gm pushing for higher gas tax

[Revo1]

Article no longer available

[ShnOmac]

I wish this thread was no longer available.....

[8cd03gro]

Why was the other thread deleted?

[bob vogel]

Originally Posted by Number 3

Have to keep in mind, the gas tax is purely in response to CAFE. The government we've been electing for years and placating California has put all of the OEMs in a tight spot. The cars and trucks you guys and gals actually want, even with $4/gallon gas don't meet CAFE. All he (and so did others including the beloved Bob Lutz) suggested was that if the government wants to get Americans to use less gas you have to do it on the demand side.

I've suggested many times our government should pass a law that no drug company will be allowed to sell drugs unless they have a cure for cancer by 2016. It's the equivalent. Just legislate technology.

Again, in a perfect world, a world the OEMs would choose, it would be a free market. Our government in it's infinite wisdom took that away.

And as for my bosses, bosses, bosses boss, he is doing the right things, asking the right questions and driving the right behaviors. He listens to his people and if you haven't noticed, the President of GMNA is a car guy. I've met Reuss, talked with him and heard his ideas. He is a car guy. So the CEO only has to be a CEO of a major international business and trust his people. So far from what I hear, he does. But he also doesn't take much to "well that's the way we've always done it" either. No one slammed Mullaly for coming from an airplane company so what's the beef with telecommunications?

well we can have 7 or 8 type's of tax on the gas just like the )*&^6* phone. that well fix every thing right.

[bob vogel]

Originally Posted by Shift

lol if GM were to actually push this I would not hesitate to trade in the Camaro and buy a brand new Ford or Dodge

i would be RIGHT behind you

[Number 3]

Originally Posted by bob vogel

i would be RIGHT behind you

Just do it knowing that Ford himself and others have suggeted the same thing.................including Bob Lutz.

All he is saying is, "government, if you want people to buy small cars, you can't simply make it illegal for us to make them".

Do you recall Bob Lutz's comment on this? CAFE is like trying to get a fat guy to lose weight by making him wear smaller pants................or something to that effect. Funnier yes, but the same message.

Akerson wasn't talking to you and I, he was talking to the (ahem) good people in Washington that think you'll eat less if they make you wear smaller pants.

[Caliman93230]

all this new CEO needs to do is make gm manufacture lighter vehicles, and he gets my approval,

[OrangeVert]

Makes sense, Number 3.

My gut tells me - maybe too simply put - the true muscle car died before, and it's been shown that history in general repeats itself. By the time I graduated from high school in '79 they were all but gone. That's one reason I wanted to get a Gen5 Camaro while I still can.

No guarantee history will repeat itself again, and it won't exactly, but it does tend to.

[Inferno]

putz

[Number 3]

Originally Posted by OrangeVert

Makes sense, Number 3.

My gut tells me - maybe too simply put - the true muscle car died before, and it's been shown that history in general repeats itself. By the time I graduated from high school in '79 they were all but gone. That's one reason I wanted to get a Gen5 Camaro while I still can.

No guarantee history will repeat itself again, and it won't exactly, but it does tend to.

I'm no fan of where we are headed in the next 10 or so years, gas tax or no gas tax, the price is only going up.

There are two countries with populations that are achieving the economic status that enables the personal mobility we have enjoyed over the past 70 or 80 years here in the U.S. China's automobile market could triple in the next 10 years from a market the size of the U.S. to being as large as the U.S., Europe and Japan combined. How much oil does it take to feed that need.

China is currently proposing (just proposing so far) regulations that are at least as severe as CAFE and include electric propulsion like California. The worst of both worlds.

So we either become truly self sufficient or hope our uncle up North with the Tar Sands still likes us.....................a lot.

You can take it to the bank, no one at GM wants to just come and tax you because they think you need to be taxed more.

[Number 3]

Originally Posted by bob vogel

well we can have 7 or 8 type's of tax on the gas just like the )*&^6* phone. that well fix every thing right.

Nope.

[StreetStrip]

Originally Posted by Number 3

Have to keep in mind, the gas tax is purely in response to CAFE. The government we've been electing for years and placating California has put all of the OEMs in a tight spot. The cars and trucks you guys and gals actually want, even with $4/gallon gas don't meet CAFE. All he (and so did others including the beloved Bob Lutz) suggested was that if the government wants to get Americans to use less gas you have to do it on the demand side.

I've suggested many times our government should pass a law that no drug company will be allowed to sell drugs unless they have a cure for cancer by 2016. It's the equivalent. Just legislate technology.

Again, in a perfect world, a world the OEMs would choose, it would be a free market. Our government in it's infinite wisdom took that away.

And as for my bosses, bosses, bosses boss, he is doing the right things, asking the right questions and driving the right behaviors. He listens to his people and if you haven't noticed, the President of GMNA is a car guy. I've met Reuss, talked with him and heard his ideas. He is a car guy. So the CEO only has to be a CEO of a major international business and trust his people. So far from what I hear, he does. But he also doesn't take much to "well that's the way we've always done it" either. No one slammed Mullaly for coming from an airplane company so what's the beef with telecommunications?

Even if the CEO thinks the government should increase fuel taxes, it's incredibly dumb to make a public statement in that regard.

Why does he not recommend the government do things to increase domestic fuel supply/capacity? Why does he have to play the game on the governments terms? Oh....that's right....the government owns them.

[Caliman93230]

higher tax will make more americans buy prius cars, adios camaro

[fielderLS3]

Originally Posted by Apex Chase

GM's Akerson pushing for higher gas taxes

Thanks for posting the whole article. The part that stuck out to me was the idea that increasing CAFE to 62 mpg would only raise the cost of cars $3500. Whoever concluded that must be smoking some damn strong stuff. The $20K price premium for the Volt doesn't even get you close.

Unless that is spin for the average sub-compact (the only cars that will ever be available under such standards) will only cost $3500 more than current full-size SUVs. $40-50K Aveo or Cruze anyone?

Originally Posted by Number 3

Do you recall Bob Lutz's comment on this? CAFE is like trying to get a fat guy to lose weight by making him wear smaller pants................or something to that effect. Funnier yes, but the same message.

Akerson wasn't talking to you and I, he was talking to the (ahem) good people in Washington that think you'll eat less if they make you wear smaller pants.

That makes for a good sound-bite, and strikes me as something that is probably true. However, getting people to lose weight by making food so expensive they can't afford to eat is the alternative analogy, and probably an even worse situation. The higher taxes will starve those who aren't already fat.

Why is letting the free-market determine what we drive never even considered? I know, crazy thought, right?