BoB Lutz just on MSNBC saying we should pay $7.50 gal for gas.

[2ndgenz28]

BoB Lutz just on MSNBC saying we should pay $7.50 gal for gas so we can be like Europe, drive ubar small cars, have less urban squaller and downside our world.

Ill chip is $20 for a hitman..........

[TOMS1SS]

Originally Posted by 2ndgenz28

BoB Lutz just on MSNBC saying we should pay $7.50 gal for gas so we can be like Europe, drive ubar small cars, have less urban squaller and downside our world.

Ill chip is $20 for a hitman..........

Rest of the world does....like it or not there are forces at work edging us that way.

[2ndgenz28]

Umm the US would of never became as great as it is, if we did like the rest of the world, and neither will we stay that way if we follow in their foot steps.

That side of the world is full of morons, and has been since day one.

Why it only tooks us 200 years to surpass what they had done since the dawn of time.

[z28camaro2471]

As much as I hate to admit this, raising taxes on gasoline is in many ways a better alternative than Federally mandated MPGs. Follow along if you will.

Raising taxes slowly and progressively accomplishes the goal of reducing consumption and allows consumers to purchase vehicles that fit their lifestyle and budget. Vehicle manufacturers are free to produce what they want without restriction to the extent that the market requests it. 700 hp ZL1 in 2015? Sure if you don't mind paying for the gas.

Federally mandated MPGs, while in theory also reducing consumption in a similar manner, have historically just increased consumption as consumers just drive more given that they can go further on a tank of gas. Urban sprawl is alive and well my friends. Furthermore, it forces the manufacturers to make vehicles we don't want to buy. I'm sure the Sonic is a great car for its segment, but it will never appeal to me. 700 hp ZL1 in 2015? Only if it is electric.

One other potential benefit of an increased tax is that the additional funds could be appropriated to rebuilding our severely deficient infrastructure.

Now before you all crucify me, I'm all for the free market, capitalism, low taxes and small government. My point here is simply that the government is going to ram this down our throats one way or the other (1. increased taxes or 2. mandatory MPGs). If I have to choose, and make no mistake we will, I'm picking increased taxes. Ouch, that hurt to say.

[TOMS1SS]

Originally Posted by 2ndgenz28

Umm the US would of never became as great as it is, if we did like the rest of the world, and neither will we stay that way if we follow in their foot steps.

That side of the world is full of morons, and has been since day one.

Why it only tooks us 200 years to surpass what they had done since the dawn of time.

So we deserve cheap gas because we're American's? If that was really true we should start with stopping the domestic automakers from selling cars hand over fist to China in the name of profits so they don't drive up our gas prices from consumer demand. Like it or not America is going to have to down-size and accept some mediocrity, the world has largely caught us on so many fronts because our own country wide sense of entitlement.

[Brokinarrow]

Link to video, and was that taken out of context? (cuz the media LOVES to pull that crap...)

[FenwickHockey65]

Lutz has supported higher gas prices for some time now.

[8cd03gro]

Originally Posted by z28camaro2471

As much as I hate to admit this, raising taxes on gasoline is in many ways a better alternative than Federally mandated MPGs. Follow along if you will.

Raising taxes slowly and progressively accomplishes the goal of reducing consumption and allows consumers to purchase vehicles that fit their lifestyle and budget. Vehicle manufacturers are free to produce what they want without restriction to the extent that the market requests it. 700 hp ZL1 in 2015? Sure if you don't mind paying for the gas.

Federally mandated MPGs, while in theory also reducing consumption in a similar manner, have historically just increased consumption as consumers just drive more given that they can go further on a tank of gas. Urban sprawl is alive and well my friends. Furthermore, it forces the manufacturers to make vehicles we don't want to buy. I'm sure the Sonic is a great car for its segment, but it will never appeal to me. 700 hp ZL1 in 2015? Only if it is electric.

One other potential benefit of an increased tax is that the additional funds could be appropriated to rebuilding our severely deficient infrastructure.

Now before you all crucify me, I'm all for the free market, capitalism, low taxes and small government. My point here is simply that the government is going to ram this down our throats one way or the other (1. increased taxes or 2. mandatory MPGs). If I have to choose, and make no mistake we will, I'm picking increased taxes. Ouch, that hurt to say.

The result is the lifestyle of the wealthy staying exactly the same and the lifestyle of the lower class being driven down into the ground. The people that will really need to buy more efficient vehicles because they can't afford the gas price hikes will be forced to take loans they can't afford simply to get these more efficient cars and badaboom badabing, we're back in 2008. A huge increase in prices like that needs to happen slowly and efficient cars need to be produced accordingly. The problem is, most of our middle to lower class is driving around in old jeeps, suvs and pickups that get 9mpg and they can't afford a new car period.

[kbui]

Originally Posted by TOMS1SS

So we deserve cheap gas because we're American's?.

No! but we don't want to pay high prices because of increased taxes. The problem with accepting one of these 2 choices (gas tax increase or CAFE) is you are allowing the government to decide how we would live and function as a society. The price of gasoline should be what the market (supply and demands) dictates and not what the government should decides. The rest of the world is paying high gas prices because a big chunk of that is taxes. The decision to buy a HP cars or hi MPGs cars should be up to the consumers and in turns the auto makers will accommodate the demands. With more taxes, you will only get more government and then more regulations and then more taxes.......

[cleanwhiteSS]

Originally Posted by z28camaro2471

As much as I hate to admit this, raising taxes on gasoline is in many ways a better alternative than Federally mandated MPGs. Follow along if you will.

Raising taxes slowly and progressively accomplishes the goal of reducing consumption and allows consumers to purchase vehicles that fit their lifestyle and budget. Vehicle manufacturers are free to produce what they want without restriction to the extent that the market requests it. 700 hp ZL1 in 2015? Sure if you don't mind paying for the gas.

Federally mandated MPGs, while in theory also reducing consumption in a similar manner, have historically just increased consumption as consumers just drive more given that they can go further on a tank of gas. Urban sprawl is alive and well my friends. Furthermore, it forces the manufacturers to make vehicles we don't want to buy. I'm sure the Sonic is a great car for its segment, but it will never appeal to me. 700 hp ZL1 in 2015? Only if it is electric.

One other potential benefit of an increased tax is that the additional funds could be appropriated to rebuilding our severely deficient infrastructure.

Now before you all crucify me, I'm all for the free market, capitalism, low taxes and small government. My point here is simply that the government is going to ram this down our throats one way or the other (1. increased taxes or 2. mandatory MPGs). If I have to choose, and make no mistake we will, I'm picking increased taxes. Ouch, that hurt to say.

You don't want to raise taxes on gas.....If you raise taxes on gas everything else will also be raised. Food, every single product there is will increase in price. NOT A GOOD IDEA!!!!

[cleanwhiteSS]

Originally Posted by 2ndgenz28

BoB Lutz just on MSNBC saying we should pay $7.50 gal for gas so we can be like Europe, drive ubar small cars, have less urban squaller and downside our world.

Ill chip is $20 for a hitman..........

Why are you watching MSNBC? Garbage IMO.

[kbui]

Originally Posted by FenwickHockey65

Lutz has supported higher gas prices for some time now.

I don't have problem with high gas prices if that's due to supplies and demands. What I can't stand is where a government dictating prices so they can tell us how to live. Lately I have a feeling that a lot of Americans have slowly accept socialism/communism as the future. As a person who have flee communism, I can assure you it's not a pretty sight when the government finally have their ways with your freedom via regulations.

[cleanwhiteSS]

Originally Posted by kbui

I don't have problem with high gas prices if that's due to supplies and demands. What I can't stand is where a government dictating prices so they can tell us how to live. Lately I have a feeling that a lot of Americans have slowly accept socialism/communism as the future. As a person who have flee communism, I can assure you it's not a pretty sight when the government finally have their ways with your freedom via regulations.

I don't think anyone should accept socialism.

[TOMS1SS]

Originally Posted by kbui

No! but we don't want to pay high prices because of increased taxes. The problem with accepting one of these 2 choices (gas tax increase or CAFE) is you are allowing the government to decide how we would live and function as a society. The price of gasoline should be what the market (supply and demands) dictates and not what the government should decides. The rest of the world is paying high gas prices because a big chunk of that is taxes. The decision to buy a HP cars or hi MPGs cars should be up to the consumers and in turns the auto makers will accommodate the demands. With more taxes, you will only get more government and then more regulations and then more taxes.......

There is a simple answer to both, vote the people pushing this stuff out of office. Sadly most people, especially the young can't even be bothered to go to the polls. By and large most Americans can't control their spending habits anymore and that's a sad thing to see when it comes to cars. Most people buy vehicles that they don't need like trucks and SUVs even though they can barely afford the payments must less the fuel that goes in them. As a consequence the legislation we're seeing on CAFE is designed to control what the bulk of can't, our choice of vehicle. I don't think we'll see the same gas prices as the rest of the world for a long time if ever because the way CAFE is going it will be almost impossible for any automaker to produce a affordable performance car. If you look back at the 70s and the events that led to emissions controls, safety regulations and high gas prices are starting to repeat themselves. If you got a Camaro, Mustang, Challenger, Corvette or other performance car take car of it now because in my opinion we're about enter the second dark age in automotive history.