Friday, April 5, 2019

Ramanan— Graham Gudgin On Exiting The EU

Graham Gudgin has two recent fine articles on leaving the EU....
The Case for Concerted Action
Graham Gudgin On Exiting The EU
V. Ramanan

1 comment:

Konrad said...

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OFF TOPIC

In the USA the price of fuel (gasoline and diesel) has been steadily rising since 24 Dec 2018.

Meanwhile the U.S. government has no need or use for tax revenue, and effectively destroys it upon receipt. This includes revenue from federal taxes on gasoline (currently 18.4 cents per gallon) and diesel (currently 24.4 cents per gallon).

Now, in a time of rising fuel prices, Congressional Democrats want to increase federal taxes on fuel. Trump says he’s open to it.

Democrats say the tax revenue (which will be destroyed upon receipt) is needed to “fund infrastructure.” However no increase in tax revenue is needed to fund the Military Industrial Complex, whose budget sets new records every year.

Federal taxes on fuel were last raised in 1993. Democrats say it’s long past time for another (unnecessary) tax increase. Trump seems to agree.

Corporate media outlets agree with Democrats that it's time to increase federal taxes on fuel (again). They are doing their part to uphold the LIE that federal tax revenue pays for US bridges and highways. Corporate media outlets also claim that federal infrastructure maintenance is funded by a (NON-EXISTENT) “federal highway trust fund.”

Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, wants to link fuel tax increases to inflation, so that tax increases become automatic, and no longer need to be voted on. In this way, the more that inflation steals money from average people, the more the U.S. government will also steal money in the form of higher taxes.

In cities like Los Angeles, housing prices are so high that millions of people live so far outside the city that it is common for them to have a commute to work of two hours each way, every day. These people have been hit hard by rising fuel prices, plus a California state tax of 55.5 cents per gallon of gas, plus the current federal tax of 18.4 cents per gallon. A totally unnecessary federal tax increase will be another blow.

Yesterday the state of Ohio increased its fuel tax by 10.5 cents per gallon of gasoline, and 19 cents per gallon of diesel. That brings Ohio taxes to 38 cents per gallon of gas. In Pennsylvania the state gasoline tax is 58.7 cents per gallon.

NOTE: Increases in fuel taxes hurt everyone whether he drives or not. Trucks deliver food and consumer goods to stores. Fuel tax increases hit truckers the worst of all. When truckers must pay more for fuel, they pass their costs on to consumers.