tax.

regards
Mech

[freebeard]

Social Anarchism > Socialism

[brucepick]

You can believe that people are basically selfish and inconsiderate of others, that is, basically bad.

Or you can believe that people are basically good and will strive to make the best possible choices for all concerned, depending on the situation. That's my own view.

Ok, I guess you could believe other things instead on that topic but I'm looking at those two extremes.

If we people were basically bad, we would call evil "good" and would admire it. But even those who think people are basically bad and selfish - say bad is a bad thing. Duh.

Or do you think that YOU are the only good one and everyone else is bad??? I highly doubt that's the case.

[freebeard]

"I'm good, I'm good, I'm as good as my neighbor" -- Bob Dylan’s Hezekiah Jones

People are a product of their society. If you move to a more just society there's a lot of momentum behind people being really screwed up. How do you get from here to there?

Inter-generational abuse and all that.

[freebeard]

"“But you don’t understand”, says the white men’s preacher
“There’s a lot of good ways for a man to be wicked”.

And they hung Hezekiah as high as a pigeon..."

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by niky

It's funny how things we third worlders consider ostentatious signs of wealth, such as a big, powerful, V6-powered "mini" van are markers of poverty in the land of V8s...

Sometimes, even when an average 4cyl engine is available for certain vehicles, they're still perceived as in an upper market segment...

[pete c]

Originally Posted by brucepick

You can believe that people are basically selfish and inconsiderate of others, that is, basically bad.

I think that people in general are good, but we all have a tendency to look out for our interests before our neighbor's. And I think that is OK.

Or you can believe that people are basically good and will strive to make the best possible choices for all concerned, depending on the situation. That's my own view.

There is one problem with that. What happens when the "best possible choice for all concerned" conflicts with your choice?

Ok, I guess you could believe other things instead on that topic but I'm looking at those two extremes.

If we people were basically bad, we would call evil "good" and would admire it. But even those who think people are basically bad and selfish - say bad is a bad thing. Duh.

Or do you think that YOU are the only good one and everyone else is bad??? I highly doubt that's the case.

Nope. I don't pretend to believe that my "good" is any better than the next guy's. What I do believe is that when one has the ability through government to dictate good, bad **** has a habit of happening. The history books are chock full of examples.

[radioranger]

pay the employees well but should an irs guy get more than a house painter, or a laborer, dont think so , and let them manage their own retirement account , pensions will ruin us, truth is gov;t workers are the most conservative, when they retire they all move to low tax states, LOL

[pete c]

I don't have a problem with what IRS accountants are paid. I do have a problem with the number of them or even the necessity of them.

And yes, retired pensioned folk sure as hell aren't gonna stay here in the good ole people's republic of ct when they can move south/west, have nicer weather and a much lower cost of living.

i don't have a problem with the concept of a pension. i do have a problem with pensions that are not self funded as are many gov. employee pensions where politicians have promised to pay at rates that simply make no actuarial sense.

[CAPTAIN CHAOS]

Originally Posted by jakobnev

Was it not her own choice to have more kids than fit inside a 40mpg-car?

Spoken like someone who’s never truly struggled financially.

When you’re on the bottom you take what you can get for what meager amount you can beg, borrow or steal. I’ve been there, or close to it, and it’s a difficult situation that the “privileged” can’t even begin to understand. The choices for a 40mpg vehicle that runs, drives, has room for a family, are dirt cheap and doesn’t need worked on are few indeed.

Also, the “choice” of number of kids isn’t as black and white as you would seem to believe.
My wife and I KNEW that we wanted 2 kids, and that was it, I even went as far as seeing a Dr. to ensure that there would be no more. Well, due to some unprecedented timing my wife got pregnant the week of my “procedure” because of a biological oddity that had never happened in her 18+ years of “womanhood”.
A guy I work with “chose” to have 1 kid but ended up with 3 because of an “unplanned miracle” consisting of twins.
My aunt had 3 girls and a husband to contribute to the well-being of their family. Well, the low-life decided one day that he didn’t like his situation and left. The bum doesn’t work, doesn’t pay any significant child support and left my aunt working every hour of the waking day to maintain her “poverty level” status.

Things aren’t always black and white. There are a LOT of circumstances that can REALLY throw a curve into the best laid plans of men.