----- Original Message -----
From: J. van Baardwijk <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Monday, May 21, 2001 1:51 PM
Subject: Re: W. on the Environment
> At 12:58 20-5-01 -0500, Dan Minette wrote:
>
> >And, if we do things like raise taxes, we will drive hardworking people
into
> >bankruptcy.
>
> That's crap, Dan. People won't go bankrupt if the government decides to
> raise taxes on energy.
>
Let me give one simple example. A small time owner/operator of a US truck
pays about $40,000 per year in fuel taxes (this figure comes from the back
of a number of trucks...but I think its accurate). If fuel taxes were on a
par with Europe's, that figure would rise to about $300,000 per years
Yes, they can raise their prices, but at the higher prices, the demand for
trucking will go down. At that point, the marginal operators will be forced
out of business.
These guys are not rich industrialists. They are blue collar guys, who work
long hours and are gone from home for long stretches as they drive from
coast to coast. Most have a loan out to pay for their truck and need to make
payments. As it stands right now, the increase in fuel prices are pushing
marginal operators to the edge.
There are other energy intensive businesses that will be marginalized. I
don't know how it is handled in a managed economy. Or, don't you have many
small businesses? Does the government in the Netherlands guarantee business
success? What happens when a business cannot pay its bills if not
bankruptcy? I honestly don't know how you do things.
>A few years ago, the
> government put an "ecotax" on energy. This lead to higher energy bills,
but
> no hardworking Dutchman has gone bankrupt because of it. We pay a sales
tax
> on almost everything here; that tax went up from 17.5% to 19% last
January.
> This made a lot of goods more expensive, but again, no hardworking
Dutchman
> has gone bankrupt because of it.
>
You used hardworking Dutchman twice. I would venture that one of these
drivers works longer and harder than the average hard working Dutchman.
Dan M.
