Pollution Taxes

There are many benefits of increasing the state and federal tax on gasoline. Some believe that we are too reliant on a potentially detrimental industry to our country. Raising taxes on oil would cause less people to drive, thus benefiting the environment and quality of air. In addition, raising taxes on oil "would help pay for the President's $1.5 trillion infrastructure plan" (Rapier, Business Insider, 2018). The government needs tax dollars in order to operate. This tax, along with other consumer taxes, would allow people to determine how much and when they are taxed. People could make many choices to offset the high cost. For example, people can drive less often, get fuel efficient cars, carpool, or take the public transit.


There are also several disadvantages of raising the tax on gasoline. Some are convinced that increasing the tax on gasoline will hurt the economy. "It's estimated that a 1 percent increase in gas prices takes $1 billion out of consumers' pockets. That's $1 billion that could be spent on eating out, clothes, and other leisure activities" (Boone, Americans for Tax Reform, 2015). In addition, since companies need to transport goods from store to store, businesses will be forced to raise the prices of their consumer goods to pay for the extra costs. People are convinced that the government will use the extra funds for more wasteful spending instead of using it to pay off debts. Therefore, some believe that this proposal will only reduce the discretionary income of millions of Americans. Economists have shown that reductions in discretionary income often correspond with diminished economic growth.



After analyzing both sides of the debate over pollution taxes I am against raising taxes on gasoline. Scientists have gone back and forth over weather global warming is real. Due to the lack of knowledge on how air pollution affects the environment, I don't see the environmental benefit as a compelling reason to sacrifice our economy. Many Americans don't have the money to afford this additional cost of gasoline. Therefore, this proposal would prevent millions of Americans from driving their own vehicles daily. We should not have to sacrifice our quality of life to compensate for poor financial decisions on behalf of the government. Taxes are already too high. The government should stop giving money away before they increase the tax burden.