When you ride alone you ride with Bin Ladin

[DuncanK]

Forget that they probably already captured Bin Ladin, but it's ironic that this war is causing the price of oil to go up and that is funding terrorism. It's also funding Bush's rich oil Republican's though. That's why we don't see posters up everywhere like they had during WWII trying to get Americans to conserve on gas. Now it's even more important than it was then.

I know that this is a different war and the problem is lack of consumer spending instead of allocation of scarce resources, but there are lots of things we could do to lower the price of oil.

I propose a large tax on gasoline. I know this is bad for the economy so it should be suplemented with demand stimulus. I think every American should have a choice between three options. Option A, a gas debit card where a federal fund pays for the gas. The amount on the gas cards should be low enough to convince people to conserve on gas. Option B, a coupon (kind of like a food stamp) for a new very gas efficient car. Option C, a public transportation card like the gas debit card, but one that is somehow more valuable than the gas debit card. Let's say that people who choose option C get a tax credit or something.

What do you guys think? Do you like my idea? How would you change it to make it better?

[Lawrence of Arabia]

Nah. Dont fool with the market. Let the laws of demand and supply dictate price. dont mix politics and economics.

[Ned]

Ducank, Why not a smartcard that added, for example, $1 a gallon "tax" to the card that could only be redeemed at a grociery store. If you did not use a smartcard to buy the gas, that extra $1 would just go to the government as taxes.

Of course, Government gas/food smartcards would be made freely available to all.

[DuncanK]

Originally posted by Ned
Ducank, Why not a smartcard that added, for example, $1 a gallon "tax" to the card that could only be redeemed at a grociery store. If you did not use a smartcard to buy the gas, that extra $1 would just go to the government as taxes.

Of course, Government gas/food smartcards would be made freely available to all.

Good idea, but why just grocery stores. It wont convince people to spend more money at grocery stores. Spending on groceries never changes much even when peoples incomes are higher. We should make people spend it on stuff that they would only spend it on when their incomes are high. In fact I think we should only let them spend it on these things.

[Imran Siddiqui]

I agree with LoA. Let supply and demand tell us the price.

[yavoon]

I find the idea of the gov't telling you what to spend your money on morally repugnant and you could only convince me of any of it as a complete neccessity.

its bad enuff the gov't taxes the crap out of certain things. and that there are 987234 loopholes in the tax code incentivizing certain types of spending.

[DuncanK]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
I agree with LoA. Let supply and demand tell us the price.

Sure, let's all just watch Bin Ladin an big oil get rich while we lose the war on terrorism and jack our economy up, all for the free market

[Lawrence of Arabia]

each taxpayer should be able to choose what percentage, to the nearest percent, of their taxes goes to each government program. why should the government choose it for you? you made that money.

[yavoon]

thats prolly a lil too far. since some obviously necessary programs would be flat ignored. and everyone would save the harp seal or whatever other cute animal was around.

[DuncanK]

Originally posted by Lawrence of Arabia
each taxpayer should be able to choose what percentage, to the nearest percent, of their taxes goes to each government program. why should the government choose it for you? you made that money.

People are too stupid

[Lawrence of Arabia]

Sure, let's all just watch Bin Ladin an big oil get rich while we lose the war on terrorism and jack our economy up, all for the free market .

first of all, weare winning the war on terrorism. you wanna protect the environment? free markets are the best way to do it. all of these laws which state such and such cars must have so and so mileage.

if you wanna cut mileage and reduce emissions, you let the scarcity of oil increase the price, in which case consumers will switch to relativly cheaper fuel cell/hybrid cars. dont force the market with dumb policies. give them incentive, or show them price.

[Lawrence of Arabia]

People are too stupid

too stupid for what?

[DuncanK]

Originally posted by Lawrence of Arabia


first of all, weare winning the war on terrorism. you wanna protect the environment? free markets are the best way to do it. all of these laws which state such and such cars must have so and so mileage.

if you wanna cut mileage and reduce emissions, you let the scarcity of oil increase the price, in which case consumers will switch to relativly cheaper fuel cell/hybrid cars. dont force the market with dumb policies. give them incentive, or show them price.

You missed my point completely. You seem completely unbothered by the fact that oil revenues are funding terrorism. And another thing, do you think we can go on policing the world for terrorists forever. That's costing us more than any gas tax would.

[DuncanK]

Originally posted by Lawrence of Arabia
too stupid for what?

to figure out economic policy

[Lawrence of Arabia]

theres nothing about economic policy in the governments different programs.