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MILLIONAIRE FRANKEN DOESN’T THINK MINNESOTANS WOULD NOTICE A FIVE TO TEN CENT GAS TAX INCREASE
By Michael Brodkorb | October 9, 2007
"And I think certainly in this state we need to increase the gas tax. We haven’t had an increase in the gas tax in 20 years. And I’m in favor of at least a five to ten cent tax increase, and the fluctuation of gas prices is that everyday anyway. I don’t think people would notice it so much." Source: Al Franken, Twin West Chamber Debate, October 5, 2007
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Only an out of touch millionaire like Al Franken would claim that Minnesotans wouldn't notice a five to ten cent gas tax increase. Please check back to Minnesota Democrats Exposed and Blogs for Norm! later today for more information on Franken's nuanced answer to a question about raising the state and federal gas tax.
This post also appears on Blogs for Norm!, an online community and blog covering the 2008 U.S. Senate campaign in Minnesota. The primary goal of Blogs for Norm! is to organize bloggers who support U.S. Senator Norm Coleman.
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38 Responses to “MILLIONAIRE FRANKEN DOESN’T THINK MINNESOTANS WOULD NOTICE A FIVE TO TEN CENT GAS TAX INCREASE”
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October 9th, 2007 at 12:04 PM
I disagree, gas prices have went up and down about 70 cents this year and people have not changed their driving habits.
Gas prices vary across the city and even block to block, so obviously plenty of folks don’t take notice.
How many people notice when beef prices go up 20-30 cents? or when Milk goes up 40 cents? or when your McDonald’s meal combo goes up 20-40 cents?
October 9th, 2007 at 12:13 PM
You’re right, Lyle. Liberal hacks like you and Angry Al never pay attention to gasoline prices because you are too busy eating your caviar and drinking your French wine inside your stretch limosenes.
The rest of us, who actually work for a living, DO pay attention to prices.
October 9th, 2007 at 12:24 PM
Apparently as long as the reason for the increase in the price of gas is not the nefarious Bush administration, greedy Halliburton, shady puppeteer Dick Cheney, or any other liberal boogey-man, but a do-gooder, know-better-than-you, carpet-bagging liberal millionaire, then it’s OK.
October 9th, 2007 at 1:13 PM
Lyle,
Who cops a bigger profit on a gallon of gas? Big Oil or the government?
October 9th, 2007 at 1:16 PM
So, since we are already shouldering an increased gas cost burden, increasing it a little more (baby steps to tyranny) more will not be a big deal?
Is this government making things better or worse?
October 9th, 2007 at 1:30 PM
so how do you guys explain or defend the fact that the gas tax in MN hasn’t been raised in almost 20 years?
gas/oil is just not susceptible to inflation or what?
if gas actually increased with the rate of inflation we’d be spending about $17 per gallon at this point, so consider yourselves lucky.
October 9th, 2007 at 1:32 PM
D, nobody is saying you don’t pay attention to gas prices, but does it effect your driving habits?
studies and polls have shown that it rarely effects driving habits.
gas is a necessary evil
October 9th, 2007 at 1:37 PM
KJ: Wrong. It does affect driving habits. I know I have been more careful to combine trips and cut down on consumption.
And KJ, are you trying to tell me we haven’t been pocketing MORE money every year from the gas tax? The fact is that, even without a raise in the actual tax, the actual amount of $bling$ that the government gets has increased by almost 60% since 1988. Too bad you ignored that fact.
October 9th, 2007 at 1:43 PM
KJ,
“so how do you guys explain or defend the fact that the gas tax in MN hasn’t been raised in almost 20 years?”
We can defend it because were Republicans!
I really hope this issue becomes a major focus in the upcoming campaign! Maybe we can get back to defining ourselves as being fiscally conservative again!
October 9th, 2007 at 2:01 PM
D, you’re wrong… gas tax revenues haven’t increased 60 percent. They’ve increased 300 percent since 1988.
October 9th, 2007 at 2:01 PM
“Who cops a bigger profit on a gallon of gas? Big Oil or the government?”
Well if you looked at the oil profits for the last couple years oil companies appear to be rolling in dough with record profits.
As for state government, the “profit” you speak of is constitutionally dedicated to fund our roads and bridges. That makes sense to me, unlike many of these other taxes/fees (like on cigarettes) which are not dedicated and go into one big pot.
October 9th, 2007 at 2:15 PM
“You’re right, Lyle. Liberal hacks like you and Angry Al never pay attention to gasoline prices because you are too busy eating your caviar and drinking your French wine inside your stretch limosenes.
The rest of us, who actually work for a living, DO pay attention to prices.”
Well I have only been in a Limo once and can’t pretend to know what caviar tastes like. As for French wine, it’s good, but I drink little of it, I prefer beer. If you want to dive into stereotypes why don’t you tell me what party individuals who make over $250,000 a year indentify with? I am guessing it’s not the Democrats. Feel free to ask them about their limo, caviar habits.
As for me, I pay attention to gas prices and will drive 10 blocks to save a few cents, many do not though. More times then I can count gas stations on opposite sides of the road have a 3 cent difference and yet plenty of drivers go to the higher priced one.
The bottom line, is that nearly every cost has increased in the last 19 years except our gas tax. If people can weather those increases (which they have no idea where the additional money went or why they were raised) I think they can handle 5-10 more cents a gallon to go towards a transportation system they know is failing apart and not meeting our needs. Then again the way MnDOT has been operating lately, they may have some doubts…
October 9th, 2007 at 2:43 PM
Lyle: I’ll let others beat up on you for your ignorant comments….except one.
You sure throw up theories with not a shred of evidence. Let’s look at your idea that the rich, fat-cats are Republicans.
How about you look at a good indicator of fat-cats? Check the FEC reports between Angry Al and Coleman. Just so you know, any contribution over $200 has to be reported.
Coleman has 2,268 contributors for $2.2 million.
Angry Al has 1,792 contributors for $3.2 million.
Coleman’s average is $978 per contributor.
Angry Al’s average is $1,803 per contributor.
Now, exactly WHO has the fat-cats? Who’s contributor base has more disposable income to blow? Hmmm….reckon it ain’t Republicans…
October 9th, 2007 at 2:44 PM
For those of you who feel the need for an increase in the gas tax, how about just writing a check for say a hundred dollars and send it to the state. Label it for roads or whatever. That way you can feel like you helped and let the rest of us keep what we have worked hard to earn.
My elderly (fixed income) in laws watch the price of gas very closely. They cannot afford an increase of 5-10 cents. Their driving habits have been severly impacted. My own driving has been curtailed significantly because of the price of gas.
Anything created with an increase in the gas tax would go to uses such as bike paths and light rail, so don’t hold your breath hoping for better roads. They are nice but they do not cut down on road congestion. That has been shown in all cities that have built light rail over the past 20 years.
To answer Dr Dre – the government gets a far bigger cut on the price of a gallon of gas than the oil companies.
October 9th, 2007 at 4:12 PM
“Well if you looked at the oil profits for the last couple years oil companies appear to be rolling in dough with record profits.”
Yes, the oil companies have done pretty well the past 3 or 4 years. Prior to that… not so much.
Regardless, even in every of the last 3 to four years, big government has profited nearly double what big oil has.
October 9th, 2007 at 4:56 PM
KJ gas factored in for inflation would cost 3.27 a gallon..not 17 freakin dollars…. Lyle, oil companies make pennies on the dollar in profit…while government makes 50 cents a gallon
October 9th, 2007 at 5:11 PM
Lyle,
Like a lefty, you tell a partial story. While gas tax revenues are dedicated at the state level, they aren’t at the federal, which is where Franken wants to raise them.
Federal gas tax monies, for example, build all those bike trails Oberstar loves. I love them too, just not at the expense of inspecting bridges.
Big Government cops huges profits off oil.
October 9th, 2007 at 5:24 PM
What is nice for the government that liberals like to ignore is the fact the govenment is making this money with zero investment risk on their part. The Oil companies take all the risk drilling and such, yet Govenment gets a much bigger slice of profits than the oil companies. The the govenrment also dictates what types of fuel they can make and when they can make them further hampering profit margins for them.
Be glad we have big oil, if not, the democrats would have to come to us individually to get the funds they feel the need to waste on social programs.
Liberals just plain suck!!
October 9th, 2007 at 6:19 PM
Actually, factored for inflation, gas is cheaper now than it was 20 years ago. It was at it’s highest in 1980, the peak of the Carter energy crisis.
October 9th, 2007 at 6:47 PM
ah yes, remember the “misery index” of the late 70′s?
October 9th, 2007 at 7:46 PM
D, the Franken fat cat example, very very rare example of the rich liberals coming together to show their strength. Overall, Republicans are certainly richer, the party caters to their tax bracket.
If the government included a 5 cent gas tax increase without us knowing it, you would never know. The prices go up and down so much, you would think nothing of an increase.
October 9th, 2007 at 7:47 PM
Clarification
Think nothing of an increase as to being nothing more than its fluctuation.
October 9th, 2007 at 8:42 PM
Andrew, who are you kidding. The most extreme liberals are also extremely rich… and there are many of them… and they throw their weight around very often…
There’s nothing rare about it. Liberals have spent the last 30 years and trillions of dollars to corrupt our government. It’s a testimony to the American spirit that we haven’t fallen in to disastrous European socialism… yet.
And overall… Democrats are far richer than any Republicans… you’re perpetuating a myth.
October 9th, 2007 at 11:49 PM
D-
Your numbers are completely off. Al had only 1792 contributors of over $200, but he had 26,000 other contributors, making his average contribution around $65. The way I see it that means Coleman has 450 more fat cats than Al. And all that PAC money from the fatter cats. And the VECO bribes from Alaska.
October 10th, 2007 at 8:48 AM
“Lyle, oil companies make pennies on the dollar in profit”
-2005 36.1 billion in income
Exxon Mobil’s 2005 net income for the year comes to $1,146 a second. That per-second profit is enough to pay for gas for the average American vehicle to be driven 10,294 miles, at current gasoline prices.
Oil giant Exxon Mobil Corp. on Thursday posted the largest annual profit by a U.S. company—$39.5 billion.-
Pennies on the dollar my ass!
That doesn’t even include what they gave their outgoing CEO!
-Exxon is giving Lee Raymond one of the most generous retirement packages in history, nearly $400 million, including pension, stock options and other perks, such as a $1 million consulting deal, two years of home security, personal security, a car and driver, and use of a corporate jet for professional purposes.-
October 10th, 2007 at 8:55 AM
“And overall… Democrats are far richer than any Republicans… you’re perpetuating a myth.”
–Study debunks journalistic image of rich ‘Latte’ Democrats, poor ‘NASCAR’ Republicans.
The bottom line, the study suggests, is that little has changed in terms of income’s general influence on individual voting patterns: in every presidential election since 1952, the richer a voter is, the more likely that voter is to vote Republican, regardless of ethnicity, sex, education or age.–
October 10th, 2007 at 9:15 AM
Anon: Put down the Kool-Aid and read what I wrote again. I specifically wanted to compare apples to apples. You want to compare apples to trees.
Angry Al is counting morons that paid $2 for a lousy button at the State Fair. And I’m positive that Coleman has a bunch of smaller contributors too! My comparison is backed up by facts, not mythical “contributors”
And as for Lyle: Link to the study you are using. You can’t because your a liar…just like Angry Al. I can call my butt a wind instrument and a fart is a whole note…but it don’t make it so. Reference your source, lying liar.
October 10th, 2007 at 9:30 AM
Andrew: You think that this is a “rare” situation?
Go check out another competative race: Maine
Susan Collins: 1,248 contributors
Thomas Allen: 994 contributors
Susan Collins: $1,131,118
Thomas Allen: $1,281,346
Susan Collins: $906 average
Thomas Allen: $1,289 average
Can’t you liberal scumbags at least look at the data before you lie through your teeth? I guess it must be just inbred…to lie.
October 10th, 2007 at 10:01 AM
This is a horrible attempt to make Al Franken look like a flip-flopper. First of all, he’s saying he doesn’t support the gas tax because it is regressive. This just means he doesn’t support the fact that the gas tax isn’t an equitable tax and poor people aren’t given any other choice than to drive, so they are forced to pay an unfair tax (by the way, this is the point of transit). Second, he says that he supports the gas tax as a last resort because we need to fund transportation and it’s the only mechanism we have in place right now. Transportation is grossly underfunded and it needs an influx of money because gas tax revenues are not increasing with inflation of construction costs (especially if it’s kept at the same level for 20 years). Finally, the federal gas tax supports a different thing than the state gas tax, so he’s saying that the FHWA has enough money, the problem is a local funding shortage. Not that that couldn’t change (i.e. keep it on the table). If you know anything about transportation funding, you’d know that people are starting to drive less and use less fuel, which is taking away from transportation funding at a critical time (like as bridges are falling down).
October 10th, 2007 at 2:13 PM
ALLRIGHT! Finally, a spirited discussion.
First off, whether or not a person would notice a gas tax is not the point. I work for a living and I notice. The point is that when gas prices went up the Left crapped there pants and screamed bloody murder on how this was going to bankrupt the poor. Investigations were demanded. Legislators screamed from the podiums! Hillary The Socialist demanded the “Profits†be confiscated. It sounded like the Armageddon. “The end is near! Big Oil is raping us with a $0.10 cost increase!â€
But when government raises the price (a need due to incompetent spending, not lack of taxing) and …crickets.
Second, massive oil company profits. What a bunch of mindless pant load that is. With the oil company infrastructure and cost risks they are still doing worse than most companies. Want proof? Sure, look at stock prices. If oil companies are the mindless money making machines you say then why isn’t everyone buying up the stock? Huh? If your argument is that these are gratuitous profits then we could all be stinking rich by buying up a few shares. Right?
Third, who has the money? I’ve seen statistics that can prove every argument we’ve seen posted here. My two cents: If Conservatives have more money it is because they work, Old money is almost all Liberal.
October 10th, 2007 at 7:03 PM
I AM PROMISING THE AMERICAN PUBLIC GAS NO MORE THAN 1.50 A GALLON DURING THE 1ST 1/2 OF MY 1ST TERM.
IF NOT, I WILL RESIGN AFTER MY 1ST TERM.
HOW ON EARTH COULD I ACCOMPLISH THAT YOU ASK?
OH I’M SURE MY BUDDY IN IRAN WILL BE HELPFUL WITH PART OF THIS.
YOU ALL HAVE HEARD OF MY BUDDY. HE JUST CAME HERE AS A “TOURIST”
Now should America be blatently irresponsible and attack Iran 1st. ALL DEALS ARE OFF.
October 10th, 2007 at 7:05 PM
…OH YEAH MY PRESCRIPTION DRUG PLAN MEANS NO ONE PAYS CO-PAYS, PLUS CASH BACK AND TAXES DON’T GO UP.
ATTN PFIZER AND MERCK
HOW DO YOU BATTLE A BEAST?
October 11th, 2007 at 8:55 AM
The above makes one wonder what else you can put in the lesftist kool-aid to make one that crazy?
I wonder if he will still come around when elections are over and we find out he did not even secure 5% of the vote.
October 11th, 2007 at 2:17 PM
Sailor Jerry NAVY Rum would work.
and Big K I cannot thank you enough for your support.
October 11th, 2007 at 5:10 PM
ROFLMAO, so that’s what Broom considers support, being called a kool-aid drinker, aka CULT Member who is committing suicide. LOL
October 11th, 2007 at 8:27 PM
Suicide? Cult Member?
Did you take your meds today?
October 12th, 2007 at 3:37 AM
LOL are you that dense that you don’t know what a Kool-aid drinker is? HAHAHAHAHA, apparently you don’t. The term comes from the Jim Jones and the Jonestown Massacre where he ordered his followers to drink cynide laced kool-aid, and they dutifully did so. Kool-aid drinkers are mad men! LOL
July 28th, 2008 at 6:41 PM
[...] Team Franken is in a tough position on the issue of gas prices as their candidate, Al Franken, strongly advocated raising the state gas-tax. Last year, Franken even said that Minnesotans wouldn’t notice a five to ten cent gas-tax increase. [...]