Letter of the week, 1/5/09: Raise Connecticut's gas tax?

[David]

Profligate spending
Editor:

In the recent article, “Time to raise the gas tax,” (R-J, 1/2/2009), the news account gives an overview of the gas tax hike debate taking place in Hartford.

Connecticut taxpayers, who already see over 11 percent of their earnings consumed by state and local taxes alone, should not be on the hook for lawmakers’ profligate spending. As it stands, Connecticut residents already work 212 days annually, well over half the year, just paying for the cost of government.

The cadre of taxes and fees levied on fuel include sales, gross receipts, oil inspection fees, along with other environmental fees. American motorists currently pay an average of 48.4¢ in taxes for every gallon of gas purchased. When it is all said and done, over 51.2 percent of the cost of fuel is consumed by federal, state, and local taxes.

The R-J article quotes the independent Connecticut Petroleum Association and Sen. Thomas P. Gaffey (D-Meriden) begrudging the fact that Connecticut residents already pay more taxes at the pump than any other state in the union. This fact, along with the other aforementioned reasons, should make any gas tax hike proposal a non-starter for all lawmakers.

In order to increase transparency and make consumers more aware of the hidden taxes associated with each purchase, Connecticut legislators should pass a law to place labels on every gas pump indicating the level of gas taxes levied by the federal and state governments. (Visit: atr.org)

PATRICK GLEASON, WASHINGTON, D.C.
AMERICANS FOR TAX REFORM

[RC12L4]

Profligate spending
Editor:

In the recent article, “Time to raise the gas tax,” (R-J, 1/2/2009), the news account gives an overview of the gas tax hike debate taking place in Hartford.

Connecticut taxpayers, who already see over 11 percent of their earnings consumed by state and local taxes alone, should not be on the hook for lawmakers’ profligate spending. As it stands, Connecticut residents already work 212 days annually, well over half the year, just paying for the cost of government.

The cadre of taxes and fees levied on fuel include sales, gross receipts, oil inspection fees, along with other environmental fees. American motorists currently pay an average of 48.4¢ in taxes for every gallon of gas purchased. When it is all said and done, over 51.2 percent of the cost of fuel is consumed by federal, state, and local taxes.

The R-J article quotes the independent Connecticut Petroleum Association and Sen. Thomas P. Gaffey (D-Meriden) begrudging the fact that Connecticut residents already pay more taxes at the pump than any other state in the union. This fact, along with the other aforementioned reasons, should make any gas tax hike proposal a non-starter for all lawmakers.

In order to increase transparency and make consumers more aware of the hidden taxes associated with each purchase, Connecticut legislators should pass a law to place labels on every gas pump indicating the level of gas taxes levied by the federal and state governments. (Visit: atr.org)

PATRICK GLEASON, WASHINGTON, D.C.
AMERICANS FOR TAX REFORM

In Texas taxes are listed on pumps, not sure if this is law or not but it's nice to see.

[flatrat]

In Texas taxes are listed on pumps, not sure if this is law or not but it's nice to see.

Lets raise the tax on cigarettes and alcohol and legalize marijuana and tax it.

Lets release nonviolent drug offenders and close some prisons and save a ton of money.

Lets tax religion.

[iwantwallingfordbetter]

so lets stop raising taxes and start cutting services, start with the board of ed, then to city or town halls, then to the police departments, then to the public works,

[oldnickel]

It's easy to say cut spending. Much harder to say where to and how much to cut the spending. Eventually everything trickles down to the municipal level.

[iwantwallingfordbetter]

what do you do when money is tight, STOP SPENDING, right, everything trickles down, there is not much in our economy the trickles up, so thing are tight right now so STOP SPENDING......

[alwaysright]

Lets raise the tax on cigarettes and alcohol and legalize marijuana and tax it.

Lets release nonviolent drug offenders and close some prisons and save a ton of money.

Lets tax religion.


this is all great ideas.

[Jim N]

Lets raise the tax on cigarettes and alcohol and legalize marijuana and tax it.

Lets release nonviolent drug offenders and close some prisons and save a ton of money.

Lets tax religion.
Total agreement.

If our founding fathers saw what "our" government does to us in the way of taxes they'd probably feel the whole revolution was a waste of time, it would have been better just to stick with England.
Some how I think "taxation without representation" back then was probably a lot better then the "taxation with representation" we have now.
Time to get rid of all the incumbents starting with Rell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Snakebite]

There's a weird phenomenon. Everyone seems to blame the other guys, not
their own representatives.

[oldnickel]

Everyone wants to cut spending, yet when the alternatives are put on the table, no one wants to want to cut anything. I am not talking about the politicians, I am talking about the citizenry.

[Jim N]

Everyone wants to cut spending, yet when the alternatives are put on the table, no one wants to want to cut anything. I am not talking about the politicians, I am talking about the citizenry.
That's because the lazy found out they could vote themselves money (welfare) so they keep electing the people who give them money. The other group is the safety Nazis who know what's best for everyone and demand laws to make everyone "safe". I bet the Native Americans wish these Nazis were around to stop Columbus you know the earth was flat you can't do that. They'd still have a beautiful country.

[catnap]

Lets raise the tax on cigarettes and alcohol and legalize marijuana and tax it.

Lets release nonviolent drug offenders and close some prisons and save a ton of money.

Lets tax religion.

YES to one and two - not sure about taxing relgion, tho.

[Jim N]

YES to one and two - not sure about taxing relgion, tho.
Tax religion as you would any business, the have rental properties, schools that make profits, the Catholics have their own bank. Tax them more then the sin taxes. Plus how much of our tax money goes to procecuting priests for child molesting. TAX TAX TAX

[catnap]

Tax religion as you would any business, the have rental properties, schools that make profits, the Catholics have their own bank. Tax them more then the sin taxes. Plus how much of our tax money goes to procecuting priests for child molesting. TAX TAX TAX

But doesn't that conflict with seperation of church and state? - I personally feel we've had enough religionists interfering in our govermental policies - starting taxing them and they take over.

[Jim N]

But doesn't that conflict with seperation of church and state? - I personally feel we've had enough religionists interfering in our govermental policies - starting taxing them and they take over.
I don't have my copy with me however I thought it just said the government shall make no law governing how people worship, nothing to do with not taxing them. Besides the way they trample the constitution trying to pass laws that make everyone conform to their religion I have no problem going after them, either by trampling or changing the constitution. Bush taught us how to do it.

[alwaysright]

I don't have my copy with me however I thought it just said the government shall make no law governing how people worship, nothing to do with not taxing them. Besides the way they trample the constitution trying to pass laws that make everyone conform to their religion I have no problem going after them, either by trampling or changing the constitution. Bush taught us how to do it.


let's just jail religious people. Then take their stuff.

[Jim N]

let's just jail religious people. Then take their stuff.
I'm with you. Just like they did to anyone who's property they wanted.
Hey the way American lawyers sue do you think if I could prove I was related to someone who's property was stolen by the Catholics during the Inquisition I could get it back? Who knows I may own half of Spain.
I mean the US took the land from the Palistines and gave it to Israel cause a couple thousand years before they walked across it.

[oldnickel]

I thought Jesus said you had to give away all your possessions and follow him. That being the case, I am waiting for all those super religious folks to give their belongings away. Brilliant, we don't need to confiscate it or tsx it.