Petrol taxes are closer to user fees than any other tax. The more miles you drive, the more you pay for roads. So of all the despised and dreaded taxes, petrol taxes are my favorite.
Well, as long as you properly classify them as despicable and dreaded, let's talk about them. Fuel taxes do not operate the way you say they do. Those who are able to afford newer and more fuel efficient cars will consume less fuel, even for more miles driven. New Zealand's government recently faced up to this issue, according to a newsstory I read. It is an interesting conflict of interests - do they outlaw fuel efficient vehicles so they can continue to generate revenues from fuel taxes, and therefore harm the environment, or do they let people use the incentive of lower fuel costs to move them toward more fuel efficient cars, but thereby subvert the funding for the highways.
Nevertheless, I still don't think even petrol taxes are necessary.
Of course they are not necessary.
doing away with the need for a government-financed interstate highway system.
No such need exists. Indeed, a great many more people would fly were it not for the subsidies that the roads get. Gee, I wrote about that years ago: http://webleyweb.com/tle/le960102.html http://101468-USD1.e-gold.com/
As far as I can tell, taxes are a terribly inefficient and morally objectionable blunt instrument for getting things done.
Yes, they are. And they are the tool of choice for socialists and other vile thugs.
Regards,
Jim http://www.ezez.com/
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