VRT as environmental tax?

junkyard

fits wrote:

This is the most misinformed post I have read in a long time. I'm not going to disagree with you about the hype, and its true that the planet's climate is continuosly changing, so we shouldnt be so surprised about that. But we have records going back tens of thousands of years, its called rock and ice. So much research has been conducted on this, and do you honestly believe we can alter the concentrations of gases in the atmosphere without influencing climate? The idea of climate change being invented so that governments can charge more tax is just laughable.

Agree with others about taxing fuel, it definitely makes the most sense, and in turn it will lead to better public transport, and less urban sprawl.. Everyone would be a winner (and I could afford a nicer car).

It mightn't be as misinformed as you'd like to think, I know many people in the engineering profession and they will confirm to you that a lot of the facts and figures just don't add up as regards global warming. I'll say no more here as its going off topic but, I have to say, do you always believe what our governments tell us? I know I don't.

maidhc

junkyard wrote:

It mightn't be as misinformed as you'd like to think, I know many people in the engineering profession and they will confirm to you that a lot of the facts and figures just don't add up as regards global warming. I'll say no more here as its going off topic but, I have to say, do you always believe what our governments tell us? I know I don't.

I don't think governments would invent global warming just as a means of justifying tax. Governments rarely try justifying any of their actions, least of all taxes.

bazz26

Plus most governments are not that creative.

junkyard

Look at the bigger picture, our governments are being told what to do and in turn tell us. Its a lot bigger than you might think.

overdriver

maidhc wrote:

I don't think governments would invent global warming just as a means of justifying tax. Governments rarely try justifying any of their actions, least of all taxes.

Really?
The bin tax lesson has not been learned, then.

maidhc

junkyard wrote:

Look at the bigger picture, our governments are being told what to do and in turn tell us. Its a lot bigger than you might think.

I'm afraid the conspiracy theory is lost on me, but then again I have a subscription to the national geographic!

(btw the "bin tax" has resulted in Ireland becoming very good at recycling. And has made Ireland a more equitable place when some of us have always had to pay €450 a year for private bin collection.)

Anyway, very OT, but I do think taxes aimed to regulate consumption are an extremely good idea provided realistic alternatives exist. For the moment, there no realistic alternative to fossil fuels and the motor car.

overdriver

Correct, it has. however, it also places the blame - and guilt - for pollution on the ordinary householder. The councils have reacted to our great recycling intiative by tripling the price of a bin tag. That's because the money is not used to cover the cost of proper waste disposal, but to fund local Govt.



The point being made is that the Government does, in fact, justify a tax when it suits them.

A fuel tax based on use would be similarly abused.

maidhc

overdriver wrote:

The point being made is that the Government does, in fact, justify a tax when it suits them.

My point was that Governments often introduce taxes without bothering to justify them... e.g. VRT, stamp duty.