Letter: Why Increase Taxes On Fuel?

Why Increase Taxes On Fuel?

In the annual State of American Business address by U.S. Chamber of Commerce President Thomas Donohue in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 14, he talks about making it easier for businesses and workers to move ahead and ease the tax burden that is on them, along with getting the government out of the way so that business owners can do what they do best — which is to create jobs and produce products or services.

That’s great! But why would you want to raise the taxes on fuel 10 to 20 cents?

Right now, with the gas prices going down, people have more money left in their wallets after putting fuel in their tanks. That money can be used however they want to use it — to pay down bills, or to do something with the family. It is their money and it is their choice on how to spend it.

There is enough money from taxes to pay for the repairs to roads, if that is where the money actually went — and is not used for bike trails, walking paths, light rail and new buildings to do studies on the effects of cows farting.

Also, has anybody ever taken into account the amount of gas and diesel that is bought at the pump for vehicles and other things that do not drive on the roads — such as lawnmowers, chain saws, snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, leaf blowers, skid steers, boats and other watercrafts? I would guess that it would be in the millions of gallons of fuel that road taxes are collected on.

I have stuck with just the fuel-tax issue part of his speech. The idea of common core that the Chamber of Commerce is supporting is a whole new hill of beans.

Once again, spend the tax money only for the purpose for which it was collected.

Jim Schulz

Dispatcher

Lampert Lumber

North Branch, Minnesota