Democrats controlled the Senate from the start of 2007 through just a few days ago. They could have passed legislation doing just that, particularly during the time period of 2009-2010, when they also controlled the House and the Presidency. Durbin could have submitted legislation at any time. It’s rather interesting that he is pushing this now that the GOP controls the Senate
(The Hill) Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) says he thinks “now is the time” to raise the gas tax, which hasn’t been touched by Congress in over 20 years.
“I think now is the time to do it, but we ought to do it in a thoughtful way,” Durbin said on Wednesday.
Huh. A “thoughtful way”.
Durbin said he wasn’t speaking for the entire Democratic caucus but noted two factors lawmakers should consider when opening up discussion on increasing the tax.
Perhaps not all, but surely 95%.
One, Durbin said, is “the most devastating impact is on lower and middle income families… so we have to find some tax relief for them if we increase that gas tax.”
“I think we can do it,” Durbin added, saying one way to shield lower income families could be through a refundable tax credit.
So, let’s raise the cost of living, then give some citizens a tax credit, which would only occur when they go through the laborious process of filing their tax returns? This is a shell game, with about as much chance of winning as when you give it a shot with a street hustler.
Second, Durbin said, new revenue generated should go to research in the Energy and Transportation Departments “so we can continue to build more fuel efficient vehicles.”
I wasn’t aware that the U.S. government actually built vehicles. My understanding is that private sector companies did this. What he is saying, though, is that lower and middle class citizens will only see a fraction back as tax credits, with most going to favored Democrat purposes.
This is typical Democrat: any excuse to raise taxes.
I am not surprised that you were unaware that the DOE provides money to look for better more efficient vehicles http://energy.gov/eere/transportation/vehicles
Of course if i remember correctly you were also rather negative about Obama’s plan to save the whole US car industyry
Teach how did if at all did your taxes change in the last 6 years ?
Its too late for those of us in the Socialist Republic of California
“As of today, drivers will now be paying at least an extra ten cents because of the state’s new Cap and Trade surcharge on all gas sales. The money is to offset greenhouse gas emissions.
Republicans fought the hike some Democrats wanted to delay it so the public would have more time to understand the law, that effort failed. Twenty-five percent of the new funds will go toward the High-Speed Rail.”
That would be the plan that gave parts of the auto industry illegal benefits? That allowed certain companies to reorganize under provisions that no other company (to my knowledge) has ever been able to do?
I just want to make sure that I understand you john. You supported the illegal activities of the Obama plan? That’s what you are saying?
[…] Has this buffoon ever been right, about anything? William Teach highlights Durbin’s latest trip on the Idiot Highway […]
Good God, I am so effing tired of those one-trick ponies on the left. They see every American (except the parasitic democrat base) as nothing more than a unit to be taxed as much as possible.
And John, why so uppity. How do you Teach is unaware of DOE funding; he mentioned he wasn’t aware the government built vehicles. You do know the difference, right. And of course Obama and his comrades have to make sure the DOE pisses tax dollars away on more of their “studies” – those democrat bundlers gotta get something back for their investment. The rent seekers don’t do that shit for their own health, ya know.
Oh, it is much much much worse than that.
A House oversight committee found that a loan / grant program from the DOE was rift with corruption and did not follow Congressional rules for transparency.
In addition, there is the case of two companies named “XP Vehicles” and “Lumina.” The two companies had applied for DOE grants and were consistently told the paperwork was moving forward. Included in the paperwork was specific propriety diagrams and designs. The applications were submitted with the rule that the designs and proprietary information would not be subject to FOIA requests and would not be shared with other applicants or manufacturers.
The applications of the companies were right on track when suddenly the DOE started saying there was a delay. When the companies asked, the DOE could never specify what the delay was. Some duplicate paperwork was submitted, allegedly because the DOE lost it, but a DOE rep told the companies their grants would be approved on a certain day.
That day passed.
Representatives went and met with the DOE at one of the research labs. They were given a tour of the facility which included a conference room. The DOE person showing them around thought the company reps would like to meet another company and so in the conference room, high level DOE officials were meeting with engineers from GM – many of whom were known to the reps from XP and Lumina.
The reps from the two companies were surprised and shocked to see that on the conference table were their proprietary designs, schematics and applications.
The DOE was sharing the information with GM.
The companies are suing the DOE and the the DOE is hiding saying “nothing to see here.” The DOE won’t make available the notes of the meeting with the GM engineers, won’t release the names of the GM engineers, and won’t release the names of the DOE who were meeting with GM.
In short, the DOE was caught stealing plans and giving them to GM – a company the government at the time had a huge financial investment in.
well of course they are not going to help the plantiff’s lawyers who are suing them. That would be stupid.
I presume in your haste to respond you omitted the word “know” before Teach in the first line in the second paragraph.
and i think maybe you should have used a ? instead of a period after the word “right”
Hoss you seem to be rather unhappy living in this country, but there are other alternatives
john, I realize that not only are you are troll, but an ignorant troll and this comment shows why.
First, the meeting with the DOE and the GM engineers is subject to discovery from the plaintiff’s lawyers. The DOE has been told to produce the records and they are resisting the order of a judge.
Secondly, even absent of the lawsuit, the DOE meeting with the GM engineers is subject to FOIA. The DOE has said it will not comply with the law on that either.
The “most transparent administration evah!” is defying a judge’s order and breaking the law by not releasing the information as they are required.
Congratulations for your trolling and supporting the lawlessness of this administration.
barryboy did not save the auto industry .. the taxpayers lost billions on government motors
gc,
I think you meant Limnia, not Lumina.
Companies that are not awarded government grants, loan guarantees or contracts always complain about the process.
Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Loan Program is a Bush program, and XP first applied in 2008. They didn’t get funded. They’re suing.
Cause of Action helped the two companies file their suits. Dan Epstein, Executive Director of Cause of Action, previously worked as Republican counsel for the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, which has investigated several clean-technology loans. Cause of Action has filed multiple lawsuits against the federal government.
We’ll let the courts sort it out, but this is probably another part of the Republican witch hunt.