US government near to debt limit

[Rat Faced]

Some countries, i just cant see what the problem is with "Energy" per se ie: Electricity.

The USA is one country that could be entirely self sufficient in Electricity even without Oil, Gas or Nuclear energy altogether (other than in initial construction and maintainance costs).. if it decided to follow that route (which it wont)..

Despite being a world leader in the technologies in some respects, because some States ARE pro-active, they get little recognition of this.

1,000,000's of square miles that can be used for wind farms, geo-thermal, hydro-electric et nausium...

....and yet some States wont even clean up their old Coal Burning power stations (and even open new ones)... this is the "image" the world gets, and most of your own population.

Its the smaller, more densly populated countries i feel sorry for, they dont even have the option even if they wished to for widespread energy generation in this way... they are stuck with micro-generation.



As to the fuel aspect of Oil... there are a number of substitutes that can be used such as Rape Seed Oil etc...

In 1900 Dr Rudolph Diesel successfully ran an Engine on Peanut Oil for the French Government.. and "Oil Engines" were being successfully manufactured in the UK in 1892. They'd run on just about any type of "vegetable oil".

It was a matter of pure economics in the late 19th/early 20th centuries that made Gaslolene/Petrol engines popular.

The trouble is also partly that Oil is used for a lot more than just fuel/energy... they use it for Plastic, Tarmac..hell, you name it.

I'm not sure they will ever, economically, replace Crude Oils use in everything..

[j2k4]

I don't have time to get hip-deep in this at the moment, but has anyone given the least thought to how the relationship of government to business is basically punitive in nature apart from tax breaks or subsidies, which are of a high-saturation/limited distribution status favoring farms, big business, specialized industry-oil, sugar, etc.?

For the most part government does naught but collect taxes from the greater percentage, and penalize them as well, for a full slate of environmental and other regulatory statutes only the government can discern.

Many things are done, or not done, because of the weight of government's thumb, and I will guarantee alternative fuel development is artificially depressed owing to the looming prospect of overwhelming taxation.

When such a substantial part of the cost of a gallon of gasoline to the end consumer is siphoned directly into government coffers (ostensibly to deal with pollution, but actually just because they can), how can you come to any conclusion but that development might be spurred by a cessation of government involvement?

Let's say a non-polluting and totally environmentally-friendly fuel is developed-no emissions, no more smog, no more air quality warnings, etc...do you think the government should tax it as heavily as putrid old petroleum?

I'd bet the government thinks so.

Reagan had a quote about intrusive government:

If it moves, tax it.

If it keeps moving, regulate it.

If it dies, subsidize it.

The difficulty posed by government involvement should be apparent.

[zapjb]

I'd venture to say that 90% of businesses that made over $1 billion in the USA in 2005 won't pay any Federal taxes. And as for 2004 all defense companies that made over $1 billion paid zero in Federal taxes.

How is that punitive toward business?

[Rat Faced]

You dont know what taxation of fuel IS j2...

To give the Brits here a laugh at what J2K4 is complaining about here...

I think US tax on Gasoline is around 18 cents a Gallon (about 11p) as opposed to our £2.73 ($4.74 approx) per Gallon...based on 90p/Ltr at pumps.


If the UK doesnt Tax cleaner fuels nearly as much with its love of fuel taxation, why would the US?

LPG, as an example, is half the price of unleaded Petrol at fuel pumps here.

[j2k4]

You dont know what taxation of fuel IS j2...

To give the Brits here a laugh at what J2K4 is complaining about here...

I think US tax on Gasoline is around 18 cents a Gallon (about 11p) as opposed to our £2.73 ($4.74 approx) per Gallon...based on 90p/Ltr at pumps.


If the UK doesnt Tax cleaner fuels nearly as much with its love of fuel taxation, why would the US?

LPG, as an example, is half the price of unleaded Petrol at fuel pumps here.

WTF?

Are you bragging?

All that means is your fuel taxes are even worse than ours.

BTW-Ours are much higher than you've been given to believe, but it's difficult to tell exactly how much because of the state, municipal and sundry other taxes on gasoline tends to dilute the focus on precisely who is taking what.

That's how it works here; my sister just had an overnight in hospital, and got billed about $5 apiece from 500 different providers.

Now she owes $25,000, and can't figure out who to bitch at.

[Skillian]

Our government taxes "clean" fuels much less than petrol, as well as taxing "cleaner" cars less too.

You seemed to give the impression that no government would ever do that.

[Busyman]

You dont know what taxation of fuel IS j2...

To give the Brits here a laugh at what J2K4 is complaining about here...

I think US tax on Gasoline is around 18 cents a Gallon (about 11p) as opposed to our £2.73 ($4.74 approx) per Gallon...based on 90p/Ltr at pumps.


If the UK doesnt Tax cleaner fuels nearly as much with its love of fuel taxation, why would the US?

LPG, as an example, is half the price of unleaded Petrol at fuel pumps here.

WTF?

Are you bragging?

All that means is your fuel taxes are even worse than ours.

BTW-Ours are much higher than you've been given to believe, but it's difficult to tell exactly how much because of the state, municipal and sundry other taxes on gasoline tends to dilute the focus on precisely who is taking what.

That's how it works here; my sister just had an overnight in hospital, and got billed about $5 apiece from 500 different providers.

Now she owes $25,000, and can't figure out who to bitch at.

You should watch the 60 Minutes from 2 weeks ago.

It describes how those without health insurance get billed sometimes 10x more by a hospital than those with.

[sArA]

WTF?

Are you bragging?

All that means is your fuel taxes are even worse than ours.

BTW-Ours are much higher than you've been given to believe, but it's difficult to tell exactly how much because of the state, municipal and sundry other taxes on gasoline tends to dilute the focus on precisely who is taking what.

That's how it works here; my sister just had an overnight in hospital, and got billed about $5 apiece from 500 different providers.

Now she owes $25,000, and can't figure out who to bitch at.

You should watch the 60 Minutes from 2 weeks ago.

It describes how those without health insurance get billed sometimes 10x more by a hospital than those with.

That should be a criminal offence. Besides, surely it would make more sense to send the higher bill to those who can actually pay (insurance companies) to people that can't.

Still, perhaps they count on those who bankrupt themselves to pay and live to subsidise those that die before they are able to pay.

Or am I off the mark here?

[j2k4]

WTF?

Are you bragging?

All that means is your fuel taxes are even worse than ours.

BTW-Ours are much higher than you've been given to believe, but it's difficult to tell exactly how much because of the state, municipal and sundry other taxes on gasoline tends to dilute the focus on precisely who is taking what.

That's how it works here; my sister just had an overnight in hospital, and got billed about $5 apiece from 500 different providers.

Now she owes $25,000, and can't figure out who to bitch at.

You should watch the 60 Minutes from 2 weeks ago.

It describes how those without health insurance get billed sometimes 10x more by a hospital than those with.

Thanks, but I didn't need to.

I am well aware their strategy is to force bankruptcy in order to wipe their books.

[j2k4]

Our government taxes "clean" fuels much less than petrol, as well as taxing "cleaner" cars less too.

You seemed to give the impression that no government would ever do that.

Not talking about your government.