DISQUS

Car Link · 3 months ago

Being a car guy does not always mean you know what is best for the economy or other people, he is a car fixer.. stay that way.

Very soon gas is going to rise again and a added .50 cent on the gas price will be a death blow to people who are already living close to the edge.

So Ray Magliozzi, instead of talking about it.. why not donate to my pocket .50 for every gallon you buy of gas. Stop talking and walk it!

Pam Duncan · 10 months ago

Nice to hear some responsible thoughts about our energy consumption. Leadership takes many forms. Thanks, Guys!

Andrea · 10 months ago

Heck, It should be a dollar a gallon. Force Detroit to make vehicles that get better mileage. If this had been done years ago, we'd already be driving more feul efficiant vehicles, not be so subject to OPEC's whims and have cleaner air to boot.

Instead we are in a Godforsaken war, debt piling higher and global warming getting worse by the day. And some fools actually want to drill offshore. What lunacy. Takes years to get here and then gets sold to the highest bidder, which won't be us because we borrowed from China to support the Iraq war, so China has all our money. We're suuuposed to use tax payer money to get oil for China leaving ourselves with more debt and no more energy security.

Tax the gas at the pump.

Tom in San Jose · 10 months ago

Good idea but he's about $1.50 to $2.00 a gallon short. To get people out of their cars you have to make it painful to drive more than necessary.

Along with that gas tax should be federal and state programs (ala California) than provide incentives (cash, tax credit, etc.) to scrap the old gas guzzler and get into a newer, more economical and cleaner vehicle (preferably, U.S. made).

Steve in Georgia · 10 months ago

Good idea, but I agree with Tom in San Jose. Over a couple of years, raise the tax to at least $2 a gallon, then use the money for transportation infrastructure.

Jan Sershen · 10 months ago

Goodness! I'm as green as they come, but I am that guy who owns an 13-year-old pickup that gets about 21 miles to the gallon who uses it to go to Home Depot to pick up supplies for my hobby/business.
Here's where the green part comes in: I put less that a thousand miles a year on my truck. Compare that to a Prius driver who logs 20,000 MPY and who comes out on top as far as trashing the environment?

Steve Blake · 10 months ago

It's nice to see that they want to cripple what's left of America's truckers. Hope you can grow your own food.

Adam · 10 months ago

Sounds good, but I get screwed. I'm a comedian, and I drive across the country for very low wages in my Hyundai (~30 mph). Gas is finally cheap enough again that a comic can afford to do the necessary road work to learn his craft.

That said, I'd still support it.

Erik · 10 months ago

The last time the US government put any serious thought into issues of energy and fuel efficiency was in the 1970's. It was terminated by the Reagan era's naive and backward looking policies. If a $5/gallon tax had been instituted in the late 1970's, and maintained since then, we would have avoided squandering our wealth and land by constructing the unsustainable and economically untenable suburbs that are sucking the life out of our cities. And we would not be hostage to the unstable Middle East.

It's too late now to undo that mistake, but it's not too late to begin a more responsible policy.

Gerald Blume · 10 months ago

Tom and Ray are spot on! this will help reduce the wastefulness of people driving more than they need and the money can be used for things like mass transit, etc.

Anthony Gumbrell · 10 months ago

Look at what gas costs in Europe (8–12 bucks per gallon)! During the war (that's WWII kids) gasoline was rationed because we meant business. Absolutely yes, get people out of the monster trucks and Sport Utility Vehicals (except for off-road use). A family had one car in the 1950s today families have three or more, for what? People can quit joy riding in psuedo race cars and quasi off-road vehicles with 4X4 capability, and drive only when they really need to. Taxing gas taxes gas hogs, and unnecessary cars and driving.

Erik Midelfort · 10 months ago

I agree that we would all be better off with an increasingly tough gas tax, one that would give everyone a year or two to get rid of their guzzlers before having to pay even more for gas. And the argument that some people "need" a truck to get stuff at Walmart or occasionally to take a load of junk to the landfill seems to overlook a better way to haul stuff: in a trailer that you hook up ONLY with you need it.

Edits · 10 months ago

I'm all for it. I'm ready to have an alternative energy economy so we can have something to export again!

Joe B. · 10 months ago

Are you crazy or just delusional? With the economy tanking, raising the tax on fuel would further weaken the economy and cost more Americans to lose their jobs. In addition, raising the gas tax would only hurt poor Americans. The wealthy can afford to pay higher gas taxes without a sweat, but the poor would have to make painful sacrafices.

Scottar · 10 months ago

A 50 cent gas tax is the most ridiculousness thing especially in recession times like this. A yearly tax rebate for driving a more fuel efficient vehicle rather than some ego inflating fuel pip would be the better answer. An across the board fuel tax punishes everybody, thrifty or not, and especially at stores.

Why give more alcohol money to the drunken spenders on the hill. You car guys have been breathing exhaust fumes for too long. It's like spending 20% more just to join the green club. The technology is there, you just have to get government crapholes out of the way with their stupid mandates.

Jerry Brown · 10 months ago

Of course the people who use the product (here carbon) should pay for all its costs (environmental and military). But to some ears, a higher carbon tax merely means a higher tax. Therefore, to actually succeed in getting an increased carbon tax through Congress, it is also necessary to couple the proposal to the lowering of other taxes (e.g. payroll taxes). Instead of asking "Do we need a higher carbon tax?", let's instead ask: "Should we tax carbon instead of work?" I think the vast majority of voters would answer yes to this question.

Scottar · 10 months ago

There is no proof that CO2 causes runaway global warming, icecap.us, co2science.org. Caps on carbon are another carpetbagging scam embraced by AGW alarmists and promoted by special interests groups who would make money off of the scam!

I think if people know the truth, and it's forthcoming, the would send half of congress to jail for perpetrating fraud, along with some scientists on the gravy train ticket.

jimmyp38 · 10 months ago

The problem is, Scotter, there is no proof that global warming doesn't exist either. I would like to remind you that anything one may hear, see or read in the media is, simply someone's opinion.

thistleandthorn · 10 months ago

But but but, don't those plants from Home Depot help offset the carbon output?
I think 50 cents is a good, reasonable amount for a gas tax, made less painful if less consumption helps keep the per barrel price down. If only the car guys could have used a different example!

jerry · 10 months ago

Hey Click and Clack,
I love your show but your idea of adding a 50 cent gas tax is a regressive tax, which would negatively affect the budgets of poor, and other lower wage workers needing their cars to drive to work, while those higher income earners would be less affected. What would be more effective would be to place a luxury car tax to subsidize public transit systems, or give lower income earners tax subsidies to purchase more efficient cars dumping their less efficient vehicles in the scrap yard.

http://eye-on-washington.blogspot.com

Hans Schmidt · 10 months ago

We need to subsidize the purchase of green vehicles with a price rebate from Federal Funds. To incent the change to electric cars with a $2 per gallon tax, which will fund the rebates, and green R & D. I pay plenty of taxes already but support this as realistic problem directed solution.

Scottar · 10 months ago

JimmyP38

I said AGW which is alleged to human caused. Of course GW has been occurring since the last iceage moron. But it not driven by CO2 nor Human activities. Visit icecap.us for the truth behind global warming.

nononononoooo · 10 months ago

Bad bad call by Ray Magliozzi to spout off about national energy policy issues he knows little about. Stick to broken alternators and Wheel Alignment click & clack.

Scottar · 10 months ago

I agree with JoeB and NONO, just raising the gas tax would hurt the economy and the lower wage earners. Incentives would be a better answer with better engineering on vehicles that can be converted from transportation to haulers via attachments.

Electrics and hybrids are iffy, compressed air cars and fluid accumulator driven vehicles would be better with new, lightwight materials like composite carbon graphics or buckeyballs.

And unless you have an efficient, cheep way of producing hydrogen and fuel cells then that's just a green pipe dream. Most hydrogen is presently produced from fossil fuels which just further exasperates supplies. Algores carbonless society is a fantasy for the near future.