Need A Big Tax Cut? Buy A Hummer

[blueturk]

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/13915375.htm

Tax incentives favor SUVs over hybrids
$25,000 deduction for Hummers, only $3,150 for gas-electric vehicles

TIM MOLLOY Associated Press

LOS ANGELES - New tax breaks are available to anyone who wants to help the environment by purchasing fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles.
But owners of small businesses can get even bigger federal tax breaks by buying the largest gas-guzzling SUVs.

The disparity is drawing criticism from environmentalists and the Republican chairman of the Senate's tax-writing committee, who is working on a change.

Dealers and owners who have benefited from the SUV tax incentive say it helps spur a key part of the economy -- auto-making -- and allows small-business owners to purchase vehicles that improve their bottom line.

Federal tax rules that took effect last month allow a credit of up to $3,150 for anyone buying a hybrid car. The credit is the same regardless of tax bracket.

Owners of small businesses who buy a Hummer, Ford Excursion or other SUV weighing more than 3 tons get a deduction of up to $25,000 if they use the vehicle exclusively for work.

Once they subtract the $25,000 from the cost of their 3-ton SUV, small-business owners can deduct the depreciation on the remaining amount. Someone who bought a $60,000 SUV, for example, can claim the remaining $35,000 over six years.

But if small-business owners buy cars weighing less than 3 tons, they can claim just $15,535 in depreciation over six years and $1,675 each additional year. Deductions for depreciation on trucks and vans weighing less than 3 tons are slightly more generous.

"It's inconsistent for the tax code to encourage businesspeople to buy heavy SUVs and not alternative vehicles," said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, whose committee has oversight of tax legislation. "As consumer demand for alternative energy products increases, it's important for the tax code to be consistent."

[Nickdfresh]

Remember, "we're u'ddicted to oil." Yeah, coming from GW, that's like a crack dealer saying someone is addicted to cocaine...

[blueturk]

Or...

[FORD]

This particular tax cut had a noble purpose in it's origin. It was designed to help small businesses such as a family farm buy tractors and trucks necessary to get a business operational.

It was NOT designed to be yet another tool for greedy rich fuckwad Republicans to avoid paying taxes.

The law needs to be ammended so that passenger vehicles are excluded.

And it goes without saying that incentives for "greener" transportation should be absolutely encouraged.

Don't look for the BCE to do either though, despite all the rhetoric about it in Chimpy's speech.

[Big Train]

There is nothing wrong with this piece of legislation. There is something VERY wrong with the legislation years ago deeming SUV's "Light Trucks" which lead to the boom in the first place. It's time to close that loophole...unless of course, it's a hybrid SUV. Got to sell that bio-diesel. Stock going up, up , up....

[Nitro Express]

I had a Hummer and hated it. I sold that and got a Land Rover instead. Do I still get my tax cut?

[Nitro Express]

I could have gotten a Land Rover with a diesel in it. Actually I love diesels but they are problematic in the winter with our cold tempuratures.

[FORD]

Originally posted by Nitro Express
I could have gotten a Land Rover with a diesel in it. Actually I love diesels but they are problematic in the winter with our cold tempuratures.

Don't they have engine block heaters as an available option on some new cars now? Probably would be the higher end vehicles, so I would be surprised if a Land Rover didn't have that available.

Of course, that would be a battery drain, and a fully charged battery is also essential in the extreme cold

[4moreyears]

Originally posted by FORD
This particular tax cut had a noble purpose in it's origin. It was designed to help small businesses such as a family farm buy tractors and trucks necessary to get a business operational.

It was NOT designed to be yet another tool for greedy rich fuckwad Republicans to avoid paying taxes.

The law needs to be ammended so that passenger vehicles are excluded.

And it goes without saying that incentives for "greener" transportation should be absolutely encouraged.

Don't look for the BCE to do either though, despite all the rhetoric about it in Chimpy's speech.

I guess we should go back to the marriage penalty that Clinton neglected to fix which penalized married couples filing jointly. I am sure there are a ton of problems with the tax code no matter who is president. Shut the fuck up you whiney liberals and pay your taxes blue dick.

[BITEYOASS]

of course the White House tried to write off Jeff Gannon's (a.k.a. Jim Guckert's) hummers, but that didn't work out too well! :D

[blueturk]

Originally posted by 4moreyears
I guess we should go back to the marriage penalty that Clinton neglected to fix which penalized married couples filing jointly. I am sure there are a ton of problems with the tax code no matter who is president. Shut the fuck up you whiney liberals and pay your taxes blue dick.

You shouldn't have a problem with Clinton, Britney. Or does your blind support for the office of president only apply to your wool-covered leader? I thought so...

Originally posted by 4moreyears Jan. 5, 2006
Anyway I think if someone is in charge you support him while he is there.

" Honestly, I think we should just trust our president in every decision that he makes and we should just support that, you know, and be faithful in what happens." - Britney Spears, Sept. 3, 2003

[Nitro Express]

Originally posted by FORD
Don't they have engine block heaters as an available option on some new cars now? Probably would be the higher end vehicles, so I would be surprised if a Land Rover didn't have that available.

Of course, that would be a battery drain, and a fully charged battery is also essential in the extreme cold

Yup. You can get sevral different kinds of engine block heaters but they only work if you have something to plug them into. I go on long cross country ski trips and snowmobiling trips where my vehicle will sit out in the cold in the middle of nowhere for a week. Unless I can plug it into a snowbank it's useless.

I'm all for saving fuel and new technology, but some people still legitimately need larger four wheel drive vehicles because we live in snow or have bad roads. I think a fuel cell car that has H2O for exhaust or an electric car could be very problematic in sub zero tempuratures. But they probably will be the answer to city commutes. You always have to keep some of the old technology because vehicles are used so many different ways in different climates. Sure the SUV thing was a fad and it's over. But some of us were driving the big 4x4 vehicles before Arnold Swarzeneggar started the fad by getting the first civilian Humvee.

[rustoffa]

Originally posted by Nitro Express
I had a Hummer and hated it.

:D

[FORD]

Originally posted by Nitro Express
Yup. You can get sevral different kinds of engine block heaters but they only work if you have something to plug them into. I go on long cross country ski trips and snowmobiling trips where my vehicle will sit out in the cold in the middle of nowhere for a week. Unless I can plug it into a snowbank it's useless.

Since some ski areas get a lot of sunlight on the days that it's not actually snowing, solar panels for engine warmers would be an excellent idea.

I'm all for saving fuel and new technology, but some people still legitimately need larger four wheel drive vehicles because we live in snow or have bad roads. I think a fuel cell car that has H2O for exhaust or an electric car could be very problematic in sub zero tempuratures. But they probably will be the answer to city commutes. You always have to keep some of the old technology because vehicles are used so many different ways in different climates. Sure the SUV thing was a fad and it's over. But some of us were driving the big 4x4 vehicles before Arnold Swarzeneggar started the fad by getting the first civilian Humvee.

2 or 3 years ago, there was a Christian environmentalist group who asked the question "What Would Jesus Drive?" and of course they made their cases for Him driving hybrids, and fuel cells, or biodiesel or whatever.

Of course, they ignored a central fact: Everywhere Jesus went, there were 12 guys with Him. So under the circumstances, He would have been very justified driving a Ford Excursion or a Chevy Suburban. It's either that or a series of smaller cars, probably 3 of them with 4 apostles each. Or they could have all rode Harley's. But then, when you can change water into gasoline, supply isn't an issue.

So yes there are circumstances where such vehicles are neccessary. So what's the solution? Ban them from city limits, to discourage them from being single occupancy commuter vehicles? Prohibit dealers from selling them within certain zip codes?

[Nitro Express]

I'm worried about over regulation. I mean what is an SUV? Is it a Hummer? Is it a minivan with four wheel drive? Is it a Jeep CJ? Is is a Subaru four wheel drive wagon? All these vehicles really vary in engine and gas mileage.

I think we are making pretty good progress right now. We have cut emissions and increased mileage across the board. Vehicles that used to get 8 miles to the gallon now get 15. As far as trucks go, you can put a V6 in a full sized pickup and get the same performance you used to get out of a carburated 350 V8. For the people towing big trailers, they will always need a gas guzzler.

The hottest thing in cars right now is hybreds. One reason GM and Ford are having problems is they bet on the big SUV's and trucks and when that market changed, they had no hybreds to sale, the Japanese did.

Hybreds are still expensive and the price is going to have to come down before they make a practacle difference.

What will change things more than anything is the upcoming economic depression nobody wants to talk about and if we or Israel bombs Iran, a major middle east war that esculates. The price of oil could go to $200 a barrel and that will stall out the economy. The easy credit of the past will dry up and because of the war, gas will be rationed. The gas rationing stickers of WWII will come back. People will drive if they have to but the recreational burning of gasoline will come to an abrupt halt.

It's not just cars, but airplanes, boats, and recreational vehicles. Fifteen gallons of gas doesn't go far in a snowmobile. 40 gallons of gas gives you a few hours of water skiing with the boat I used to have. Airplanes burn plenty of fuel. Even if we don't burn petrolium in our cars, we are still going to need something to burn in the jet engines. Oil will be refined just for the jet fuel. You can't run a 747 on a fuel cell or solar panels.

Why the internal combustion engine has lasted 100 years is nothing gives you a better power to wieght ratio. Electric motors can beat the internal combustion engine in power and torque but they are heavy and the batteries are heavy. That's why they are only used in naval vessels and trains.

Even with huge breakthroughs and the use of those breakthroughs we will still need oil. Oil is used for too many things including the carpet in your home to the clothes on your back.