Reply #2: You're not the only one. [View All]

[KuroKensaki]

We could use the income from the tax to do two things--

a) give people monetary incentives to chuck their SUV and get an eco-friendly high-MPG car or maybe even a HYBRID!!! If the government would pay for all but 4000 dollars of your new Prius hybrid, and you could get $6000 for your SUV in trade-in, and you'd save a bunch of money on gas (which is going to be expensive, tax or no), why wouldn't you? Not only that, but it would convince more car makers to put out high-MPG cars, to try to get a piece of the action.

Note: That's the exact opposite of the Bush energy plan. Which says we should give people economic incentives to buy Hummers.

b) invest in alternate energy production research. The research is out there, it's happening, it's just incredibly underfunded and undermanned. Give them what they need! We could kick the gas habit within a decade.

Edit: To all those who don't want to pay extra money on gas, think of this--if you get a car that doubles your gas mileage, with the help of incentives FROM the gas tax, you'll pay less after the gas tax than you do now.