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Jay Evensen: Now is not time to start tinkering with gas taxes

I have come to appreciate Mr Jay Evensen.

Now I feel as though there is really someone out there in Newspaper Land that actually thinks and feels like ordinary, straightforward, people, and is not just an apologist for vested interests.

I think there may be other such individuals writing for the Deseret News although I have not yet searched them out.

Notice that the State had to cancell the highway projects right after Obama won the election and announced his stimulas plan (money for public infrastructure). Not a bad move.

You were years behind when you came out in support of raising the gas taxes and now you are regressing. What better time to transition our economy to one less dependent on fuels than at a time when our economy, in the form we've relied on in the past, is not working. I'm not advocating a return to gas at $4.50/gal but an increased tax while prices are low, put into infrastructure to help us use less gas while providing employment makes sense. We would all see a slight increase in the cost of necessities but could make up for that by decreasing consumption in other ways (mostly by driving less and better planning our necessary trips like UPS and others do). However in this case we'd emerge from our economic slump with new infrastructure rather than simply continuing to send money out of the country for oil while not creating new jobs with the revenues generated from fuel. Does that make sense? Of course it doesn't. There is nothing wrong with generating revenue if you use it to stimulate the economy.

While I agree that changing the tax calculation from units to price is unwise, I must disagree with Mr. Evensen's change of heart on the timing. The same rationale he used when gas was over $4 a gallon apply now, perhaps more so since the price has come down so far.

Yes, its the economy, but $4 a gallon gas was much harder on the economy than is $1.50 gas. Revenues are falling while maintenance and construction needs are rising. Now IS the time if there ever was a time. I fully support an increase in the gas tax NOW. For all the reasons Mr. Evensen cited when such an increase would have been much less affordable. Long term, its the economically prudent thing to do.

Raise gas taxes, to $5 per gallon, then give the excess back to all Utah'ns in a form of a check each year.

This will discourage excessive oil consumption.

What? I never saw you as a Green activist. Maybe I just didn't read enough of your posts.

Better just to leave the money in the people's pockets. They are capable of doing the right thing without having the government tell them what it is and then force them (b'c they can't afford to do otherwise) to cut back on their basic fuel needs to get to work etc.

Your assertion of "leave the money in the people's pockets. They are capable of doing the right thing" is balderdash. We are inherently lazy when it comes to conservation. If gas is 1.00 a gallon, we'll drive everywhere and anywhere in our souped up Hummer just because we can. I'm all for putting a larger tax on gas. It makes us conserve and budget our energy consumption, and it provided funding for public transportation plans and investment in research for energy solutions. People dislike changign their lifestyle, even if it is ultimately necessary for their long-term survival. Never discount that when you are talking about government/economic/social issues.

You wrote, "People seem to understand how devastating tax hikes can be to a struggling economy when those hikes come from Washington." This is obviously incorrect, as more than half of the country just voted for a presidential candidate who has promised massive tax increases.

A prominent businessman recently said that economics can be summarized in four words: people respond to incentives. Increased marginal income tax rates will reduce productivity and small business job creation. Increased capital gains taxes will reduce investment in our country's businesses and corporations.

The extreme drop in the stock market is in part due to investors anticipating really, really bad fiscal policies for the next 4-8 years.