Gas Tax Holiday? Not so fast...

[Nick Koan]

http://news.rgj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar...EWS18/80506045

Nevada law would raise state gas tax if federal tax is cut

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Motorists in Nevada might not see a savings at the pump if Congress approves a gasoline tax holiday touted by two presidential candidates, a state official said.

Nevada has a law to increase fuel taxes to offset any drop in the federal tax, to ensure funding for construction projects and bond funding, said Kent Cooper, Nevada Department of Transportation assistant director of planning.

“It was put in place as protection, should the federal program go away,” Cooper said.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., have proposed suspending the 18.4 cents-per-gallon federal tax from Memorial Day to Labor Day as a way to provide relief to motorists facing rising fuel prices.

Nevada state law calls for increasing the state gas tax “equal to the amount by which the federal tax is reduced.”

Cooper said some of the $235 million per year that Nevada gets from the U.S. government for road construction projects and maintenance comes from the fuel tax.
Without those funds, he said, the state would be unable to provide services such as repaving, restriping and plowing roads.

The state would also have to cancel construction projects already under way, such as a key Interstate 15 widening project north of downtown Las Vegas, Cooper said. He said canceling projects “costs you a whole bunch of money.”

All I can say is ... well, its a stupid electoral ploy anyway.

[sperry]

God, I'm so tired of all this campaign related tax bullshit.

Let's just do this one: http://www.fairtax.org/

[MPREZIV]

The fact that their reasoning is based upon construction projects/repairs really burns me. Maybe they're talking about elsewhere in the state, since all I see around here are streets that DESPARATELY need repairs being ignored (Peckham), streets that aren't nearly as bad being repaired (Caughlin Pkwy.) and TONS of money that was spent on the Spaghetti Bowl to help improve traffic flow, that's really only made it more of a clusterfuck than it was to begin with...

[sperry]

Originally Posted by MPREZIV

The fact that their reasoning is based upon construction projects/repairs really burns me. Maybe they're talking about elsewhere in the state, since all I see around here are streets that DESPARATELY need repairs being ignored (Peckham), streets that aren't nearly as bad being repaired (Caughlin Pkwy.) and TONS of money that was spent on the Spaghetti Bowl to help improve traffic flow, that's really only made it more of a clusterfuck than it was to begin with...

I bet Vegas gets like 90% of the state's highway budget.

[MPREZIV]

Wouldn't doubt it. Hell, the last paragraph of that quote specifically mentions LV highway work. I know the twice I've actually been there, and not just through, the same piece of road was in the same state of repair both times, a year apart.

[Dean]

The gas tax holiday is the dumbest idea!!!! Consumers will never see it. The economics of supply and demand will keep the price the same since supply is fixed. The retailers and/or refiners will get the tax as profits, not the consumer as a price reduction. Obama is the only one that appears to listen to economists that understand how supply/demand works.

[ScottyS]

Originally Posted by Dean

The gas tax holiday is the dumbest idea!!!! Consumers will never see it. The economics of supply and demand will keep the price the same since supply is fixed. The retailers and/or refiners will get the tax as profits, not the consumer as a price reduction. Obama is the only one that appears to listen to economists that understand how supply/demand works.

Not only that, but the various levels and intricacies of taxes on fuel represent a LOT more than this smoke the weasels are blowing. A true elimination of all taxes on fuel would be a huge step (if the suppliers were prevented from abusing it), but THAT will never happen, as the government is way too dependent on it at all levels - Hillary of course knows this.

[sperry]

never mind this will save families like a whopping $30 total over the course of the summer. Boy that's some economic stimulus.

[Dean]

Originally Posted by sperry

never mind this will save families like a whopping $30 total over the course of the summer. Boy that's some economic stimulus.

It won't even do that is the point. The majority if not all the "tax savings" will be more profits for either the retailers or refiners, not lower prices for the consumer.

Everybody wants to make the oil companies the bad guys. The profit percentages for them is typically below that of other large companies, they just happen to be REALLY LARGE companies, so the dollars are very large when you talk about them as total dollars, not percentages.

[sperry]

Originally Posted by Dean

It won't even do that is the point. The majority if not all the "tax savings" will be more profits for either the retailers or refiners, not lower prices for the consumer.

Everybody wants to make the oil companies the bad guys. The profit percentages for them is typically below that of other large companies, they just happen to be REALLY LARGE companies, so the dollars are very large when you talk about them as total dollars, not percentages.

My point was that if the tax break actually even got to the consumer, it's not even worth one free tank of gas.

[Dean]

Originally Posted by sperry

My point was that if the tax break actually even got to the consumer, it's not even worth one free tank of gas.

Agreed. The worst part is that a significant portion of the public appears to think it is a great idea...

[sperry]

Originally Posted by Dean

Agreed. The worst part is that a significant portion of the public appears to think it is a great idea...

Which is why it's obvious pandering to voters, and is the exact shit I don't want to hear from my leaders. This country (and the world in general) is kinda going to hell. The last thing we need are leaders that are going to dick around with quick fixes and bad ideas that only server their own immediate benefit. We just had 8 years of that crap, and it's one of the biggest reasons why we're in the mess we're in.

Even if I disagree with a candidate's platform, if they're honest, direct, and realistic I'm way more apt to vote for them over someone who's platform I agree with if they're just another bullshit career politician that doesn't care for things much past their next reelection.

[ARORA_808]

Even if this Gas Tax thing happens.....the gas companies will just raise the prices to counter-act what the tax was supposed to do and then we will just have to deal with even higher "normal" prices, on the other hand racing fuel hasn't moved and is 6.99 a gallon for 100 oct and 4.99 for 93 in sparks, as the prices raise that doesn't seem that bad......still think its funny that Chevron, Exxon and all the other big names are reporting record profits and no one seems to want to ask why.....almost like the GOV is Scared of them.

[MPREZIV]

That's exactly the problem most people don't see. Like ^you guys^ all said, without regard to what our state does, nobody's going to see any part of any breaks at the pump anyway!

Originally Posted by AURORA808's sig.

So....if I fill my tank half way with Shell "V-power" and the other half with Chevron with "TECH-ron" does that mean I have V-TEC gas......!

sidenote: nice one Dave!

[Kevin M]

I lol'd (and cried on the inside) when Jon Stewart played a clip of someone asking Clinton why there weren't any economists on board with the tax holiday idea and she said "well, I don't want to throw my lot in with economists."

Wait, what?

[sonicsuby]

they're just trying to buy votes from stupid people.

[JC]

Originally Posted by MPREZIV

The fact that their reasoning is based upon construction projects/repairs really burns me. Maybe they're talking about elsewhere in the state, since all I see around here are streets that DESPARATELY need repairs being ignored (Peckham), streets that aren't nearly as bad being repaired (Caughlin Pkwy.) and TONS of money that was spent on the Spaghetti Bowl to help improve traffic flow, that's really only made it more of a clusterfuck than it was to begin with...

Man Nevada easily has some of the nicest roads in the country. I've never been to a state with better roads and I've been to a lot.

[Kevin M]

Originally Posted by JC

Man Nevada easily has some of the nicest roads in the country. I've never been to a state with better roads and I've been to a lot.

Sure, the ones out in the desert with minimal traffic and/or federal funding on them. But streets, roads and the urban areas all suck balls.

[sperry]

Originally Posted by Kevin M

Sure, the ones out in the desert with minimal traffic and/or federal funding on them. But streets, roads and the urban areas all suck balls.

There's much worse out there. San Luis Obispo's roads were so cheaply maintained that if you had a 20 minute rain shower, half the city's roads would turn to sand and need to be repaved.

[JC]

Originally Posted by Kevin M

Sure, the ones out in the desert with minimal traffic and/or federal funding on them. But streets, roads and the urban areas all suck balls.

No offense, but they really aren't. Try going to Michigan some time where there are gigantic pot holes everywhere. Nevada's roads aren't pristine but in comparison to the rest of the US, they're really damn good. You are just spoiled.

[MPREZIV]

Yeah, I haven't been all over by any means, but in a 4M pop. metro area like Phoenix, where I spent 2 years, it seemed that up-keep was leaps and bounds above where we are. I'd think they'd probably have a harder time keeping up with the demand than Reno, but their roads are WAY nicer, overall.

[JC]

Originally Posted by MPREZIV

Yeah, I haven't been all over by any means, but in a 4M pop. metro area like Phoenix, where I spent 2 years, it seemed that up-keep was leaps and bounds above where we are. I'd think they'd probably have a harder time keeping up with the demand than Reno, but their roads are WAY nicer, overall.

They don't get snow man. The plows and the changes in temperature (the pavement expands and contracts which causes cracks) kill the roads.

[ARORA_808]

I've been all over the world and....Nevada is kinda average, except in Reno/sparks and especially up by where I live....it feels like riding a jackhammer for about a mile or so, I have to agree with Cory that in Phoenix...you could almost do away with the shocks/springs and just install some fabbed bars to set ride height and use the tires for the imperfections, except S.mountain which is kinda like the streets around here, Japan and Malaysia have the BEST roads in the world, by far....they are like glass, even the expansion joints for bridges are made to not interfere with suspension movement......Cory, I stole that quote of NASIOC or somewhere.