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Politics : Sioux Nation -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Wharf Rat who wrote (190775)	5/2/2010 4:59:38 PM
From: Wharf Rat	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 361858

Many people don't like dead coal miners. Many people don't like mountaintop removal coal mining. Usually the same people, but, I digress. Nobody likes being without electricity for their refrigerator for 72 hours, tho. What's the major use of coal in this country? The generation of electricity. How many miners would still be alive, and how many mountains would still have their tops, if the rest of the country was like California?

To: Wharf Rat who wrote (190775)	5/3/2010 7:52:16 AM
From: cirrus	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 361858

We should consider a 20 year gas tax plan that increases the tax annually by 10 to 15 cents a gallon. People buying a car today would know that in 3 years a gallon gas will cost at least 45 cents more than today, 75 cents more in 5 years, and $1.50 in 10 years. Annual increases would avoid a disruptive price shock and allow businesses and consumers to plan ahead on all fronts, from what kind of car to buy to the method and distance of their daily commute. We also need legislation limiting the trucking industry's ability to pass through fuel costs. There is little incentive to conserve or work efficiently when a company can simply pass through a cost as an invoice line item directly to the customer. Trucking would be good test bed for alternative fuels such as hydrogen or natural gas. An 18 wheeler doesn't fill up at your neighborhood gas station/mini-mart. The number of truck stops is a fraction of the number of gas stations used by cars so the infrastructure upgrades would seem to be more manageable. I'm not saying that hydrogen or nat gas are viable fuels for heavy trucks, but it seems illogical to think that we can suddenly switch the entire country or industry from one fuel or vehicle type to another. With the right carrots and sticks , in 20 years we should see a diverse mix of vehicles and fuels, allowing people & businesses to choose the most efficient application for their needs, with a substantial net gain in efficiency. You need to tax all carbon. As for taxing gas, remember what happened when gas went from ?2.50 -> $4.00 over a span of 18 months?