@doug – Good luck getting a flat tax even if the dems u seem to despise weren’t around, its hard to get any politician to accept something that takes away their leverage. Loopholes = election wins. I personally disagree with a flat tax but I wont even go there because it is so impractical.

The only study numbers I’ve heard of on the topic actually suggest gas taxes are progressive; the rich have more disposable income and are more likely to spend money more freely on gasoline. Not surprisingly, low income people tend to consume less gas (even per dollar income).

Of course there are always the special cases that we can point to where a particular minimum wage worker decides to live 45 miles from his or her work. I’ve read about these people in national news but I’ve never met one even though I grew up in the Midwest. On the other hand I’ve met dozens of people who own SUVs for no reason but don’t care about reducing gas waste because the price of gas is so low.

I hope the other points in this article were better researched (and thought out) than this first one.

The only study numbers I’ve heard of on the topic actually suggest gas taxes are progressive; the rich have more disposable income and are more likely to spend money more freely on gasoline. Not surprisingly, low income people tend to consume less gas (even per dollar income).

Of course there are always the special cases that we can point to where a particular minimum wage worker decides to live 45 miles from his or her work. I’ve read about these people in national news but I’ve never met one even though I grew up in the Midwest. On the other hand I’ve met dozens of people who own SUVs for no reason but don’t care about reducing gas waste because the price of gas is so low.

I hope the other points in this article were better researched (and thought out) than this first one.

For those who would like to emulate “Europe”, they should first understand that that the cities and population centers formed from royal or “landed” owership of most property. One could not own the land that one’s house was on, one only could lease it. This is still true in some countries. I would rather own my little piece of the rock than lease it from ‘the man’ I also would rather be held responeable for my own future than have others, who by the way may NOT have MY best interest in mind, be resposiable for me.

I have lived in over 20 countries and visited over 100 in my 60 plus years and I am hear to tell you we my not have it @ 100% but our current way of life is so far ahead of the rest of the world that everyone is moving here and no one is leaving!!

For those who would like to emulate “Europe”, they should first understand that that the cities and population centers formed from royal or “landed” owership of most property. One could not own the land that one’s house was on, one only could lease it. This is still true in some countries. I would rather own my little piece of the rock than lease it from ‘the man’ I also would rather be held responeable for my own future than have others, who by the way may NOT have MY best interest in mind, be resposiable for me.

I have lived in over 20 countries and visited over 100 in my 60 plus years and I am hear to tell you we my not have it @ 100% but our current way of life is so far ahead of the rest of the world that everyone is moving here and no one is leaving!!

Wow you nailed it, it is all the suburbs fault we have obesity in America. That type of fairytale thinking is exactly why nothing meaningful is rarely achieved. Put down your soy latte and try to think in real world solutions. It is not feasible to rebuild America, but it is feasible to build mass transit from the suburbs to the city centers. It is not feasible to run America off of renewable power, but it is possible to build things like clean nuclear and use this until truly renewable power is available. Until all the crazy ultra hippies can focus on realistic solutions America will continue to function poorly. As to everyone wanting to emulate Europe, stop and go do a little research. Most of their city centers are over 300 years old. They did not have to change anything to prevent urban spread because there was no where to spread. America was a country founded on space and individualism and that is not going to change quickly. So go tell all the people enduring the coldest winter in decades how their living in the suburbs is causing global warming. Better yet go have a sit in at Al Gores strip mine.

Wow you nailed it, it is all the suburbs fault we have obesity in America. That type of fairytale thinking is exactly why nothing meaningful is rarely achieved. Put down your soy latte and try to think in real world solutions. It is not feasible to rebuild America, but it is feasible to build mass transit from the suburbs to the city centers. It is not feasible to run America off of renewable power, but it is possible to build things like clean nuclear and use this until truly renewable power is available. Until all the crazy ultra hippies can focus on realistic solutions America will continue to function poorly. As to everyone wanting to emulate Europe, stop and go do a little research. Most of their city centers are over 300 years old. They did not have to change anything to prevent urban spread because there was no where to spread. America was a country founded on space and individualism and that is not going to change quickly. So go tell all the people enduring the coldest winter in decades how their living in the suburbs is causing global warming. Better yet go have a sit in at Al Gores strip mine.