A surefire way to reduce demand for gas, but the burden will fall heaviest on the lower income worker. A gradual increase would be more easily tolerated, allowing people to adjust to the new reality of higher gas prices.

 how about No increase would be tolerated,  and how are they going to adjust? Cut back on going to work or tell there boss they want a raise and the only place it will reduce the demand for gas is in michigan. 

They just received 873 million from the fed in stimulus to go to roads and now they want to increase taxes. This tax increase will have more negative effects on the economy. This could impose a fuel surcharge on products delivered in Michigan. Raising the price of the product you buy. Not to mention truckers will fuel before entering this state that’s a lost of revenue. So the consumer is going to pay. People will cut back in spending to cover the cost of gas. When gas goes back up this summer and it will, what effect do you think it will have on tourism? Let’s throw in donations to the church, your going to have to cut back. We can even include the pizza delivery; he’s got to cover the increase. And are the people of this state so well off that they can afford this, from what I can see there not.  Is this another way of saying bring jobs to Michigan or is it putting another nail in the coffin?

   In a different perspective, when fuel sky rocketed in price people cut back on use and the state lost money, and is this a way of making sure you get  your cut if it happens again. It will.

 I understand why you are trying to do this but we need to have an alternative, electric, hybrids, alternative fuels in place. Not a good idea to chop our water when we are already getting mighty thirsty. When all the new cars come out I would say yes. Get the gasoline and the carbon out of the works. In a year the environment will lead the way. Global warming is going to slam down on all the non-believers and cause some really desperate situations. I pray for us all.

Do you really want to kill all business in Michigan? Not only will people not be able to afford to go to work, most businesses will see a major increase in shipping costs as trucking is already treading water before going down for the third time! This means both truckers and local business will need to close/shut down. What part of no more taxes dont you understand. For the good of the state, we need to close Lansing!

When and until all the technology has been created and put into place we should not be increasing any gasoline tax on vehicles. Talk about putting the cart before the horse. This bill is penalizing those who cannot afford hybrid vehicles. It is also harmful to the cost of doing business as well as to those who still maintain employment and have to get back and forth to work. Let us not forget those who have to use their vehicles to seek employment.

Any tax increases on Michiganians during this  economic crisis and high unemployment is ludicrous, unconscionable, and insane.

 The technology won't be created until the market demands it.  Artificially raising fuel prices will push the market in that direction but only if done nationwide.  I've got an idea, why don't they leave it alone and let the market take care of it?

change- "The technology won't be created until the market demands it"  .That is the most nonsensical statement I've heard. Edison did not create electricity because there was a demand for it, nor did Henry Ford the Model-T due to demand. They were inventors and their inventions eventually developed into a demand.  Eventually an inventor will create a true alternative means to replace fuel oil, but until then we don't throw out the baby with the bath water.

And, we don't need "change agents" such as Obama, Bush, Pelosi, Harry Reed et al --  undermining this sovereign country's economy, industry or job market by denying the "right" of this nation to produce, distribute, sell and use its own available oil sources until the ultimate replacement is found.  Elected officials are our "public servants" not our rulers.

 it is not the job of government to 'punish' people by taxing what the government dislikes. to do so is tyranny.

I totally agree with you, bugman. It is a violation of our Constitutional protections. 

 and yet there are those who believe that these kinds of laws are the 'right thing to do'.

 inform4, come on now, "the most nonsensical statement" you've heard?  Certainly much of what comes out of our legislature is more nonsensical.  Seriously though, I think you are wrong about demand, or maybe I should clearly define demand as "a need or desire".  Considering that, there was certainly a demand for the things electricity could provide (Edison did not create electricity) such as a better source of light in the darkness, etc.  Same with Ford.  There was certainly a demand for more efficient transportation.

Crude oil was considered a nuisance until the whale oil that was used to fuel lanterns became scarce and expensive and someone figured out you could refine crude into usable components.  The same will happen as crude oil becomes more scarce and expensive because there will be a demand for energy, not necessarily wind power or solar, but whatever form the market comes up with that is most efficient.  I simply meant to say that the government could conceivably affect the market by artificially raising the price of gasoline at gunpoint (which is how they do everything).  Frankly, as bad of an idea as that is, it is better than silly CAFE standards imposed on automakers which forces them to build cars the market does not want because gas does not cost enough to warrant demand for small, fuel efficient cars.

Now, final point.  I agree completely with your last statement about Obama, Bush, Pelosi...  I am not advocating any government intervention in the market, or in our lives in any other way, other than what is specifically allowed by the real Constitution of The United States.  The bottom line is, this bill is a bad idea and should not be passed.

All and all I guess we are on the same page.  It frightens the devil out of me how our current government is leading us down the path of social-fascism.  What frightens me even more are the people who are will to go along like sheep.  I remember years ago when a group of Russians came to live in the U.S. when Russia was then known as the U.S.S.R.  Many of them wound up going back to the U.S.S.R. because they did not know how to live with freedom.  They were so used to having a government tell them what to do that they were lost in the ability to make individual choices.

 i had a neighbor once who 'emigrated' from the soviet union. in other words, he jumped ship. he was in our country a total of five days before he applied to be a citizen. as soon as he could get his wife and children over, he did, and they 'jumped ship' as well. they are all now citizens. they buckled down and learned the language, especially the children. they 'assimilated' into our culture and our ways quickly, never giving up the fact that they were from russia, or forgetting their heritage. yuri is now an electrical engineer at a power plant, and his wife translates for the state department. his two children are dentists. they work together in an office in denver.

it took us a while to realize that his wife was ashamed of her poor english. we thought she was being 'chastised' for speaking out of turn. what we found out later, from the children, was that she was asking how to properly pronounce words that they didn't know. i soon asked the children to teach me some russian. as soon as i learned enough to be able to answer her questions, and convince her children that is was okay to ask me if they didn't know a word, she became much more 'open'. one of her proudest days was when she scolded one of her children for misbehaving in class with the words, "your father and i didn't risk our lives, and yours for you to come over here and throw that sacrifice away by being an uneducated class clown." in perfect, but heavily accented english.

they lived under the soviet system. breathed it. and in the end, left it. by choice, to come here. they quickly figured out what to do with freedom.

he left his home to come here. where he could decide that an extra fifty cents a gallon is too much. and that government needs to be responsible and responsive to him. our government has been neither.

I hope he doesn't go back just because of the tax on gas.

New guy here..............

I love this site.

I've been angry since the last presidential campaign and election and now am trying to self educate myself to the political system our great "public school system" should have spent more time on.

So what do we do?

What do you guys and gals do?

do you call the staffers? email your reps and senators?

watch their votes?

email all your friends to the point you're worried you're offending, then email some more because you're sick and tired of being afraid to offend!

We need an organized conservative movement.

When the gas went through the roof last summer, I added a fuel surcharge to my billing. I did not pay for the increased price of fuel.

but one way or another WE WILL ALL PAY FOR IT in the increased price of goods and services.

NONSENSE!

Not now folks. I heard our road improvement ship is coming in through the stimulus package and she's a fat ship. Why does she want an increased gas tax for roads?

Here's Tim's Reply:

Thank you for contacting my office regarding your concerns with Governor Granholm's gas tax proposal.  I appreciate hearing from you on this issue and hearing your concerns.

First and foremost, I can assure you that I am trying to make the most sensible and compassionate approach to creating a balanced budget that protects our most vulnerable citizens, while not saddling taxpayers with an impossible burden.  With this in mind, I have refused to support any increases in taxes until I believe the government has implemented necessary and vital reforms. 

I cannot, in good conscience, ask the residents of the state of Michigan to give more of their hard earned money to the government without making sure that we as legislators are doing everything possible to find savings and eliminate waste.  When everyday Michigan families are faced with a budget crisis, they must make tough decisions.  I believe that government should be held to the same standard.

As you may know, Governor Granholm presented her executive budget to the Legislature on February 12, 2009 .  Her recommendation included $670 million in budget reductions.  These decisions are not final and the FY 2009-10 budget is still in the negotiation stage, with many details and decisions still to be made.  As the budgeting process moves forward, your input on the gas tax will give me insight on the priorities of our state and of our local community.

Thank you again for contacting my office and should you have any further questions on these matters or any others, please feel free to call my office at (866) MOORE-97.

Sincerely,

State Representative Tim Moore
97th District

 speaking up for your rights as a citizen will never offend.

 tfaber2933,

Glad you are interested and want to get involved and hope you are in favor of less government and more liberty as was intended when our forefathers declared Independence.  Here are my suggestions.

So what do we do?

Read.  "Economics in One Lesson" by Henry Hazlitt is a pretty good short book on the effect of government intervention on the economy.  "The Road to Serfdom" by Friedrich Hayek is superb.  "Atlas Shrugged" by Ayn Rand is a very long novel that could have been shortened some but ultimately is a great book and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in human freedom.  I've probably given it to a dozen people in the last 25 years.  The Declaration of Independence, a beautiful document, and the Constitution of the United States and of Michigan.

What do you guys and gals do?

Get involved.  Participate in local government and don't be intimidated by "group think".  Stand up for your principles.  Join the local Republican Party and try to push out the RINOs (Republican in name only).  I've been frustrated by the Republicans for years but have decided that is our best opportunity to influence government.  The democrat party is simply filled with people who think government should take care of us.  There are also tax payer groups, school boards, etc. 

I try to contribute to organizations advocating small government too.  Get on the Mackinac Center mailing list. 

do you call the staffers? email your reps and senators?

Yes, and encourage others to so.  Be civil, direct and brief.  It's not so much the content as it is the number of responses they get.

watch their votes?

Yes.  Michigan Votes is a great tool.

email all your friends to the point you're worried you're offending, then email some more because you're sick and tired of being afraid to offend!

I do, and maybe some of them just delete it but some of them have gotten more involved.  It is our duty to protect the our rights and to defend the Constitution of the United States.

We need an organized conservative movement.

Yes, one that protects the rights of individuals.  There are many organizations fighting for the cause, too bad we can't get them to work together better.

Great advice change. Other than for a slightly different reading list (I include the constitution and declaration, of course), a different suggestion on party affiliation, and a few other minor details, I give the same advice to my friends interested in making this government work for all it's citizens.

 gypsy, I'm curious.  Have you ever read any of those books?

I have not read Hazlitt. "The Road to Serfdom" is an excellent book. "Atlas Shrugged" is hogwash. Just my opinion.

 George maybe you should think about regulating gas prices at a low enough price so us working people in the middle class can afford it before you suggest some A$$ inane increase like this. I know it don't affect you being I pay your gas bill with my taxes.

 Are there any you would suggest from your point of view? 

For foundational reading, "The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money" by Keynes. For more prescient reading, "Nemesis", by Chalmers Johnson.

 I've read the Keynes (speaking of hogwash).  I'll check out Nemesis.

changeagent - John Maynard Keynes who believed that "Debts are Asset"?  Your right - he is total  hogwash and it is his economic policies that have helped bring this country to its knees.  We should be following Austrian Economics. 

 changeagent - Your advice for tfaber2933, makes you a person after my own heart.  I only hope our youth are waking up. I volunteer at a food pantry and see more and more people needing help because of what our corporate government has visited on all of us.  The hogs in Washington are looking out for themselves.  Their oath of office is just lip service to them.

I hope it won't be long before there is a big march on Washington D.C. - "Disney on the Potomac"  I'll bring the feathers, if you bring the tar and someone else volunteers to brings the rails.  I hope you are watching Glenn Beck - he is waking many people up.  I miss listening to Mark Scott on WXYT in the metro-Detroit area.  He passed away a couple of years ago. He used to call me "Mary from the Constellation Orion" 

Aaron Russo's "Freedom to Fascism" is a great DVD to watch. Too bad we lost him to cancer.

 inform4, I took a couple of Keynesian economics courses when I attended a big public university.  When I questioned the instructor on why certain aspects of the theory where clearly not holding up and sited examples, she got mad at me.  I then switched schools and was introduced to Von Mises, it was like a light went on.  Everything fit perfectly.  It is the way economics really works vs. the way we wish it would work.

Funny you mention Mark Scott.  I miss him too.  Spent many hours building a business living in a hole in Detroit to save money and working out of a room converted to an office with Mark Scott on the radio.

changeagent,  I know what you mean about these professors, colleges and universities.  I knew of one brilliant young man that was teaching economics at Oakland U.  Because he was teaching Austrian Economics they did not renew his contract.  I miss Mr. "Bad to the Bone, too.  Mark was a mentor to me.  The first book that he recommended that helped to open my eyes was Robert Ringers "Restoring the American Dream."  I still have that book.  I thought at first when I started reading "Atlas Shrugged" that I would never get through it -- and then I hated to have it end.  Frederic Bastiat's "The Law" is so basic and clear thinking and boy do we have "legalized plunder" on the rampage now.  I cannot believe how so many are dumbed-down to believing we need bigger government and dictates in our lives.  I just bought a couple of Judge Andrew Napolitano's books. 

The following just knocked my socks off! I wish we had someone in our government who could speak with such elequence, because the same statements need to be thrown at those who are taking us down the road of socialist/fascism.

  Daniel Hannan MEP: The devalued Prime Minister of a devalued Government
 

VIDEO: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94lW6Y4tBXs

TRANSCRIPT:

http://www.usnews.com/blogs/capital-commerce/2009/3/25/british-mep-daniel-hannen-transcrip t-of-his-attack-on-gordon-brown.html?s_cid=rss:capital-commerce:british-mep-daniel-hannen- transcript-of-his-attack-on-gordon-brown

U.K. MEP Daniel Hannan: Transcript of His Attack on Gordon Brown

 i suppose we are going to get told that bush caused britain's problems too.