Obama's Energy and Environment Policy
Obama has named three people to his Energy and Environment Policy Team at this time I am not so much interested in who the persons are as much as I am interested in the organizations themselves. One of which is the Pew Center on Global Climate Change, in particular the Pew Center's Congressional Policy Brief known as The Policies to Reduce Emissions from the Transportation Sector. If these policies are enacted, they will have a direct impact on all of our lives both the way we drive and not the mention shelling out more money at the gas pump. Back in April 2008 a news source quoted Obama as stating that gas prices were killing folks. Let's see what he may have planned for our wallets.
Pew's policy brief stated that "a tax also provides a price signal to consumers (that's us guys and gals) to shift their purchasing behavior. If clearly labeled at the pump, the tax send a more direct message to consumers that reducing fuel consumption or selecting fuels with low GHG footprints is important. The effectiveness of the price of signal depends on the availability of low carbon fuel options. Thus complementary polices, such as that accelerate the development of low carbon fuel options could work synergistically with a cap and trade program."
The briefing also stated "one idea that has been discussed in recent literature calls for a price floor once gasoline prices begin to fall from recent high levels. Once the price would fall below a certain amount, a tax would maintain prices at the established level-both serving as an incentive to promote conservation and also as a source of revenue that could be dedicated to alternative fuels, VMT measures, and other policies.
Another possible measure is to establish tolls and congestion charges. For example, the report stated that single occupancy vehicles could still use these high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes, but would pay a higher toll than vehicles with multiple passengers. As alternative strategy-congestion pricing-charges drivers a higher toll on certain roadways (for example, in a central business district or city center) during peak times. The price signal is intended to influence drivers to take mass transit or reschedule their trip to non-peak times.
More gas tax suggestions is a pay as you drive insurance (PAYD) links insurance premiums to miles traveled and could reduce premiums to miles traveled and could reduce driving to 10-12 percent, based on one estimate. With PAYD, the annual insurance fee is converted to a per mile fee that takes into consideration the regular rate factors, include the driver age and history and vehicle type. PAYD rewards drivers who rarely use personal vehicle transport and creates an incentive to instead use other transportation modes (A horse and buggy is sounding better all the time) An alternative to PAYD insurance is pay-at-the-pump. (PATP) Under PATP, drivers pay for the insurance when they fuel their vehicles, typically as a surcharge on fuel price. The amount of the surcharge would depend on insurance coverage. Proposed amounts have been in the range of 30 to 50 cents per gallon.
The report did state that the revenue from a tax could be used to increase funding for transportation infrastructure, transit, nd other means to reduce miles traveled. Tax process could also be redistributed to assist low-income groups for which a tax on fuels would represent a larger fraction of disposable income than for higher income groups. From the way I am figuring this those that the income tax reduction for those making less than $250,000 will be eaten up by the gas tax. Obama stated that gas prices were killing folks. If he enacts those gas taxes, taxes will be killing us.
Candace Clark
Christian Political View
Pew's policy brief stated that "a tax also provides a price signal to consumers (that's us guys and gals) to shift their purchasing behavior. If clearly labeled at the pump, the tax send a more direct message to consumers that reducing fuel consumption or selecting fuels with low GHG footprints is important. The effectiveness of the price of signal depends on the availability of low carbon fuel options. Thus complementary polices, such as that accelerate the development of low carbon fuel options could work synergistically with a cap and trade program."
The briefing also stated "one idea that has been discussed in recent literature calls for a price floor once gasoline prices begin to fall from recent high levels. Once the price would fall below a certain amount, a tax would maintain prices at the established level-both serving as an incentive to promote conservation and also as a source of revenue that could be dedicated to alternative fuels, VMT measures, and other policies.
Another possible measure is to establish tolls and congestion charges. For example, the report stated that single occupancy vehicles could still use these high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes, but would pay a higher toll than vehicles with multiple passengers. As alternative strategy-congestion pricing-charges drivers a higher toll on certain roadways (for example, in a central business district or city center) during peak times. The price signal is intended to influence drivers to take mass transit or reschedule their trip to non-peak times.
More gas tax suggestions is a pay as you drive insurance (PAYD) links insurance premiums to miles traveled and could reduce premiums to miles traveled and could reduce driving to 10-12 percent, based on one estimate. With PAYD, the annual insurance fee is converted to a per mile fee that takes into consideration the regular rate factors, include the driver age and history and vehicle type. PAYD rewards drivers who rarely use personal vehicle transport and creates an incentive to instead use other transportation modes (A horse and buggy is sounding better all the time) An alternative to PAYD insurance is pay-at-the-pump. (PATP) Under PATP, drivers pay for the insurance when they fuel their vehicles, typically as a surcharge on fuel price. The amount of the surcharge would depend on insurance coverage. Proposed amounts have been in the range of 30 to 50 cents per gallon.
The report did state that the revenue from a tax could be used to increase funding for transportation infrastructure, transit, nd other means to reduce miles traveled. Tax process could also be redistributed to assist low-income groups for which a tax on fuels would represent a larger fraction of disposable income than for higher income groups. From the way I am figuring this those that the income tax reduction for those making less than $250,000 will be eaten up by the gas tax. Obama stated that gas prices were killing folks. If he enacts those gas taxes, taxes will be killing us.
Candace Clark
Christian Political View
Comments