Gas-Taxes-Republican-Hypocrisy-Bob Davis Podcast 833

Gas-Taxes-Republican-Hypocrisy-Bob Davis Podcast 833

There Goes Your Tax Cut

How’s the price of gas these days? How’s the price of diesel? We pay nearly 3 dollars a gallon or more at the pump. Especially for diesel. Republicans always talk about lower taxes. Not Trump. The president wants at least a 15 cent per gallon increase in the federal gas tax. Find out why in Gas-Taxes-Republican-Hypocrisy-Bob Davis Podcast 833.

What The Lord Giveth, He Taketh Away

Most noteworthy is the existing 18 cent federal tax on gas and almost 25 cents a gallon for diesel. Even more, most state lawmakers want increases in their state gas taxes.

Drunken Sailors Fighting on The Dance Floor

Sure they take in a lot of money in Washington and the state capitol. In contrast states and the federal government actually spend piles of money. Not to mention your local town or city. For information about that, click here.

Bonding Bonding Bonding

I live in Minnesota. They’re not supposed to, but here politicians throw in bonding packages in just about every legislative session.

You Can’t Get There From Anywhere During ‘Construction Season’

The result? Bonding on bonding. Some projects fully funded, haven’t even been started. Even more, there’s so much construction people are tearing their hair out trying to get to work.

Gas Taxes – Not Just For Highways Anymore

Stadiums. Light Rail. Train Stations. Bus Lanes. Bike Trails. Subsidized bike rentals. Running paths. Signs. Talking Traffic Lights. Roundabouts. Federally compliant intersections and curbs. Sometimes projects finished a couple of years ago are torn up and redone. Notice there are no highways or roads in that list. We still need more money for all those highway projects too. Add Trump’s airports and bridges and it means tax increases. Corporations aren’t going to pay for it.

Five Floors of 1800 Dollar A Month Rentals and a Starbucks On Every Corner

Moreover subsidies for ‘affordable’ housing projects which are really five story condos and 1800 dollar a month rentals with a Starbucks on the ground floor everywhere. Funding for these projects are cobbled together from Federal Transit Authority money.

Thanks Taxpayers!

That is, your money. Learn more in Gas-Taxes-Republican-Hypocrisy-Bob Davis Podcast 833.

Republicans Love Lower Taxes, More Spending and Ballooning Deficits

Finally, as republicans ballyhoo their 2017 tax cut and campaign on lower taxes, they keep spending. In Minnesota they passed a five hundred million dollar bonding bill and a 48 billion dollar budget last week and they think they did a great job. This year the federal budget is 4.4 trillion. That’s a trillion more than Barack Obama’s average. The US Budget Deficit this year will be more than a trillion dollars. Our total debt is estimated at 22 trillion.

Buddy Can You Spare 67 Thousand Dollars?

The raw dollar amounts these governments take in will make you sick. Especially relevant is the fact that every American is on the hook for 67 thousand dollars in federal debt alone, and counting. Because despite the revenue, they keep spending more and more, whether they have a D or an R in front of their name. Sooner or later the piper has to be paid. Spending, whether it comes from tax collections or bonds, always ends up as a tax.

The Man Who Lost Billions Wants You To Pay For … Another New Airport

And here comes the man who built skyscrapers and lost billions doing it, Donald Trump. He wants to put his name on airports, subways and bridges we don’t need, and make us pay for it.

What would Ben Franklin say to the woman about our government today?

“It’s a Hypo-cracy Madam. If you can keep it”.

Why would you want to?

Sponsored by John D Scott of JDS Injury Law and Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul

Gas-Taxes-Republican-Hypocrisy-Bob Davis Podcast 833

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Fixing Your Town-Local Activism-Part 1-Bob Davis Podcast 802

Fixing Your Town-Local Activism-Part 1-Bob Davis Podcast 802

These days there’s so much focus on national issues. Most of us do not realize we can have a big impact on our local towns. Two guys who know the drill join me from Community Solutions MN in Fixing Your Town-Local Activism-Part 1-Bob Davis Podcast 802.

Local Activism

Jason Bradley and Andrew Richter tell their story in part 1 of an epic interview. I like Jason and Andrew because they’ve forgotten more about local activism than most people have learned.

Told To Pound Sand

Jason and Andrew got started as two citizens upset over a proposed road widening. The spark? When they protested, the city government told them to pound sand. Learn more in Fixing Your Town-Local Activism-Part 1-Bob Davis Podcast 802.

The Death of Rural America

I have reported on and talked a lot about national and state issues in these podcasts. Media misses an especially relevant truth. Small towns are often told what to do by state and federal agencies. Jason and Andrew have called this the death of rural America.

You Are Not Powerless

This podcast tells a story. That story helps people understand they are not powerless. Community Solutions MN can help people in townships, small towns, and especially suburbs that ring major cities.

Taxpayers Foot The Bill

Finally, we’ve all heard of the special deals big companies get to put warehouses, plants, stores and ‘research facilities‘ in states and major cities. Did you know this is happening in small towns and suburban villages too? Truth is the taxpayer foots the bill.

Perfumed Princes Thrown Out Of Office

In conclusion most of the time city councils, county councils and township governments get the feeling they can do whatever they want. Part 1 of this interview shows citizens can take back their town and their county, much to chagrin of the so called perfumed princes who act as though their exalted position is their birthright.

Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating Metro-wide FromSaint Paul

Fixing Your Town-Local Activism-Part 1-Bob Davis Podcast 802

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Podcast 278

Vehicle Mileage Tax. Minnesotans were shocked and dismayed this week to learn their state is one of 18 considering passing something called a VMT; A Vehicle Mileage Tax. A GPS locating device would be attached to cars, and drivers would be taxed according to the number of miles they drive. While ‘sources’ say the VMT would replace the state gasoline tax, at an average of 34 cents, that would depend on individual state legislatures and the wording of bills in those respective states. How many Minnesotans would bet the state would ‘replace’ the state gas tax with the VMT? More than likely a reduction in the state gas tax would be combined with a  VMT. Advancing this story requires some research on why states spent as much as 150 percent of their gas tax dollars, and Podcast 278 provides the details. Is government efficiently spending transportation dollars? Is government spending transportation dollars on roads? Is government allowing tests of alternative methods of funding roads? Will bicycle riders have to wear GPS devices and pay a VMT too? Why not? What about the privacy issues related to GPS devices placed on the cars of citizens. States will argue ‘driving is a privilege’, and ‘you already have GPS tracking on your cell phone’. Will those arguments be good enough to prevent, or withstand a constitutional challenge if VMT’s are passed? What about ‘intermodal’ and ‘modal’ forms of transportation. How much of the transportation budget is sucked up by commuter rail, light rail, passenger rail, high speed rail and street cars, buses, and bike trails? Can Minnesotans depend on a Republican majority in Saint Paul to vote against this kind of tax. (Editor’s Note: Hint…um…No.) Is this an opportunity for birds of a different feather to flock together and defeat the measure if it is offered in the state house? These kinds of taxes, and so called infrastructure projects, controlled by central planners, rubber stamped by career politicians, create sclerotic bureaucracies and governments with too much centralized control. What strategies might be used effectively to defeat ideas like the VMT, and throw politicians who support them out of government, for good. Sponsored by Ryan Plumbing and Heating of Saint Paul. 

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