Cut consumption with a added gas tax of 50 cents per gallon

lol. not mine either.

amoeba, I understand what you are saying and I don’t disagree. We certainly need to have CAFE standards, and alternative energies, and the Bush administration has refused to do anything about that. What you are talking about are more long term solutuions. I think increasing gas significatnly at this time, in this economy would be disasterous.

seems like a good idea in theory, but wouldn’t that just punish people more who can’t afford a hybrid right now? would the extra .50/gallon go towards a more efficient public transportation system in higher populated cities?

Since there are other factors governing gas prices other than simple supply and demand, I do not think this would be helpful.

Good idea, maybe people will stop buying Huge Hummers and SUVs and start to consider walking/biking and getting hybrids so we don’t fall even more dependent on the Middle East.

They should have done this a long time ago, but now, I think would be very difficult on people in an already worsening economy. Instead, they should be eliminating subsidies for the oil industry, and be charging them a windfall taxs against all those profits they made off of working people. Profits they took during a time of war. Could you imagine that happening during WWII?

jimahl, I see where you are coming from and agree. it would be disastrous but it also seems that funding (mostly government based) has not been designated for alternative energy research unless gas prices climb and there is a resulting public outcry. I remember the energy crisis during carter and lived how that changed our driving habits, minimum mpg ratings, etc. I guess that I am just living in the past while hoping for a future and a new administration with an understanding that Bush’s 35mpg by 2020 is ridiculous. especially when you consider that the united states has the lowest average fuel economy among first world nations; the european union and japan already have fuel economy standards about twice as high as the united states .

but I completely agree with you, this should have happened sooner (many years ago) and to burden the working people would be wrong. to quote you “they should be eliminating subsidies for the oil industry, and be charging them a windfall taxes against all those profits they made off of working people. Profits they took during a time of war.”

an oil man in the white house, whose brainiac idea was that?

it seems that many americans want the easy, cheap way out. I would like to see gas prices skyrocket forcing consumers to rethink their fuel use, a huge luxury tax placed on any new vehicle that does not get a minimum of 45 mpg, mandatory anti-idling laws that would help to eliminate wasted fuel consumption and exhaust, substantial tax credits given to those that conserve, our mass transit systems overhauled to include hybrid or electric vehicles…I also agree with jimahl and editor. the majority of americans do not understand or appreciate what it is to live in a country that is willing to tighten it’s belt and do whatever is needed to decrease our dependence on oil.

why would we want the gas prices to go up they are already 3.89

I’ve been arguing for a $1/gal tax on gasoline for over a decade and earmarking the money for alternative transportation.

Today I’d probably modify this plan a bit. Perhaps each adult would pay $1/gal extra tax for every gallon over 10 gallons they consume each week. That way it would only hit people using a lot of petrol. Businesses that invested in efficient vehicles would be exempt from this tax as well.

not mine!!