Why Friedmans Gas Tax Idea Stinks Tom

This is Bob Bluecollar. Bob is a regular, hard-working American with a wife, three kids, and a mortgage. Bob

This is Will Whitecollar. Will makes six figures, eats at fancy restaurants, and cheats on his wife with his 23- year old secretary. Will

Bob and will are happy! (see the smiles?) Bob Will

Bob and Will both drive about 18,000 miles per year. Bob Will 18,000

Bob drives a 2001 Chevy S10 that gets 19 mpg. Bob would like to buy a new car that gets better mileage, but Bob has kids to feed and bills to pay. Will 18,000 19mpg 18,000 Bob

Will drives a 2011 Cadillac Escalade that gets 13 mpg. Will doesnt need a huge SUV, but Will is douchebag who is obsessed with impressing his white collar buddies, and besides, he has lots of money. Bob Will 18,000 19mpg 18,000 13mpg

Both Bob and Will pay the same for gas - $3.50 per gallon. Bob Will 18,000 19mpg 13mpg $3.50

Bob pays $3315 per year for gas. Will pays $4846 for gas. Bob Will 18,000 19mpg 13mpg $3.50 =$3315 =$4846

Bob pays about $276 per month for gas, while Will pays $403. Bob Will 18,000 13mpg $3.50 $ ,000 19mpg $3.50 $ mo $ mo $276

This is Tom. Tom wrote a couple of books. Tom thinks the government should increase taxes on gasoline by $1 per gallon. Tom

Bob is very concerned about Toms idea because Bobs paycheck is stretched as it is. Will, on the other hand, could care less. He has money. Tom Bob Will

Is Toms $1 per gallon tax a good idea? Lets find out.... Tom Bob Will ??

Both Bob and Will would have to pay $4.50 per gallon if Tom has his way. Bob Will 18,000 19mpg 13mpg $3.50 $4.50

Under Toms plan, Bob would have to pay almost $1000 more per year in gas. Will would have to pay almost $1400 more. Bob Will 18,000 13mpg $3.50 $ ,000 19mpg $3.50 $3315 $4.50 $4263 $6230

Will is still happy. Will doesnt really care about paying more for gas. Hell pay whatever it takes to keep impressing his douchebag friends with his living-room-on- wheels SUV. Bob Will 18,000 13mpg $3.50 $ ,000 19mpg $3.50 $3315 $4.50 $4263 $6230

Bob is sad. Unlike Will, Bob does care about how much he pays for gas. Because he now pays more, he cant afford the newer, more fuel efficient car he has been dreaming about buying. Bob Will 18,000 13mpg $3.50 $ ,000 19mpg $3.50 $3315 $4.50 $4263 $6230

Now, Tom might say, But, if gas prices are higher, people will drive less! Tom But, if gas prices are higher, people will drive less!!

That is true. Bob still has to drive to work, though. So to drive fewer miles, he is going to have to skip that family road trip to Disney World he was planning. Now Bobs family is sad. Thanks a lot, Tom. Bob

However, Will wont drive less. He has money to burn. He is going to keep his Cadillac SUV, keep eating at nice restaurants, and keep banging his secretary. The only one that is sad is Wills Wife, but that is because she is married to Will, not because of gas prices. WillSecretaryWills Wife

Toms idea is pretty bad because it is hard on Bob but not hard on Will. Plus, Toms plan does not reduce the number of gallons of gas Bob and Will consume by very much. Tom

Is there a better idea than Toms idea? You bet there is! Tom ??

Instead of taxing gas, we should tax gas- guzzlers. When douchebags like Will buy vehicles with poor gas mileage, they shoould have to pay a tax at the time of sale. Will Tax $$

Then, when hard-working people like Bob want to buy a new fuel-efficient vehicle, we can use the tax money paid by people like Will to help people like Bob afford their new vehicle by giving people like Bob a tax break. Will Tax $$ Bob Tax Break $$

CAFE Standard MPG Tax Break Better MPG Vehicles above the CAFE standard would get a tax break. The higher the fuel efficiency, the more the tax break.

Tax $$ Tax Break $$ CAFE Standard MPG Tax Break Tax Worse MPG Better MPG Vehicles below the CAFE standard would get taxed at the point of sale. The higher the fuel consumption, the higher the tax.

Tax $$ Tax Break $$ CAFE Standard MPG Tax Break Tax Worse MPG Better MPG How will this work out for Bob and Will? Lets find out.... ??

Bob is happy. He gets to buy a new fuel efficient car with the help of a tax break. Bob

Bobs family is happy! They get to go to Disney World! Bob Yahoo! We get to go to Disney World!

Will is happy. He doesnt care if he has to pay more for his SUV. He is a douchebag who will pay anything to impress his douchebag friends. Will

Even Wills wife is happy now. She started an affair with a 22-year-old bartender as revenge for Wills affair with his secretary. WillSecretaryWills Wife Wills Wifes Boy Toy

Joe Taxpayer is happy because the gas guzzler tax incentive does not increase the national debt. The Earth is happy because more people will drive fuel efficient vehicles, which means less carbon emissions. Joe Taxpayer

Everyone is happy!

One last question: Why would Tom propose an idea that would hurt regular people like Bob? Tom ??

Probably because Tom is a millionaire who made his money selling books, and who has no clue how his dim- witted ideas will affect normal people… Tom

Why didnt Tom think of this great idea? Tom ??

In other words, Tom is more like Will and less like Bob. Tom Bob Will

Do all of us a favor Tom. STFU. Tom