The cost of a gallon of fuel may go up if a Democratic representative from Oregon gets his way. Earl Blumenauer has reportedly proposed a bill in the House of Representatives to raise the federal gas tax 15 cents per gallon in a bid to cover a shortfall in transportation funding (we told you so?). The current federal tax is 33.4 cents per gallon on gas and 42.8 cents per gallon of
The Chinese government is about to put its money where everyone's mouth (and nose, for that matter) is by enforcing an automobile-pollution refueling tax in the notably polluted city of Beijing, Gasgoo says, citing Xcar.
This might come as puzzling news for any Angeleno or San Franciscan whose head is ringing from the most recent batch of potholes: California has the highest state gas taxes in the country, charging almost five times as much per gallon as low-tax states such as Alaska and Georgia, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) says.
The assessment of a gas tax and the role it plays in a state's transportation and overall budgets has been a topic of discussion for a while, and Virginia state governor Bob McDonnell is the latest to offer up another way to secure more revenue from the state's residents to pay for their roads and public transportation. McDonnell's proposal would eliminate Virginia's 17.5-percent gas tax entirely, with funds for infrastructure projects coming from an increase in the sales tax from five percent t
In a move likely to cause an uproar across Portland-area coffeehouses, Oregon's state legislature is again considering instituting a per-mile tax on super-fuel-efficient cars and electric vehicles. The state is looking to recuperate revenue lost because more fuel efficient vehicles on the road result in fewer dollars being collected from gas taxes.
As cars get more fuel efficient, they become a less profitable source of tax dollars. So what's a city to do? Raising gas taxes is certain political death. For San Francisco Bay officials, creativity is the key.
In some ways, taxing people for the miles they drive makes sense. After all, we need money to keep roads in good shape and it already happens today, indirectly, through gasoline taxes. But when anyone talks about taxing the miles directly – i.e., through a mileage or "vehicle miles traveled" tax – hackles get raised.
Tragedy is a relative concept. Some would call it a tragedy that, while Italy makes some of the most desirable (and gas-guzzling) cars on the market, it also has some of the highest fuel prices in Europe. But that unfortunate reality is far overshadowed by the two earthquakes that have struck the country's Emilia-Romagna region, killing 24 people in total. Now the fledgling government tasked with steering the troubled country into financial health is forced to raise fuel taxes even higher to rel
Governments need to pay for things, and when traditional sources of revenue decline, other sources are found. To deal with the urgent needs of the highway infrastructure system and, if possible, add capacity, states need a lot more money than they currently have. Unable to get more from Congress, since Congress remains opposed to raising the gas tax, states are asking for the right to skip th
For a multitude of reasons – climate change, air quality, national security, etc. – a large reduction in the burning of carbon-based fuels is a good idea. Since higher prices are known to reduce consumption, one way to achieve this is to simply put a tax on fuel at the pump. It's been Domenick Yoney
As much as it pains me to say this: America needs a $1 a gallon gas tax. And right now would be the perfect time to start. Vote, pass, sign. Please. This gas tax could rebuild America, create jobs, help the auto industry, improve the environment and do something no politician likes to do: Pay as you go.
Oh, the gas tax, always a contentious issue. We've covered it throughout the years but now the Congressional Budget Office is reminding us that the time has come to move well
Oh, the gas tax, always a contentious issue. We've covered it throughout the years but now the Congressional Budget Office is reminding us that the time has come to move well
The Reason organization identifies itself as libertarian, but the group's latest Reason-Rupe poll of 1,200 Americans found more Democrats out there (45 percent) than Republicans (35) or "Pure Independents" (16). Whatever the political leanings of the participants and the methodology used, the interesting result for cleaner transportation advocates is how the people said they'd like to fund infrastructure improvements. In short, Reason found that people would rather pay to
Higher CAFE standards force manufacturers to build cars that get better mileage, or at least adjust the mix of vehicles they sell. In the decades since the first set of CAFE standards were imposed, we've gone from an average fuel economy of just 13.1 mpg to a less-awful 22.5 mpg. As time goes on, that value will increase, as the Obama administration recently set a target of Mark Sumner
If the U.S. economy wasn't in shambles, renewing the federal excise tax on gasoline would be routine. But, as Congress intensely debated the national debt recently, the gas tax got moved to the back burner. This is a potential problem. With most of the 18.4-cent per gallon gasoline tax set to expire at the end of September, renewing it could spark political uproar and further divide Congress.
According to a new study by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, new Corporate Average Fuel Economy Standards that mandate cars and light trucks average 54.5 mpg by 2025 will deprive federal highway projects of more than $65 billion in revenues.
While people are pretty sure the U.S. government needs to do something about the country's mounting debt, raising gas taxes is not going to be a popular part of the solution. Recently, Rasmussen Reports conducted a national telephone survey and found that only 33 percent of U.S. voters supported a gas tax hike. A whopping 53 percent flat out oppose it, even if the increase was used only for building and maintaining the Interstate Highway System.
It happens every time there's a proposal on the table for increased fuel efficiency. Someone runs the math, points out that high mileage vehicles use less gasoline, then warns that less gas means less gas taxes for maintaining roads. In this case, that someone is Ben Wear over at the Statesman:
Gas tax infographic – Click above to view interactive version after the jump
