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Time to ease up on C.A.F.E. mandates?

GasBuddy Blog -- When Congress passed the $105 billion Surface Transportation Extension Act in June, its first major transportation bill since 2005, it secured funding for the Highway Trust Fund, the critical key funding source that reimburses states for spending on roads, bridges, mass transit and other transportation projects. That measure was essential to pay for hundreds if not thousands of badly needed infrastructure improvements.

But, the bill ensures that highway and transportation funding remains at its current level only through the end of fiscal year 2014. Was it worth the effort?

Many news organizations logically suggested that Congress needs to pass long-term legislation that does one of the following: A) raises the federal...


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Submitted Jul 18, 2012 By: PD
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Author Topic: Time to ease up on C.A.F.E. mandates? Post a Reply Back to Topics
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honda0105
Champion Author Tallahassee

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Message Posted: Jul 22, 2012 6:59:15 AM

the taxes are still more wasted than being used in a positive manner, that's the bottom line.
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Gnusman53
Champion Author San Diego

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Message Posted: Jul 21, 2012 9:04:27 AM

Actually Honda...personal federal taxes are much lower.... but because the GOP has pushed for the businesses to get away with virtually no taxes, the impact has cause financial hardship that has been shunted to the state, county and local levels and even brought an increase in "fees" (what the GOP used to call taxes before they changed their minds).....

On paper, the corporate tax is about 35 percent. The REAL effective rate for businesses is less than the rate Romney claimed he paid last year.

The US economy boomed decades ago when America had a multi-legged tax system supporting it..... Now, the business legs have virtually disappeared compared to past levels.
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honda0105
Champion Author Tallahassee

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Message Posted: Jul 21, 2012 6:09:01 AM

funny how everyone whines about taxes. It's not the taxes (which are the lowest in a long time for most people), but it's how the taxes are spent that creates such a big hole in the Beltway (and other) coffers.
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honda0105
Champion Author Tallahassee

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Message Posted: Jul 21, 2012 6:07:45 AM

Gnusman: that wouldn't work b/c the government isn't importing anything per se, so there's no money to be had.
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Gnusman53
Champion Author San Diego

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Message Posted: Jul 20, 2012 4:10:01 PM

How about take money from the drop in import costs for foreign oil and move half to maintain and repair roads and bridges...
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Gnusman53
Champion Author San Diego

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Message Posted: Jul 20, 2012 4:07:38 PM

It would be nice if the people screaming about CAFE would like to go back to getting less than 10 mpg when they pay more than $4 a gallon....

Personally, I miss my Metro (54mpg highway).... and still waiting for a replacement to come from American car companies.....
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Gnusman53
Champion Author San Diego

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Message Posted: Jul 20, 2012 12:40:35 PM

The GOP freeze on CAFE standards put the US decades behind the rest of the world...
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Gnusman53
Champion Author San Diego

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Message Posted: Jul 20, 2012 12:39:30 PM

But CAFE has nothing to do with taxes....and much to do with modernizing American carmakers to catch up with the rest of the world..
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Gnusman53
Champion Author San Diego

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Message Posted: Jul 20, 2012 12:37:32 PM

Seems the 1 percenters claimed they were taxed enough already decades ago... and pushed the taxes all onto the middle class and every one else...
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VanIsleLes
All-Star Author British Columbia

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Message Posted: Jul 20, 2012 1:33:37 AM

gotta keep them safe
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wshutton
Champion Author Los Angeles

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 10:34:38 PM

K
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skybiker
Champion Author South Carolina

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 8:33:12 PM

Taxed Enough Already!!!
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jbrad4
All-Star Author Dallas

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 2:57:09 PM

No, we don't need to ease up on CAFE requirements.
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gas_too_high
Champion Author Columbus

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 2:28:09 PM

CAFE and it's fleetwide standards were always the wrong approach. A much more sensible approach would be to evaluate individual car models, and heavily tax those models that exceed desired MPG thresholds.

But instead of a visible tax that consumers can see, we get an invisible tax on car companies. In the end, consumers pay the tax, either way. But consumers are not incented to change their behavior.

GTH
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cricket48750
All-Star Author Michigan

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 2:21:51 PM

Why can't they find a better way to construct roads that won't fall apart in a year's time? I mean - really?
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Gnusman53
Champion Author San Diego

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 2:15:54 PM

Dynamouse...when you said "this...." were you looking in the mirror???? (grin)
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Gnusman53
Champion Author San Diego

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 2:13:38 PM

Seems Dacofa's first name starts with AKA (grin)...
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Tomeboy
Champion Author Twin Cities

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 12:59:20 PM


Did you log onto the east coast to edit your post?

Original post: 12:46:07 PM

Edited post: 1:53:06 PM EST
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TXryder
Champion Author Texas

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 12:46:07 PM

ok thanks for posting

[Edited by: TXryder at 7/19/2012 1:53:06 PM EST]
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Tomeboy
Champion Author Twin Cities

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 12:41:53 PM


Presumably, no one would call President George W. Bush unfriendly to the oil industry. Yet the price of gasoline rose steadily during most of his administration. In February 2001, just after Mr. Bush took office, the average price of regular gasoline was $1.45 a gallon. By June 2008, that price had risen to $4.05. Still think presidents and oil-friendly policies can determine oil prices?

It’s true that by the end of the Bush presidency, prices had fallen back to $1.69, as oil prices plummeted with the rest of the global economy. But I think we can all agree that a global financial crisis is too high a price to pay for cheap gasoline.

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rbrowdersr
Champion Author Detroit

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 12:16:46 PM

No, keep them on-going.
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Ken2OD
Champion Author Grand Rapids

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 12:10:15 PM

NO! Michigan highways are the PITS!
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Gascapade
Champion Author Fort Worth

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 12:09:42 PM

Dynamouse, ROTFLMAO, Before Obama, gas was at $1.68/gal because we were at the brink on an economic abyss, engineered by eight years of an utterly incompetent Repuplican anministration...
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naiiawah
Champion Author Boise

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 12:07:25 PM

no
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ARCO
Champion Author Pittsburgh

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 12:04:59 PM

ON EVERY TAX IT DOES
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dacofa
Champion Author Nevada

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 12:03:42 PM

News organizations, aka liberal butt cheeks that know nothing and just want to sell copy.
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pachukdog1
Champion Author Pensacola

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 12:03:35 PM

yep
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Gascapade
Champion Author Fort Worth

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 12:02:56 PM

Fund it by streamlining the huge waste in military industrial complex programs.....
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firechief
Champion Author New York

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 12:02:54 PM

ugh
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dynamouse
Champion Author Michigan

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 12:02:34 PM

Before obama gas was at$1.68,obama wants gas at $5-6 a gal,he stopped the pipe line ,held up drilling permits in the gulf ,wasted tax money on green technology,gave tax payer money to Brazil to drill and told them the USA would be one of there best customers,this CLOWN has to go.
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papou
Champion Author Tampa

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 12:02:22 PM

money goes someplace else ,not were its intended.
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JoeKR
Champion Author New Jersey

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 12:00:18 PM

We must look at the rationale given for imposing any tax, then be watchful that this is the only use of the funds raised. That Fed taxes haven't been raised in x amount of years I meaningless. The tax act itself should include the mechanism for generating enough money of the intended purpose.
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grammamNV
Champion Author Nevada

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 11:59:56 AM

wait 'til november
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Tekkie
Champion Author Philadelphia

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 11:59:05 AM

Obozo flip flopping.
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gasper
Champion Author Edmonton

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 11:56:23 AM

I guess its just a way for politicians to say yes the gas tax is fixing roads for you.
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mrinmoyd
Champion Author Illinois

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 11:56:18 AM

yes
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vjs3
Champion Author Denver

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 11:55:08 AM

Politics....
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mabrams184
Champion Author Lexington

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 11:51:45 AM

To get the votes most politicians like to be seen creating new roads, bridges or other infrastructure, but they don,t want to make sure the funding will always be there to keep up that same infrastructure. It just doesn't get them the publicity they crave.
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pper
Champion Author Grand Rapids

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 11:50:59 AM

They talk of taxing per mile. With Obama trying to do away with gasoline and push us into electrics gas tax isn't going to work much longer.
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snappytom2
Champion Author Corpus Christi

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 11:48:43 AM

Political footballs are never worth the price charged.
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rodzilla123
Champion Author San Diego

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 11:45:49 AM

Not in a Congressman best interest. As a Congressman / woman, it is your business to bring home the Bacon each and Every year so you can be seen as making progress for your State or Area and thus get Re-Elected. Remember, the first duty of every Congressman is to Get Re Elected, PERIOD.
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jimmy544
Champion Author Boston

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 11:45:35 AM

Now is not the time to ease off the the CAFE standards. Now is the time to reform the taxes that pay for the roads. The truckers do not pay their fair share of road wear and tear. It has been estimated that heavy trucks can cause up to 10,000 times as much wear as a passenger car. Trucks only pay about 3-4 times as much as cars.

decreasing the rate of taxes during fuel spikes and increasing the taxes on dropping costs is one way of helping stabilize fuel prices and it may have some merit. Tolls may be another way of dealing with the problem also. Users must pay but cars pay too much and trucks do not pay enough. Maybe we all need to pay according to weight and miles traveled.
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TRAIN RIDER
Champion Author San Bernardino

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 11:45:35 AM

It is always time for the government to ease up on regulations.
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NemoIL
Champion Author Illinois

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 11:45:30 AM

Old News.
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bevmill
Champion Author Georgia

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 11:44:22 AM

ok
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alaskareed
Champion Author Alaska

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 11:43:49 AM

ok
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ultm8opie
Champion Author Twin Cities

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 11:42:48 AM

ok
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toxigas
Champion Author Oakland

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 11:42:26 AM

Nice bit of logical reasoning there...

... if the only thing that matters is how CAFE standards are tied to infrastructure.

But in the big picture, there is more at stake.
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wang91554
Champion Author San Jose

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 11:42:21 AM

politicians have very short views. Don't we know that already?
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slowpoke63
Champion Author Louisiana

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Message Posted: Jul 19, 2012 11:42:02 AM

ok
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