[Hidden-tech] send testimony if can't attend Sunday

[Andy Klapper]

Amy,

Here is a wacky idea I came up with that makes a lot of sense to me, but
would probably never get through congress.

Raise the minimum income on which one has to pay income taxes by the amount
necessary to give everybody in the US paying taxes $1,200 back.  So that's
$100 more per month of money in each person's pocket.  Bill Gates and I get
the same $1,200/year of extra change in our pockets.

Take the amount of money the government just gave away and divide it by the
number of gallons of gasoline and diesel consumed last year and apply that
amount as additional taxes on gas and diesel.  This is a revenue neutral tax
switch from income to a targeted consumption tax.  No I don't know how much
of a tax that would be and the $1,200 number is just to make the math
easier.  People with a better understanding of economics should be left to
pick the amount such that it is significant enough to have the desired
effect of getting people to consume less fuel.

If you drive an average car an average distance you will get $100 more each
month in your paycheck and pay $100 more each month in gas taxes.  You break
even.  It's a way of applying a gas tax without really adding an additional
tax since the average American ends up playing the same amount in taxes as
they did before.

Obvious if you use less gas than the average American you win, if you use
more you loose.  Best part is if you take any number of actions you can
lower the amount you pay in taxes.  Drive less, go from a Lincoln Navigator
to a smaller SVU, or to a station wagon, drive slower, car pool, mass
transit, work at home one day a week, or my favorite, "Honey I had to buy
the motorcycle to save money on the gas tax!", and you can actually lower
the amount you pay in taxes yearly.

I suspect that this would turn into a tax cut as people reduced the amount
of gasoline that they consume by various means to be able to keep more that
extra money they see in their paycheck each money.  The strange thing is
that if we reduce consumption the price of oil will come down and while the
price of gas will not go lower than the pre-tax price it will go down some
offsetting part of the amount that was added by the additional taxes.  (I
was recently told that the 1970's oil crisis was caused by a mere 5%
difference between supply and demand.  Imagine how much oil prices would go
down if the US cut back consumption by only 10% - we could see $35/barrel of
oil again).



Andy.


-----Original Message-----
From: hidden-discuss-bounces at lists.hidden-tech.net
[mailto:hidden-discuss-bounces at lists.hidden-tech.net]On Behalf Of A - Z
International
Sent: Thursday, October 13, 2005 12:00 PM
To: hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net
Subject: [Hidden-tech] send testimony if can't attend Sunday

   ** Be a Good Dobee and help the group
   ** Fill out the survey/skills inventory in the member's area.
   ** Remember you must be counted to post .

Forgot to mention if you can't attend the energy meeting Sunday, but want
your thoughts included, you can email me directly at
az at a-zinternational.com. I am collecting all testimony.

best,

Amy Zuckerman
Hidden-Tech founder, co-chair

_______________________________________________
Hidden-discuss mailing list - home page: http://www.hidden-tech.net
Hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net

You are receiving this because you are on the Hidden-Tech Discussion list.
If you would like to change your list preferences, Go to the Members
page on the Hidden Tech Web site.
http://www.hidden-tech.net/members