September 07, 2005
Gregoire endorses I-912!
(sort of)
The Tacoma News-Tribune reports: "State officials consider temporarily reducing the gas tax"
With gas prices soaring in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Gov. Christine Gregoire and state legislators have discussed convening a special legislative session to temporarily reduce the state’s gasoline tax.
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at September 07, 2005
10:17 AM | Email This
1. Trust Gregoire to flunk Econ 101. Reducing the tax attenuates the message a price change conveys to the buyers. It will also inflate the income of the gas companies. We will get the same shortages, anyway.
And then, of course, there is the loss of revenue to the government -- which Gregoire will seek to solve by a general tax increase.
2. I'm surprised. Our gas prices are now lower than the national average because of our refining capacity. This is, of course, temporary until the Gulf Coast recovers. I would have thought that she would have asked for a temporary increase in taxes to bring us back up to the proper level of pain.
3. Garbage. Democrats NEVER support lower taxes. EVER!! [Atlas has Shrugged. Look at New Orleans]
4. Does anyone have information on the News-Tribune article's assertion that the State Patrol is allowing "truckers and drivers of other diesel-powered vehicles" to use off-road "red" diesel in highway vehicles? I haven't seen anything official and found nothing in several internet searches. Thanks in advance for any additional info.
5. I thought the gas tax increase was an ‘emergency’. Wouldn’t this action be a sort of confession?
Saltherring,
More info here,
Delta Farm Press
6. Oh please! In your dreams Stefan.
7. Quick question on red-dye diesel... does the exhaust tend to belch pink smoke? I saw a large van belching red-tinged smoke on the highway the other morning. Strange.
8. Good policy? Maybe--however, given the source, this is like a balloon---squeeze it at one end (gas tax reduction) and it will surely bulge elsewhere (in the form of other fees and taxes). Does the number "90+" (emergency bills) mean anything to you?! Trust it as far as you can throw it.
9. huckle--
i believe (?) the dye is to prevent improper usage; use fuels for certain vehicles (like farm, or off-road only etc) and you get fuel tax credits; use it for normal driving and you get pinched via the dye smoke color on the highway; anyone agree with that impression of mine? i forgot the actual rules--it's been a while;
10. I spent last weekend in Oregon where gas is 35 cents cheaper then Washington. Needless to say I filled up before I returned to Washington.
11. Why doesn't WA do as GA and 40 others do?
According to the article in the News Tribune:
"But unlike Georgia and 40 other states, Washington taxes gas entirely on a flat, per-gallon rate that doesn’t rise with the price of gas."
When the price goes up, the tax revenue goes up in 41 other states--causing market forces to curb demand more quickly, thereby cutting into the suppliers' ability to profit from short-term price increases.
Is there something in WA law that prevents the imposition of a fuel tax which is calculated as a percentage of the sales price rather than being based on a specific amount per gallon?
12. Good to see you back Micajah!
I think the answer to your question is: stupidity.
13. Well having just put 101 gallons of the red dyed Diesel in my boat last weekend in Anacortes at 3.41 a gal, there is no deal to be had purchasing Marine Diesel instead of highway diesel. Even with no road tax on the marine diesel it seems they are gouging the mariner royal!
14. I buy "red" diesel for my farm tractors at the local Cenex outlet, but would like to run it in my pickup if they'd let me. Most modern diesels smoke very little, if at all. I've never noticed pink smoke from my old (1959) tractor and my 2004 tractor doesn't smoke enough for me to tell. I've never run it in my 2001 Chev, so I wouldn't know from that either.
15. Gee,I wonder how long this will last!!
16. Check out how the Olympian spins this:
http://www.theolympian.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050908/NEWS01/509080349/1006
I see only one Rep. and he's not the speaker or the Governor.