California raises diesel tax about 35 cents per gallon

romad

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Why start with cheap politicians?

For a high school civics class project, I walked up to the personal residence of a United States Senator and knocked on the door and asked to speak with him. His 90 year old mom told me Tom was not at home - he was working in Washington. That was Thomas Kechel. Bet you can not do that today!

https://www.senate.gov/artandhistory/history/common/generic/Featured_Bio_KuchelThomas.htm

I wonder how Kuchel would have fared against "Ol' Chrome Dome" in the '68 General Election.
 

Tdijarhead

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First of all, thank you for your service if you are actually a jarhead. (If not, :confused:)
Secondly, if you are and are still serving or honorably discharged, you are likely a
recipient of some medical and pension benefits. If so, does your post apply to you?
So what's with the anti-union rhetoric? Do you feel the same about unions for
law enforcement, fire fighters and teachers? How about Teamsters? Auto workers?
Why not just boycott every product that has union labor producing it like mine:
the IATSE? (Look it up).
We set the standard for quality work world-wide in a very competitive industry.
My family has the benefits it needs because of my union.
I'll know in a couple years how sweetheart my pension is or isn't.:eek:

In the interests of civil discourse I should have perhaps omitted my union comment. Especially since my brother and a very good friend of mine are both shop stewards.

When taxes are brought up everyone has their opinions and of course conversation can lead into other less civil areas. I can see taxes needing to be raised once in a while. However the graft and corruption and flat out bribery that goes on, not with a politicians own money but with money that is collected from you and me is appalling.

Every time you hear of a carve out, set aside, kickback, project in His district, or other similar euphemism that's just a fancy window dressing term for a bribe. In the political realm that's your money being used to bribe someone with. I know that's the way things are done, everyone knows it, but it doesn't mean I have to like it or agree with it. That's what I meant when I said at least half the country is sick and tired of the same old way of doing things.

No pension here. I'm afraid I'm on my own in that respect.

Medical benefits? Well I had to do something at the end of last year I said I'd never do. Sign up with the VA after all these years. Why? Well with all the health care meddling over the past eight years my health insurance premiums went from around $600 a month to over $2000 a month. Expensive to unaffordable. Deductibles went from $750 for a family per year to over $3000 per individual and over $7000 for a family.
 

john.jackson9213

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jarhead,

I blame the drug companies for soaring medical costs. What they charge is incredible!.. The same old line chemo therapy drug what was $2500 in 2002/3 is now billed at $10K+ (per dose). And there is the shell game of different "negotiated" prices. This is for a drug developed in the 1970's and approved in the 1980's (carboplatin). I have personal experience with that one. Other, much worse examples have been in the news recently.

A long way from Calif. gas/diesel taxes and road repairs, I know. A good time for me to exit this topic and get back to real life. Got house work!
 

volksjaeger

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jarhead,
I blame the drug companies for soaring medical costs.
all forms of insurance and guarantees lead to crazy out of control prices.

In the 1950's no one paid health insurance premiums (unless you were a professional athlete). So the most the medical establishment could charge was $5 for a visit because that's what people could afford. Introduce a $500k guaranteed insurance policy and now you can charge a hell of a lot more. $5000 per night for a stay in a hospital. No problem! Your insurance covers that! Have you seen the stock prices of the big insurance companies after Obamacare was passed? Looks like a parabolic rocket launch because they are going to make a fortune.

Same with guaranteed student loans. In the old days colleges could only charge $500 a year for tuition because that's all people could afford. Gov't steps in and guarantees student loans for $2500. Guess what tuition is next year? $2500! Then gov't raises the loan amounts to $10k. Guess what tuition is? $10k! Wow what a coincidence. But we don't have enough money for schools even though almost 50% of the entire California state budget goes to "education".

Everyone is born into this system of debt slavery and just thinks this is the way it has always been but apparently this type of slavery is tolerable because our wealth is stolen in small amounts through premiums and monthly installments.

One of the reasons we fought the American Revolution was because the King wanted 15% tax. Here in California the average middle class person pays almost 50% of their income in taxes (28% federal, 10% state tax, 15% payroll tax, etc etc etc). Thomas Jefferson would be rolling in his grave.

So get ready for more gas taxes as the elite's plan is to eliminate all unlimited range vehicles and herd everyone into electric cars. I'll be enjoying my diesels for as long as I can but I know the future in cars will be very bleak.
 
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john.jackson9213

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Respectfully, the American Revolution was at it's heart the demand for their Rights as Englishmen to be governed by an elected parliament. The people in the colonies were raised as Englishmen who had long established rights dating from the Magna Carta in 1215.
Represention in Parliament would satisfied 95%+ of the people. Seriously, read Jefferson and Locke. They are the two top minds of their age.

End of history lesson
 
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romad

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Respectfully, the American Revolution was at it's heart the demand for their Rights as Englishmen to be governed by an elected parliament. The people in the colonies were raised as Englishmen who had long established rights dating from the Magna Carta in 1215.
Represention in Parliament would satisfied 95%+ of the people. Seriously, read Jefferson and Locke. They are the two top minds of their age.

End of history lesson
I agree John and if you recall, the theme up until 1775/76 was "No taxation without representation!" If George III & Lord North had listened to Benjamin Franklin (instead of lambasting him) and provided a way for the colonies to be represented in Parliament, the Revolution would not have happened.
 

VeeDubTDI

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Location
Springfield, VA
TDI
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all forms of insurance and guarantees lead to crazy out of control prices.

In the 1950's no one paid health insurance premiums (unless you were a professional athlete). So the most the medical establishment could charge was $5 for a visit because that's what people could afford. Introduce a $500k guaranteed insurance policy and now you can charge a hell of a lot more. $5000 per night for a stay in a hospital. No problem! Your insurance covers that! Have you seen the stock prices of the big insurance companies after Obamacare was passed? Looks like a parabolic rocket launch because they are going to make a fortune.

Same with guaranteed student loans. In the old days colleges could only charge $500 a year for tuition because that's all people could afford. Gov't steps in and guarantees student loans for $2500. Guess what tuition is next year? $2500! Then gov't raises the loan amounts to $10k. Guess what tuition is? $10k! Wow what a coincidence. But we don't have enough money for schools even though almost 50% of the entire California state budget goes to "education".

Everyone is born into this system of debt slavery and just thinks this is the way it has always been but apparently this type of slavery is tolerable because our wealth is stolen in small amounts through premiums and monthly installments.

One of the reasons we fought the American Revolution was because the King wanted 15% tax. Here in California the average middle class person pays almost 50% of their income in taxes (28% federal, 10% state tax, 15% payroll tax, etc etc etc). Thomas Jefferson would be rolling in his grave.

So get ready for more gas taxes as the elite's plan is to eliminate all unlimited range vehicles and herd everyone into electric cars. I'll be enjoying my diesels for as long as I can but I know the future in cars will be very bleak.
I tend to think about it from the other side of things. Having a vehicle that runs on energy that I can generate from my very own roof means I pay less for transportation and I'm less reliant on big oil or the current state of global politics and energy production.

 

romad

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I tend to think about it from the other side of things. Having a vehicle that runs on energy that I can generate from my very own roof means I pay less for transportation and I'm less reliant on big oil or the current state of global politics and energy production.

And Big Brother then considers you a tax cheat since you don't pay the road taxes! :D

Edit: If it is OK to use electricity YOU generate yourself to power your vehicle without paying road taxes, how is that any different than using Biodiesel YOU made yourself? The former is legal but the latter is not. You know Big Brother's solution won't be to eliminate road taxes on home-made biofuel!
 
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PB_NB

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Vancouver, B.C.
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Looks like CA is getting close to Vancouver, BC prices. Vancouver is known for its high fuel prices and typically we are significantly higher than other cities in North America!

I just worked out an equivalent cost from a local station up here in Vancouver, BC to be: $3.06 US/GAL.

Our price is $1.16/L CDN.

I would think that the one contributor for rising diesel prices would be all those TDI cars just sitting there and now they are free to be sold and used again. This will create some supply pressure (or at least the perceived pressure). I can see why the prices would go up. Someone sees an opportunity to make some money on the Diesel motorist's back.

Electric cars or alternate fuel (Flux Capacitor) powered vehicles are the future. But then we will see a road tax on banana peels :)
 

VeeDubTDI

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And Big Brother then considers you a tax cheat since you don't pay the road taxes! :D

Edit: If it is OK to use electricity YOU generate yourself to power your vehicle without paying road taxes, how is that any different than using Biodiesel YOU made yourself? The former is legal but the latter is not. You know Big Brother's solution won't be to eliminate road taxes on home-made biofuel!
As an EV owner, I pay a flat road tax fee every year to the glorious Commonwealth of Virginia (and I'm happy to pay it). They always get their cut. ;)
 

flee

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Location
Chatsworth, CA
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And anyone who has bothered to look into it knows that there is a set of forms to
use to pay road use taxes in CA for non-pump fuels and EVs.

Is it some new kind of 'freedom' to use but not pay for roads that others are paying for?
 

romad

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As an EV owner, I pay a flat road tax fee every year to the glorious Commonwealth of Virginia (and I'm happy to pay it). They always get their cut. ;)
What is the cost per mile driven? How does it compare to the road tax per mile driven for your TDI? Ideally, the cost/mile should be the same.
 

romad

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And anyone who has bothered to look into it knows that there is a set of forms to
use to pay road use taxes in CA for non-pump fuels and EVs.

Is it some new kind of 'freedom' to use but not pay for roads that others are paying for?
I believe until these new fees on EVs were enacted, CA's policy was EVs were exempt as they are considered Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV).
 

flee

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I believe until these new fees on EVs were enacted, CA's policy was EVs were exempt as they are considered Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV).
You haven't answered my question of how not paying for the roads is 'freedom'.
 

romad

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You haven't answered my question of how not paying for the roads is 'freedom'.
Well, they EVs are allowed to use roads road tax FREE, so that IS a freedom they currently have that we don't. ;)

Remember that not all people have the same exact freedoms you have; I suspect that you have some that I don't and vice versa.
 
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VeeDubTDI

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What is the cost per mile driven? How does it compare to the road tax per mile driven for your TDI? Ideally, the cost/mile should be the same.
How road taxes are calculated (generally by gallons purchased) isn't really an accurate measure to begin with since vehicle weights and fuel economy can vary wildly.

Virginia's EV fee is $64 per year. I don't know how that compares to road tax on a TDI because I've never bothered to do the math to see how much in road taxes I'm actually paying. Also, VA overcharges diesel passenger cars (to recoup a more fair share from big diesel trucks) and then issues them a partial refund based on submitted fuel receipts.

https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/vehicles/alternative_vehicles.html
 

romad

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How road taxes are calculated (generally by gallons purchased) isn't really an accurate measure to begin with since vehicle weights and fuel economy can vary wildly.

Virginia's EV fee is $64 per year. I don't know how that compares to road tax on a TDI because I've never bothered to do the math to see how much in road taxes I'm actually paying. Also, VA overcharges diesel passenger cars (to recoup a more fair share from big diesel trucks) and then issues them a partial refund based on submitted fuel receipts.

https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/vehicles/alternative_vehicles.html
Greedy CA just keeps the "overcharges"!
 

flee

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And Big Brother then considers you a tax cheat since you don't pay the road taxes! :D
Edit: If it is OK to use electricity YOU generate yourself to power your vehicle without paying road taxes, how is that any different than using Biodiesel YOU made yourself? The former is legal but the latter is not. You know Big Brother's solution won't be to eliminate road taxes on home-made biofuel!
Well, they EVs are allowed to use roads road tax FREE, so that IS a freedom they currently have that we don't. ;)
Remember that not all people have the same exact freedoms you have; I suspect that you have some that I don't and vice versa.
Psychobabble aside, I guess the state had it wrong to collect tax on self-made bio
and they have it wrong to tax-exempt EVs. So your correct solution is ? :rolleyes:
 

romad

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Psychobabble aside, I guess the state had it wrong to collect tax on self-made bio
and they have it wrong to tax-exempt EVs. So your correct solution is ? :rolleyes:
My solution will be implemented in 2018 when I leave the PRC for good. :D

Wanna buy ten acres?
 
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