Saving Money as Prices Increase

[Mtsoxfan]

Wrong in so many ways.. The government awards contracts to private entities via competitive bidding to build roads. The government don't build squat. Fuel taxes as well as Federal Excise taxes go to roads. I keep forgetting you are a government employee so your view is somewhat jaded.

I don't agree, because they spend the money, they are having roads built, which I believe is the point.

 

[duffer]

What did the government do to earn those dollars? Build and repair roads. This is done with fuel taxes.

You must live in the only area where roads are in good shape.
They also use the money for pork projects, like car museums, and anything else they want.

FYI, our income taxes are supposed to pay for gov't needs, not tax anything that moves.

 

[5030]

I don't agree, because they spend the money, they are having roads built, which I believe is the point.

The point is, it was stated the Government builds and maintains the roads and that is not true. The government owns no road building equipment. Private contractors do and are awarded jobs based on competitive bidding, last time I checked at least.

 

[Diggin It]

The Governments, federal, state or local are the GC, the contractors are the grunts. Even private roads don't get built by contractors unless somebody hires them. Public roads don't get built without Governments. Governments build roads. And state, county and city road departments often do the maintenance and repairs themselves without hiring contractors.

As far as state and local pings for EVs to compensate for lost gas taxes, that's something the Feds should stop if they want to push the move. Add a 'tax' to the number of kilowatthours put into each EV, or maybe add something to tire prices when EVs need new tires, but don't apply that on Dino vehicles.

To me, that adds fairness to EV users. Why should someone who only drives their buzzmobile a few thousand miles a year pay the same annual ping as those who drive far more?

 

[Larry Caldwell]

They do basically nothing but postulate. Always remember... The government (Federal, State and Local) are the largest employer in this country, require the largest largess but produce no tangible product (other than a lot of hot air far as I can tell).

The government provides huge tangible products. Roads. Airports. Seaports. Shipping channels. Canals and locks. Hydroelectric power. Law enforcement. Emergency services. National defense. Vital statistics. Sewer and water. Land surveys and titles. Courts.

Government is vital to the existence of civilization.

 

[coobie]

The point is, it was stated the Government builds and maintains the roads and that is not true. The government owns no road building equipment. Private contractors do and are awarded jobs based on competitive bidding, last time I checked at least.

HUH ?? Must be those COUNTY(government) snow plows trucks are owned by private contractors?? ...You make me laugh....

 

[5030]

The government provides huge tangible products. Roads. Airports. Seaports. Shipping channels. Canals and locks. Hydroelectric power. Law enforcement. Emergency services. National defense. Vital statistics. Sewer and water. Land surveys and titles. Courts.

Government is vital to the existence of civilization.

Not really. The government (state local and Federal) uses your tax dollars (not always wisely) to grant contracts for private entities (contractors) to perform the work on a competitive bid basis. The government owns no equipment and don't have anyone qualified to do that work and they wouldn't anyway. Not about to get their tender hands dirty. Like I said, they provide no tangible product (directly) and never have.

Never seen any 'government owned' construction equipment anywhere, ever.

Good government is vital to our existence. problem is, good government is a rarity today.

 

[Buggs67]

What did the government do to earn those dollars? Build and repair roads. This is done with fuel taxes.

No, it's not. The Gov't throws all the money in one bucket and then spends it.

And here in PA the tolls from the PA Turnpike do NOT go to maintenance and improvements. It's just another form of tax that supports Gov't spending. And the tolls are high.

 

[Buggs67]

HUH ?? Must be those COUNTY(government) snow plows trucks are owned by private contractors?? ...You make me laugh....

Actually, in the town I lived in last the town was down to 12 DPW workers (from 40+) and used private contractors to plow most of the roads. The state hired private owner/operators and trucking companies to plow the State highway. So unless there was more than 4" (the level at which they called out the privateers) we lived with snowy roads for a day or so.

Here in central PA the township has even fewer workers. But the taxes are much lower.

 

[jyoutz]

No, it's not. The Gov't throws all the money in one bucket and then spends it.

And here in PA the tolls from the PA Turnpike do NOT go to maintenance and improvements. It's just another form of tax that supports Gov't spending. And the tolls are high.

Most of us don’t have turnpikes and toll roads, and gas taxes are not in one bucket. They are used for roads. In truth, gas taxes don’t fully fund roads, and general revenues are used to supplement.

 

[jyoutz]

The point is, it was stated the Government builds and maintains the roads and that is not true. The government owns no road building equipment. Private contractors do and are awarded jobs based on competitive bidding, last time I checked at least.

Umm yes, federal fuel taxes are given to states and states generally contract that work. But states and counties do some of the smaller work themselves.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Actually, in the town I lived in last the town was down to 12 DPW workers (from 40+) and used private contractors to plow most of the roads. The state hired private owner/operators and trucking companies to plow the State highway. So unless there was more than 4" (the level at which they called out the privateers) we lived with snowy roads for a day or so.

Here in central PA the township has even fewer workers. But the taxes are much lower.

The gummint used to do a lot of stuff on payroll, but that was a poor use of money. Gig workers are disposable. When the project is over, you don't have to pay them any more. Privatization of government services was a big movement 40 years ago. Nowadays some states even have private prisons.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

As of June 10, 2022 Exxon is worth 423.19B. So they are getting a return of 1.29 %. In the real world that is not a great return on your money. So, yes they made a lot of money, but they have a lot invested.

The only problem I see is the size of the companies. Blackrock and the other large investment firms are too large and need to be broken up. Perhaps the large oil companies need to be broken up as well.

You can prove anything with statistics, can't you? What Exxon is worth is irrelevant, because that's just the total share value. Total share value is what a few day traders say it's worth. It measures neither assets nor investments.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

Haven't read all 32 pages, but the next time someone complains about the "rich oil companies", or the "obscene windfall profits", just remind them that the gov't takes 18 cents from every gallon, the oil company makes about 4 cents. And this doesn't include the other 41 taxes the gov't imposes on drilling, refining, and delivering the gas. And what did the gov't do to "earn" those dollars, compared to the investment, labor, equipment that the oil companies put out to make their 4 cents?

So tell me, who is making the obscene windfall profits?

Oh boo hoo, the poor oil companies.

Oil: A big investment with big tax breaks

Oil and gas investments can provide unmatched tax deduction potential for accredited investors.

www.investopedia.com

 

[Larry Caldwell]

The point is, it was stated the Government builds and maintains the roads and that is not true. The government owns no road building equipment. Private contractors do and are awarded jobs based on competitive bidding, last time I checked at least.

Private contractors don't build anything. The work is done by labor. According to your logic, whoever pays the labor is irrelevant.

 

[coobie]

Umm yes, federal fuel taxes are given to states and states generally contract that work. But states and counties do some of the smaller work themselves.

Yes they do.Michigan has many state/county employees patching roads on a daily basis..

 

[5030]

Private contractors don't build anything. The work is done by labor. According to your logic, whoever pays the labor is irrelevant.

Whatever. I was just commenting on who does the work and who pays for it. Nothing more. You pay for it but you have no say in disbursement.

 

[5030]

Nowadays some states even have private prisons.

Which you fund btw.

 

[ultrarunner]

Fuel taxes build roads. Nobody else builds them except government.

Lots of private funded and maintained plus there are private toll roads and even bridges such as the iconic Golden Gate.

It would be nice if fuel taxes would not be siphoned off for rail, ferry and other projects such as bike paths and bike bridges…

 

[jyoutz]

Lots of private funded and maintained plus there are private toll roads and even bridges such as the iconic Golden Gate.

It would be nice if fuel taxes would not be siphoned off for rail, ferry and other projects such as bike paths and bike bridges…

I guess it depends on what area of the country. We have no private built roads except in housing subdivisions.