Massachusetts Question 1

[ElectionsGuy]

Description: Repeals 2013 law that automatically increases gas taxes according to inflation. Full Details

Yes

[politicus]

No, inflation adjustment is sensible.

[Grumpier Than Thou]

No, inflation adjustment is sensible.

[Deus Naturae]

I'd vote yes. I really don't see why inflation is an appropriate measure for the gas tax. This just seems like a way to continually increase taxes without having to vote on it, and it means people have to spend more on gas at the same time as they have to spend more on other goods.

No, inflation adjustment is sensible.

Why? Gas tax revenues only pay for infrastructure and it's not like the CPI reflects how much the government needs to pay to construct roads and bridges.

[Wake Me Up When The Hard Border Ends]

Definite yes from me.

[muon2]

I'd vote yes. I really don't see why inflation is an appropriate measure for the gas tax. This just seems like a way to continually increase taxes without having to vote on it, and it means people have to spend more on gas at the same time as they have to spend more on other goods.

No, inflation adjustment is sensible.

Why? Gas tax revenues only pay for infrastructure and it's not like the CPI reflects how much the government needs to pay to construct roads and bridges.

Most tax revenue increases without voter approval. That happens because the taxes are most often based on a percent of the value of the item taxed. That's true for income, property and sales taxes. Since the value/cost of those items tends to rise with inflation, the tax revenue is automatically indexed.

Motor fuels are usually taxed on the volume of fuel, not the value. So if there were no change in vehicle efficiency, one would expect growth in revenue at about the same level as population growth, which is less than inflation. The cost of road building increases with inflation (primarily energy and labor costs) and where as CPI is not necessarily a good index, most people wouldn't want to tie it to a direct sales tax which would better match the changing cost of road construction.

The bigger problem in the future for transportation infrastructure is the changing efficiency of the vehicles. Taxing gasoline provided a reasonable connection to the miles driven and hence the need for road maintenance, so the tax went to the user. As alternative fuel vehicles become more widespread that connection is severed, and new methods will be needed to establish a tax that is commensurate with the amount of use of the transportation system.

[Goldwater]

Yes

[AggregateDemand]

Is the federal rate of inflation a strong corollary to the budgetary needs of state transportation authorities?

Repeal. Pointless bill. If inflation hedges are desired, try using ad valorem taxes. When the cost of fuel is low and consumption rises, revenues stay level. When the cost of fuel is high and demand wanes, revenues remain relatively fixed.

[traininthedistance]

HELL no.

[TNF]

Yes, given that the gas tax is regressive and hits strained working class budgets harder than it does anyone else.

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

No, inflation adjustment is sensible.

[AggregateDemand]

Yes, given that the gas tax is regressive and hits strained working class budgets harder than it does anyone else.

Don't show up Democrats like that. They have a good thing going with the we-care-about-the-poor-and-elderly schtick.

[Maxwell]

Yes, obviously.

[New_Conservative]

Yes, given that the gas tax is regressive and hits strained working class budgets harder than it does anyone else.

[traininthedistance]

Yes, given that the gas tax is regressive and hits strained working class budgets harder than it does anyone else.

Only if you ignore the (overwhelmingly lower-income) slice of people who don't pay gas tax at all.  And even if so, the problems that stem from underpricing/implicitly subsidizing the use of fossil fuels (and failing to invest in infrastructure) are sufficiently obvious and extreme that, well, they trump basically all other concerns.  The proper response to equity concerns is to a) invest in the sorts of improvements that would well and truly make gasoline usage inessential for as many people as possible, and b) in the meantime, make it up in other areas of the code.

Selectively raising equity concerns as a cudgel against the prospect of dealing with legitimate and severe externality problems (and I'm not saying that you yourself are selective here, but you are providing cover for folks who are engaging in that sort of, well, selectivity) is simply unacceptable.

[SNJ1985]

Yes

[Mr. Illini]

Hard no. The gas tax is one of the most effective measures of reducing gasoline consumption. I'd vote for an increase even, but hooking it to inflation is just common sense.

[Sopranos Republican]

Yes, obviously.

Yes, given that the gas tax is regressive and hits strained working class budgets harder than it does anyone else.

These. I certainly plan on voting yes.

Hard no. The gas tax is one of the most effective measures of reducing gasoline consumption. I'd vote for an increase even, but hooking it to inflation is just common sense.

Yes, because God forbid any of us need to drive to work to earn piss poor wages, and wish to have some money left over after fueling the car.

[WalterMitty]

no.

[Franzl]

Considering fuel taxes are laughably low as it is and that tying them to inflation does nothing but prevent them from becoming even more laughable..... NO obviously.

[bullmoose88]

Yes, given that the gas tax is regressive and hits strained working class budgets harder than it does anyone else.

This.

[Citizen Hats]

NO. 

transitioning away from the carbon economy is best done by hiking the cost of carboniferous fuels.  A gas tax covers a lot of that, not to mention that it helps pay for the roads which are massively subsidized, to the detriment of a lot of public life. 

If you're worried about the distributional effects, do what BC did and send a income-based rebate to low-income households, rather than insist on yet more subsidies for everyone's 1500 pound private vehicle. 

[🦀🎂🦀🎂]

No. Faux concern for the poor (strange how all of a sudden, when the precious automobile is at stake; conservatives are OK with regressive taxation) is a ruse.

Especially in a densely populated state like Massachusetts, the aim should be to render the private automobile as a luxurious non-necessity; not continue to prop up the practice with underhand subsidisation.

[Mr. Illini]

Hard no. The gas tax is one of the most effective measures of reducing gasoline consumption. I'd vote for an increase even, but hooking it to inflation is just common sense.

Yes, because God forbid any of us need to drive to work to earn piss poor wages, and wish to have some money left over after fueling the car.

So do you just not support reducing gasoline consumption or do you have another proposition?

[Sopranos Republican]

No. Faux concern for the poor (strange how all of a sudden, when the precious automobile is at stake; conservatives are OK with regressive taxation) is a ruse.

Especially in a densely populated state like Massachusetts, the aim should be to render the private automobile as a luxurious non-necessity; not continue to prop up the practice with underhand subsidisation.

Just FYI automobiles are a necessity for many of us Massachusetts folk, as we don't all live in Boston.

Hard no. The gas tax is one of the most effective measures of reducing gasoline consumption. I'd vote for an increase even, but hooking it to inflation is just common sense.

Yes, because God forbid any of us need to drive to work to earn piss poor wages, and wish to have some money left over after fueling the car.

So do you just not support reducing gasoline consumption or do you have another proposition?

Uhhhh, of course I support moving to renewable energy. But the truth of the matter is while I really can't afford gax tax hikes, I am still going to fill up my car whether they are imposed or not, so I can get to work, and school, thus keeping myself alive and hopefully bettering myself in the future. Your argument that the gas tax will result in lower gas consumption doesn't really make sense given that the vast majority of people are still going to fill their tanks so they can get to where they need to be to earn a living. All gas tax hikes do is punish people for using gas, which for many of us non-enlightened folks unlike yourself, is still a necessity.