[pp.int.general] Big Brother in NL?

[Reinier Bakels]

> It is easy to solve both problems together.  Instead of road-pricing,
> increase the gas tax.
Note that gasoline price in Europe is about twice as high as in the US - so 
this mechanism is already used.
For heavy gasoline (Diesel) there is a red colored variety with less tax 
which may not be used on public roads. Fraud is not uncommon.

Taxes usually are based on "elasticity" considerations: a higher tax will 
drecrease sales, so an x % tax increase does not produce an x % yield 
increase, but less. People are so "addicted" to their car though, that a tax 
increase in this field has hardly any influence on tax yield. So the effect 
on behaviour influence is minor.

We used to have a fligh tax which weas intended to reduce flying - again for 
the benefit of reducing CO2 exhaust. It had no effect. Because it was a 
national tax, people drove by car to nearby German or Belgian airports to 
avoid the tax - and to produce more rather than  less CO2 exhaust. Having 
said that, it must be admitted that airlines have an unjustified tax 
advantage over railways in Europe. Unlike in the US, railways are an 
excellent alternative for distances up to about 300 miles. Electrical trains 
are very energy-efficient: steel-on-steel losses are low, and on 
decelleration energy is fed back into the network.

Governments have a tendency to do it wrong all the time. They spoil 
projects. And they fail to make useful tax incentives.
And they maintain copyright until 70 years after the death of an author - 
which is outrageous!

reinier