Should we raise the federal tax on gasoline?

[Mint]

Every American should demand a V-8 engine, along with a spacious Ranch House.  Christ people, do any of you realize how much the standard of living has fallen since the early 1970s?

Well, not everyone prefers those things. I like small, good handling, fuel efficient, easy to park and easy to drive cars and smaller houses that are easier to clean, leave more room for a yard, and are less expensive to heat and cool.

That's not to say that I don't agree with you about the standard of living having fallen, or of a preference for cars made by unionized assembly workers in the USA.

[Mint]

Anyway, I'm going to vote "No" at this present point in time. People are hurting enough, we don't need to be imposing more taxes on what for many  is a basic necessity.

[Mint]

But the major reason that rail travel will fail is that rails are a form of public transportation. Americans despise public transportation (I've read something like nearly 4 in 5 Americans have never ridden public transportation once in their lives), mostly on the grounds that it brings them too close to other members of the public.

I think a lot of it is cultural, but availability has to play a part too. A lot of people live in areas where there is essentially no way to travel other than by car. I can barely name any of the bus stops in the town I spent all my high school years, and that has <30,000 people in it. Unless you're either a) in College or b) In the cities chances are carpooling is the closest you're going to get to 'public transportation.'