Raising Gas Tax

Raising the gas tax would benefit our government because it would lead to more
money going to our government and help save the environment. Our country is in
severe debt, owing trillions every year, and raising the tax on gas can help us clear
this obstacle. The tax for gas in America is 18.4 cents per gallon, but in Europe, the
price is about ten times higher. Taxing as much as these other countries do would
not only help provide funding for our government but also help the environment.
In today’s society, Americans travel about 3 trillion miles a year, which is more
than pretty much any other society on Earth (Ben Adler, grist.org, 2013).
Raising the price of gas would encourage people to drive less or get an
electric car, which would definitely help the Earth.

Raising the tax for gas would not be beneficial because it will not solve the real
problem and raise the prices for consumer goods. Right now there is a problem
because the HTF is spending more money than they have access too, and
increasing the amount of money they have will only increase the amount
they spend. For example, right now the gas tax brings in about $34 billion, and
the HTF spends around $50 billion (Jyskes, art.org, 2015). If we raise the amount
gas tax brings in to about $50 billion, then the HTF will likely increase their spendings
to around $75 billion. Also, raising the gas tax would cost consumers more to drive to
the supermarket to get their consumer goods. This is the same with delivery services;
if the price for tax goes up, then the price it will take for cars to come to deliver something
to your house will increase.

Finally, I believe that we should not raise the gas tax. Pretty much everyone relies on
their gas-powered cars to get everywhere, from work to social gatherings. However,
not everyone can afford to pay so much more for each gallon of gas or to buy an
expensive electric car. This is a reflection on the “ability to pay” tax fairness rule.
Raising the price for gas might be alright to rich people, but to the less unfortunate, it
could mean spending hundreds of more dollars a month because you’re trying to earn money.