12/18   Most of people in California don't like the car tax. Just curious,
        do you guys support the repeal of that car tax at our current
        financial crisis?
        \_ One thing that was conveniently forgotten: 3 years ago, the car
           "tax" was reduced by 66% because we were flush with revenue from
           other sources.  Restoring those pre-boom levels can hardly be
           called a tax increase...  But it was a very effective marketing
           term.  As was the heretofore nonexistent term "Car tax." --scotsman
           \_ That's right.  I used to be paying $400, but now i am paying
              $250 for a car that is twice as much as my old car.
              \_ FUCKING WATCH YOUR DAMN OVERWRITES.  TWO POSTS RESTORED
        \_ I guess I'm not most people. I think a tax based on the value of
           one's car makes a lot of sense. -- ulysses
           \_ You must really hate America.
           \_ I bet you'd love socialism, too. -- anonymous coward
           \_ We should base criminal penalties on the value of your car, too.
           \_ I bet you'd love socialism, too.
        \_ Hmm, we're spending way more than we're making....  Oh well, maybe
           it'll get better on its own....  Oops, it didn't.  I don't want to
           spend less, though....  I heard CA has one of the highest car tax
           rates in the country _even_before_ the tripling.
           \_ you heard wrong.
              http://www.njpp.org/gastax_compare.html
        \_ I would prefer not being taxed over being taxed, but I don't
           think it makes sense to get rid of a tax before figuring out
           where the money will come from or before getting rid of the
           items being funded by the tax.
        \_ Our current financial 'crisis' is due to over spending not lack of
           taxation.  After the state level morons cut a few billion in pork
           everything will be fine.
           \_ may be we can resolve the financial crisis at federal level
              by stop issuing bonds.  after the federal level morons cut
              a few hundred billion in pork, everything will be fine?
              \_ There isn't a financial crisis at the federal level but
                 yes there's a few hundred billion in pork that should be
                 cut and taxes lowered by the same amount.
                 \_ there isn't ??? hello the federal financial crisis is way
                    worse!  The fed govt' is already in amode of borrowing to
                    pay for the interest on its debt.  Can you say federal
                    debts over 10,000 per capita?   The only difference here is
                    there is already an established pattern of borrowing at
                    the federal level, while there is none such for the state
                    level.
                    \_ No, the biggest difference is that the Fed can just
                       decide to mint money and inflate their way out of
                       any debt problem. The State cannot.
        \_ This is all really very easy.  Davis increased the # of
           gov't employees by 30% during his reign.  Fire them and cut the
           budget 10% across the board.
           \_ urlP
           \_ why didn't Arnold doing so?
              \_ probably the same reason your grammar sucks. laziness, or
                 perhaps sheer stupidity.
                 \_ if you are so smart, then, tell me why Arnie is not
                    firing state employees.
                    \_ what does knowing what goes on in arnold's head have
                       to do with being smart?
                    \_That's easy, fire people = less votes
           \_ How many of those 30% were school teachers, mandated by the
              voters? Not a rhetorical question, seriously interested in
              the answer.
              \_ I don't have the answer, but this is the general problem.
                 Voters have such little trust for the state legislature, that
                 we've passed measure after measure to control their spending.
                 As a result, decreasing the budget without breaking a law is
                 hard.  Other than school teachers, there are also the huge
                 pensions given to prison workers, which can't be taken away,
                 etc. -emarkp
        \_ Americans don't pay for the full social cost of driving anyway, and
           the car tax still doesn't come close to what Europeans and others
           pay in terms of gas prices, etc. The tax should be more of a user
           fee rather than money for local jurisdictions.
           \_ Europe is a lousy god forsaken place full of socialists and
              communists who never want to do an honest days work.  Using Europe
              as a benchmark is stupid and foolish.
              \_ I love how you there's basically no difference between trolls
                 and people being serious on the motd.
                 \_ What'd he say that isn't true?
           \_ Actually I think you have it backwards.  It is the US that pays
              a disproportionate amount of costs for a stable supply of oil
              in the Middle East.  It is the US military that provides
              security in the area (eg. Fifth Fleet).  Much like
              pharmaceuticals and host of the other products Europe is a
              parasite on the US - we subsidize their lazy social welfare
                 \_ Europe is a lousy god forsaken place full of socialists
                    and communists who never want to do an honest days work.
                    Using Europe as a benchmark is stupid and foolish.
                 and people being serious on the motd.
              state.
        \_ car tax on my 10-year old honda was tiny anyway ($65 for the total
           DMV registration for the year) - triple that puppy!  Punish the
           SUV buyers!
           \_ why single out the SUV owners?  Heck, why single out car owners
              when the real social cost is on the USE of cars.  A gas tax
              would be ideal here, and be far less noticeable than a several
              hundred dollar a year hit in registration fees.  Plus it will
              disproportionately hit the heavy gas users like SUV owners.
              \_ I prefer gas tax over car tax too.  The more you drive, the
                 more of the purden you pick up to maintain the roads.  Plus
                 that'll encourage people to carpool and take public transit.
                 BTW I drive an SUV.
              \_ Is it accurate to say that most expensive cars (= high car
                 tax) also have lower gas mileage?  E.g. sports cars, large
                 trucks, ...?  Still indirect, admittedly, but doesn't it
                 have roughly the same effect? (not the case with old vs
                 new cars, though)
        \_ car tax on my 10-year old honda was tiny anyway ($65 for the total
           DMV registration for the year) - triple that puppy!  Punish the
           SUV buyers!
              would be ideal here, and be far less noticeable than a several
              hundred dollar a year hit in registration fees.  Plus it will
              disproportionately hit the heavy gas users like SUV owners.
              \_ I prefer gas tax over car tax too.  The more you drive, the
                 more of the purden you pick up to maintain the roads.  Plus
                 that'll encourage people to carpool and take public transit.
                 BTW I drive an SUV.
                 tax) also have lower gas mileage?  E.g. sports cars, large
                 trucks, ...?  Still indirect, admittedly, but doesn't it
                 have roughly the same effect? (not the case with old vs
                 new cars, though)
                 \_ More expensive cars tend to have much worse gas mileage
                    because the vehicles are heavier, have more power, bigger
                    engines, more toys, etc.  Anyway, as someone with an
                    expensive car I only drive a short way to/from BART every
                    day I don't see why I should have to pay a huge tax on it.
        \_ It's always been high. What the tax paid for was covered by state
           taxes when they had enough in the kitty. With the econ down and the
           state can't cover, the taxes returned to their former high level. In
           the spending spree and 0% financing frenzy of the last two years,
           people have been buying lots of new cars (enough to float the US
           economy past a recession) for big bucks thus high vehicle taxes.
           It's the same sort of whining gas prices get "too high" and people
           who bought low MPG cars start crying or when people buy property
           and whine about high taxes. You're fucking rich enough to buy it
           stop whining about the relatively small taxes associated.