Guzzle Gas, Get a Tax Break

Jackie Mason | January 5, 2004
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Mike Eberhart | January 5, 2004
Oh yeah, don't forget. Al Gore invented the internet.....:)

Kris Weberg | January 5, 2004
No, the quote was "I took the initiative in creating the Internet." Considering that Gore fought for the initial funding that allowed Arpanet to transform into what we now call the Internet, this would not be a lie.

But through careful misquoting and the removal of context, somehow Gore's hyperbolic but basically correct statement became "proof" that he was a ridiculous liar.

Scott Hardie | January 5, 2004
Why you guys bringin' up old shit? ;-)

Mike Eberhart | January 6, 2004
Ok, now back to the original point of this post.

I asked my wife about this article and had her read it. She's an accountant, and does taxes for a living. So, if anyone knew about this, she would.

Yes, this law does exist, EXCEPT, it only applies to businesses, or business owners. Also, the SUV has to be used for business purposes, and you have to have proof that it's being used for that. So, yet another uninformed article stating what they want to state, and not listing all the facts.

And before you start tearing me apart, Yes, other types of businesses can implement this tax break, and try to get away with it, but they take a greater risk of being audited.

So, that's the facts about the SUV tax break, I tried my best to list the facts without any conservative slants, but I may have slipped a few in. :)

Jackie Mason | January 6, 2004
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Jackie Mason | January 6, 2004
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Mike Eberhart | January 6, 2004
Well, first of all, you can get work modified hummers for business. Like you have a lift installed on the hummer and use it for that. I've seen it, and they do work quite well. They don't tend to get stuck like normal work trucks.

Another example would be someone like a general contractor who visit's a lot of construction sites.

Also, I think that lady your talking about must not drive very well. Because I have Chevy Blazer SUV, and I also own a GMC Sierra extended cab truck. With both of those, I don't spend close to $100 a week on gas. If at all, I fill up my truck once a week, and at most, it cost me $35 per fill. The blazer gets better gas mileage than my truck does, and we fill that up probably once every other week. So, I don't buy the whole SUV's are bad trend. A lot of the newer ones, do a pretty decent job on gas mileage.

Finally, I have also made that trip to Chicago, and I did it in my truck. I didn't have to stop for gas until I got to the outskirts of the city. It's all about how you drive. If you drive like a maniac, you'll use a lot of gas. If you drive efficiently, you'll conserve your fuel better.

Anna Gregoline | January 6, 2004
Uh, but also it depends on how much you drive. That woman might drive a lot more in a day than you.

And I still don't see what was so ridiculous about Al Gore's statement.

Jackie Mason | January 7, 2004
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Anna Gregoline | January 7, 2004
That's the biggest problem with SUVs, in my opinion - people feel safer in them because they are higher up, but they are actually thousands of times LESS safe, because their cars are far more dangerous. For them, and for the rest of us. I saw plenty of bad driving situations involving SUVs on our driving trip to Massachusetts.

Scott Hardie | January 7, 2004
Not to nitpick, but did the woman say she liked being high off the ground because it was safer? I mean, I like being high off the ground too, because the visibility's better and it's just plain more pleasant. You feel more powerful up there. (That feeling can lead to overconfidence, which of course feeds into the safety issue.)

Anna Gregoline | January 7, 2004
Which is what I meant - feeling taller makes you feel like you can see more, which is safer-feeling. Untrue, though.