Should there be a Carbon Tax?

Question

We already have:

Alcoholic Beverage Tax
Cigarette and Tobacco tax
Contamination Tax
Controlled substance tax
Corporate Frachise Tax
Deed Tax
Estate and Trust tax
Fur tax
Luxury Tax
Individual income tax
Insurance Tax
Gambling Tax
Mineral Tax
Property Tax
Gas Guzzler Tax
Gasoline Tax
S Corp Tax
Sales and Use Tax
Water tax
Withholding Tax
Use Tax
Inheritence Tax
Poll Tax
Toll bridge and road tax (tolls)
Retirement Tax



Now we need another Carbon Tax? Here's the lube... I'll just bend over the chair FARTHER so Uncle Sam and the State can really pound away. No thanks. If I want to be taxed more, I'll move to a Socialist country where at least they say "thank you" after over some tea.

The carbon tax on a big car is already taxed a few ways: Gas Guzzler Tax (as usually those cars are larger and more powerful with bigger engines - then, those cars are sometimes "luxury" items and get hit with a "luxury" tax. Each time the car gets fueled up, at least in my state, we pay a Gasoline tax. It's the Karma Sutra of taxation... how many ways can you screw the tax payer over and tax them on the same thing. Whoever supports this is an outright idiot.

A carbon tax is like saying, you can kill anyone you want, as long as you're willing to pay the fine. Rich? Murder away! Poor? Sorry, no killing for you. That's ridiculous. It's either bad, or it's not, regardless of your ability to pay for your sins.

Answer 1

The thing I REALLY don't understand is that Al Gore wants to use this carbon tax to fund systems to eliminate greenhouse gasses. If we had a system to eliminate the greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere, this may make some sort of sense. Unfortunately for Mr. Gore's plan, we don't have any greenhouse gas removal systems. If we did we would already be using them. The idea that we should pay a tax to fund a program that relies on technology that doesn't exist is one of the most asinine ideas I have ever heard of.

P.S. I love the "karma sutra of taxation" phrase. It will immediately enter my lexicon.

Answer 2

A carbon tax has been floated as a way of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. I'm still undecided. I'd say that it might be more useful to eliminate incentives that cause more greenhouse gases and oil consumption. S.U.V.s are still exempt from mileage requirements that apply to most other vehicles--eliminating that one exemption could make a huge difference. Encouraging sources of energy that don't require coal, oil, or gas would help (solar, nuclear). There are measures that can be taken without resorting to taxation.

Answer 3

You know I can't imagine how many times a gallon of gas is taxed.

After all the hands of getting it to the US....a distributor is taxed to distribute it to gas stations, gas stations are taxed by volume they get from the distributors, state and federal taxes on consumers (the price you pay for) and then imagine a universal "carbon footprint tax" required of all consumers.

Smokers have single-handedly built most the schools in this country. They deserve a medal.

Answer 4

We have to come up with all these taxes to make up for the tax breaks the rich and the rich corporations get from the Republicans. Don't blame the record deficits. Bush inherited a record surplus and in less than four years turned it in to a record deficit to give his buddies in oil and construction big tax breaks.

Answer 5

A carbon tax would not be saying you can use as much as you want so long as you pay. The tax is not about right or wrong but rather about costs and benefits.
A tax on a negative externality is simply to ensure that the marginal cost to society of the externatility is incorporated into the price for the purchaser - hence producing a pareto efficient outcome.

Answer 6

thinking even in the object, it states that it is extra a ploy to get extra money for the government to conceal it incredibly is expenditures then to truly get human beings to alter their behavior. on account that France gets maximum of it incredibly is skill the two by using nuclear or hydroelectric and heavy industry is excluded, it incredibly is in basic terms yet another tax on the human beings to help the country's average funds.

Answer 7

No CARBON TAX!!!! Tax industries that are TRULY causing pollution and rising rates of cancer!!!!!! Tax and regulate them to death until they get the picture that we're not falling for their green propaganda--THEY are the ones polluting the most and using more energy and resources than we have to spare!!!!

Answer 8

For people who cannot afford new Environmental Friendly vehicles they would be getting taxed more for their own misfortunes. It will never work.

Answer 9

Why would anyone suggest such a thing, other than for another way to demonize environmentalists?
I have yet to see anyone in the USA suggest anything like that, other than people attempting to bash environmentalists.

Answer 10

you're getting me all excited talking like that

by the way, what do you think of federal subsidies to oil corporations? you didn't mention that.