$271 gas tax burden for every man, woman, and child in US

[Treebore]

Only $.18 of it is federal. The rest is state and local taxes. Some states, like CA and NY are over $.60 PER gallon in taxes.

Only SC and Alaska collect as much as or less taxes as the Feds. Everyone else collects more than the feds.

Gas prices by state, per gallon

 

[EricNoah]

I don't mind paying taxes. What I don't like is that gas stations are not allowed to set their own prices. I recall gas stations in Madison getting in trouble for setting the price "too low". Apparently around here there is an "Unfair Sales Act" that requires a minimum markup over cost or something like that.

 

[Umbran]

Dudes, be careful here - what taxation is good or fair is politics, and not a fit subject for these boards.

Oh, and the Europeans on the boards are all probably laughing at our gripes on the subject - they pay lots more, last I checked.

 

[Ferret]

Unless you have an LPG conversion! Less car tax and cheaper fuel! *Nyee Nyee nah nee nee!*

 

[Huw]

Oh, and the Europeans on the boards are all probably laughing at our gripes on the subject - they pay lots more, last I checked.

I wouldn't use the word "laughing". More like "staring in amazement".

Let's see, my local petrol station charges 93p per litre (and that's cheap!). I believe, after litre to gallons and pounds to dollars, that comes to $7 per gallon. BTW, over 70% of that is tax.

 

[drothgery]

I wouldn't use the word "laughing". More like "staring in amazement".

Let's see, my local petrol station charges 93p per litre (and that's cheap!). I believe, after litre to gallons and pounds to dollars, that comes to $7 per gallon. BTW, over 70% of that is tax.

Well, what did you expect from us? We did bug out of the Empire in a tax revolt, after all .

 

[HeavenShallBurn]

Though I could easily be wrong my impression of western Europe is that it has much more public transportation infrastructure than America. That in general a western European would be driving far less distance than the average American is required to in many parts of the country because of different infrastructure development patterns. Outside of the metropolitan areas there is no public transportation at all in large parts of America and infrastructure sprawled making you cover much more distance to get where you need to go.

Example: The nearest place for me to get groceries is fifteen miles(>20km) away, the nearest town almost 30 miles(>45km), the college where I take my graduate courses over 50 miles, the nearest local gaming store a three hour drive on the interstate.

 

[Treebore]

What really gets me is that is the tax burden spread out over every man woman and child. Not household. Not adults. Every single person.

 

[EricNoah]

I figure expressing it that way (dividing the total amount by the number of citizens instead of the number of adults or the number of drivers) is just a way to make it seem like a bigger deal than it is -- like the tax police are standing at the end of the driveway asking your 3-year-old for $271.

 

[Ferret]

Though I could easily be wrong my impression of western Europe is that it has much more public transportation infrastructure than America. That in general a western European would be driving far less distance than the average American is required to in many parts of the country because of different infrastructure development patterns. Outside of the metropolitan areas there is no public transportation at all in large parts of America and infrastructure sprawled making you cover much more distance to get where you need to go.

Example: The nearest place for me to get groceries is fifteen miles(>20km) away, the nearest town almost 30 miles(>45km), the college where I take my graduate courses over 50 miles, the nearest local gaming store a three hour drive on the interstate.

15 miles = 24km, 30 miles = 48km, 50 miles is 80 km (5 miles is 8 km, not 3:4)

Yeah that's true of continental Europe as far as I can gather, the cost to got about 50 miles to the nearest 'big' town is about £6, in Belgium its 50p.

I figure expressing it that way (dividing the total amount by the number of citizens instead of the number of adults or the number of drivers) is just a way to make it seem like a bigger deal than it is -- like the tax police are standing at the end of the driveway asking your 3-year-old for $271.

That doesn't seem quite right....! What is it per gallon?