Black dog

No, not that one. This one:


Sarah's visit:



Playing with Ami in the fall:



Thanksgiving in Indiana



On the patio in Dallas:


Squirrel endeavors:


Cats at peace (with Jake outside) in the sun:


The long car ride back to Colorado:


He doesn't mind the snow:


In fact, he likes to eat it:


Chewing on a new Kong:


Playing with Ami this winter:

More political brilliance regarding oil

Federal Panel Calls for Serious Gas-Tax Hike

The Associated Press reports this week a special panel is recommending a significant increase in federal gasoline tax that would more than double today’s rate. If fully phased-in, the new tax rate could add 40 cents to the price of a gallon of fuel.

Hike in federal gas tax floated

The panel wants Congress to raise the federal gas tax – currently at 18.4 cents a gallon – by 5 to 8 cents a year for five years, and then allow the rate to grow with inflation after that. By then, drivers would be paying $6 extra for every 15-gallon tank. The panel also wants state gas taxes increased.

At least Kay Bailey said something intelligent about the whole thing:

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, also rejected the idea of raising the federal gas tax.

"With Americans paying more than $3 per gallon at the pump and the economy teetering on a recession, we should be providing tax relief, not imposing a tax that has the greatest impact on lower- and middle-class families," her spokesman Matt Mackowiak said.
...
One aspect of the report that would give states more authority to toll both new and existing interstates drew criticism from Ms. Hutchison.

"Taxpayers should never be asked to pay twice for a highway," said her spokesman, Mr. Mackowiak.

A follow-up to the fuel economy standards post

The Tax They Didn't Tell You About

I don't agree with everything they say, like small cars being unsafe, but they do make some good points.

Fine, say the populist politicians. Stick it to the automakers. But do they really think Ford and GM will pick up the tab? Of course not. It'll be you, as GM's Lutz made clear in comments Sunday.

"We've done even more research," Lutz said, "and (the cost per car of new CAFE standards is) going to be in the range of $4,000 to $10,000, with an average of about $6,000."

Let's put that in perspective. The average cost of an automobile in 2006 was $27,958, according to the Comerica (NYSE:CMA PRZ) (NYSE:CMA) Automotive Affordability Index. So our new energy bill is, in effect, going to be a 21.4% tax hike on the current car prices.