RE: [asa] $4 gas is here to stay

It looks like, on average, we only pay about 15% in State and Fed. taxes
here in the U.S. It is higher for California.

http://www.texasgasprices.com/tax_info.aspx

My state, Texas, is struggling in implementing new ways to repair and build
roads. They conducted a survey where they asked if people would accept a 50
cent tax hike and, not surprisingly, the results were negative. However, I
think a lesser tax would be palatable if it was clear they would not siphon
this money away from road improvements, as they have done in the past.

Toll roads and bond money are new instruments available to the State.
However, they have mishandled some of their marketing of these, at least
tolls. They are allowing other countries to step in and build roads that we
will be charged to drive. And, there was some provision that the State
would not make effort to improve any roadway that would be considered in
competition to them, though I had not seen the details of this.

Even the State toll road proposals have been abusive. Hwy 281 has been
around for decades and the State had planned to convert all the main lanes
that we have been driving on for decades to toll lanes. They will expand
the access roads for those unwilling to pay the tolls.

A school teacher here in San Antonio decided to fight and now leads a strong
organization that has helped stop some of these plans.

George Cooper

-----Original Message-----
From: asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu [mailto:asa-owner@lists.calvin.edu] On
Behalf Of Dave Wallace
Sent: Friday, May 23, 2008 6:54 AM
Cc: AmericanScientificAffiliation
Subject: Re: [asa] $4 gas is here to stay

Iain Strachan wrote:
> I'm guessing the government is taking more tax.
>
> Here in the UK, the average price of fuel is the equivalent of $10 per
> gallon. Small wonder I use my bicycle to commute the 6 miles to work.
>
> Iain
>
Yes the difference is mostly tax at least here compared to the US. We
pay about 25 to 30% tax on automotive fuel. I forget the exact amount
but it is posted on the pumps.

Diesel here is more expensive that gas as during the winter months there
is a demand for heating oil in rural areas who do not typically have
access to natural gas pipelines.

Usually at the cottage I heat with wood that I cut but since it is so
cold late in the season, the wood stove is not operable.

Merv wrote:

You don't have to spend 36 hours in a seat. That's the wonderful thing
about trains compared to autos or even airplanes & buses.

I was on a train around 30 hrs to California last summer, and I didn't
pay the extra to get the sleeper car. My seat reclined so far (there is
ample forward room between seats) that I could recline *almost* as
comfortably as if sleeping on a bed.

Reply
I regularly take the train as far as I can when I travel to visit my dad
and my son and then rent a car for the last 60 miles to dad's place in a
small town and another 40 to my son's house. Our "express" trains here
average about 80 kilometers an hour including stops. When the train
runs next to a big four lane highway, only a few really fast movers pass
us, I figure the train is going at only 130+ kph so the cars are
seriously breaking the speed limit which is 100kph. One of the local
surgeons in Ottawa was stopped doing 200kph, I figure he is taking a cab
to work or his wife drives him. Sure it costs me more to take the
train than the delta cost to drive but it seems more responsible and
anyway I hate long distance (>150mi) driving. On the trip to Oklahoma,
both segments are overnight and health reasons would preclude even a
good rail seat that reclines in that situation. Compared to the French
and German trains our trains doodle along and Ontario alone is probably
bigger than France let alone the whole of Canada. Maybe only my wife
will visit Oklahoma this year? The government is talking about
regulating trucks to 90 or 95 kph with a governor. Currently trucks
often do 105 on the hill tops and 130kph in the little valleys in
between and in flat areas they do 110 to 125kph so driving at the speed
limit gets a bit dangerous as they will ride your bumper and blow their
air horns if they want to go faster or they will pass, pull over quickly
and run you right off the road into the shoulder as I had happen a few
years ago. Sigh we need some police and government action as well as
the price of fuel.

Dave W

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Received on Fri May 23 09:12:44 2008