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McCain's "Remove GasTaxes" Leadership or Folie
by zipdadoda | April 23, 2008 at 06:52 am | 227 views | 2 comments
With oil set to break through the $120 mark and pump prices forecast to hit $4 bucks or more a gallon, Presidential candidate John McCain has called for all levels of government to remove their tax on gas. While this may bring a hoot from a couple of die hard Rush Limbaugh fans, the reality is that any relief would be short lived. While increased pump price do inflate tax coffers, revenue for government expenditures needs to be maintained with other areas of the economy teetering on disaster.
Most of us have a sense, that any tax relief would quickly be absorbed by the oil companies willing to swell their bludgeoning profit margins anyway.
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April 23, 2008 at 06:52 am by zipdadoda, 227 views, 2 comments
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Comments (2)
at 17:07 on April 23rd, 2008
was surfing and came across this about electric cars from turn of the century
The Toyota RAV4 EV is an all-electric version of the popular RAV4 SUV. It is powered exclusively by NiMH batteries.
As of May, 2006, charging an RAV4EV from full-dead to full-charge, at a rate of US$0.09 per kilowatt-hour, costs around $2.70. As of December, 2007, based on a gasoline price-per-gallon cost of US$3.25 and up. and the non-EV 2003 RAV4 2-wheel-drive gasoline fuel efficiency of 27 mpg, the RAV4EV costs approximately 25% as much to fully charge, and makes mileage in the RAV4EV the cost equivalent to a 111.1-mile-per-gallon small SUV (2.12 L/100 km).
In addition, the RAV4EV has a charge timer built into the dashboard that enables the vehicle to start charging at a specific time. As the RAV4EV easily becomes the main cost of electricity in an average-sized home, this enables the owner to use a Time-Of-Day Meter to reduce electricity costs. This configuration is a standard practice with RAV4EV owners. The price of electricity at night depends on the carrier, but is usually in the range of 60% of the normal rate. In the use of charging the RAV4EV, this equates to a cheaper cost-per-mile, roughly equivalent to a vehicle capable of 166.6 mpg (miles-per-gallon) (1.41 L/100 km), based on a price of US$3.00 per gallon.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency listed mileage ratings for the RAV4EV in its yearly Fuel Economy Guide from 2000 through 2003. The 2003 model recorded city mileage equivalent to 125 mpg, and 100 mpg on the highway. Estimated combined mileage was 112 mpg.
The RAV4EV's battery system is a wearable item. Third party battery vendors charged approximately US$26,000 as of June 2007. Toyota tested the RAV4EV in Japan for 300,000 miles over two years before introducing the vehicle in the United States.
at 19:15 on April 23rd, 2008
McCain is no economist - that's for sure. And based on that kind of comment he may not make the best President either.
You wanna know why gas is expensive? Because more is demanded than produced. That leaves only 2 real solutions: increase production or reduce demand (or both). A tax reduction will make gas more affordable but that in and of itself will drive increase demand which will, in turn, drive prices back up. An increase in production is a solution in theory but the bottleneck is not crude oil it is refining capacity. There hasn't been a new oil refinery built in the US since the 80's and a new one costs billions and would take about 10 years to complete. Clearly this offers no timely solution.
Look at the positive side. There would be no interest in oil substitutes if gas were back at $2.50 a gallon. No real investment in hydrogen, electric hybrids etc. And if you think Americans are hard done by look at what they pay for gas in Europe. $7 - $8 a gallon is commonplace. So suck it up. Drive less, use more efficient form of transportation like electric busses, car pools, bicycles and walking and start saving for your first electric car. Life sucks then you die.