Life's Funny That Way

Gas Taxes... more?

I'm writing today just to clear my head about a new "idea", and I use the word lightly, that the powers that be in my state seem to think is the latest, greatest thing.  When gas prices spiked last summer, people drastically cut down on their driving.  Myself, I was wondering, "who are these people and where were they going before that they could cut back millions of miles of driving?" (but I digress)  My point of this entry is that... now that people in the state can actually afford to drive, the state wants to add extra gas taxes!  We already pay over 40 cents per gallon in gas taxes.  I may be wrong, but I think we're one of the highest... or we used to be. 

I don't live in an area where public transportation is even an option.  If I were to take a cab into town, it would cost me $20 for the cab... and that's our only means of transportation other than our own vehicles.  For most of the state of Wisconsin, public transportation is not an option.  Basically, a higher gas tax would simply penalize us for going to work... and you don't even want to know the going rate for wages around here!

Back in the day, I remember this push for a while for the U.P. of Michigan and Northern Wisconsin to become their own state.  Now, it was a crazy idea, and I'm not thinking anything would ever come of it, but, now that I'm older, I truly understand the impetus behind it.  For both areas, the taxes paid are, by and large, sent down to the big cities in the lower parts of each state: Detroit area for Michigan, and Milwaukee, Madison area for Wisconsin.  So, honestly, why shouldn't the two of us combine and become our own state?  We would, by far, be the poorest state in the union, I'm sure, but at least our tax money would stay where we need it.  At least our focus would be on us, rather than on our "well-to-do neighbors to the south."

That's all I can say on the subject. I'm too riled up to go on.  If I have offended anyone... well, come up here and try to make a living and then tell me who's better off.  But please, please, don't tell me you agree with this higher gas tax idea.  It's just not right.  Big oil is already making record profits... and I don't think the state should be involved in legalized extortion.  We're tapped.  We all need a break.  We don't need higher taxes on anything right now... especially a much-needed resource!  For those of you who were driving those thousands of miles less per year because of gas prices.. shame on you for being so wasteful to begin with.  That's all I can say.