# Stupid Republican idea of the day **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 26, 2009, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897 "2009-03-26T18:48:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 425
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8481 "2013-02-04T14:09:49Z")
Hey Lance, why were the fetuses jealous of the test tube baby? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8482 "2013-02-04T14:44:24Z")
> [@Rhythmdvl](#): > > Hey Lance, why were the fetuses jealous of the test tube baby? He had a womb with a view… ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8483 "2013-02-04T14:48:49Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > He had a womb with a view… Don’t quit your day job. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8484 "2013-02-04T14:52:42Z")
> [@lance\_strongarm](#): > > Don’t quit your day job. Hey, it wasn’t MY joke! ---
**Author:** ![C3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/c3/32/3108_2.png) [@C3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/C3)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8485 "2013-02-04T17:19:12Z")
Heckuva Job Brownie’s [tweet last night](http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2013/02/04/ex_fema_director_michael_brown_tweets_about_new_orleans_blackout.html): > [@](#): > > Someone just told me there was fighting going on in the NOLA Superdome. #shocked ---
**Author:** ![BigAppleBucky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigapplebucky/32/178_2.png) [@BigAppleBucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigAppleBucky)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8486 "2013-02-04T17:49:02Z")
- Back on topic. Virginia’s Governor, Bob McDonnell . . . plans on dropping the gasoline tax and instead taxing internet shoppers and Prius owners. Not gas guzzlers, just Priuses. - Taxes on “liberals”. [http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/02/03/virginias-governor-is-proposing-a-tax-on-liberals/](http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/02/03/virginias-governor-is-proposing-a-tax-on-liberals/) > [@](#): > > Gasoline powered cars are one of the largest threats to the environment. Most people would probably feel that lower gasoline consumption would be a good thing for everyone. Not McDonnell. His plan is to reward gas-guzzling drivers by eliminating the state gasoline tax for them and to punish fuel efficient drivers by taxing them. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8487 "2013-02-04T17:59:12Z")
It’s not quite as stupid as it sounds; he’s proposing a $100 flat tax on vehicles that don’t use gasoline at all, not Priuses: [ > [@](#): > > Impose a $100 annual Alternative Fuel Vehicle Fee and dedicate the revenues to transit: The governor is a strong supporter of alternative fuel vehicles. He has directed that Virginia’s state fleet be converted to natural gas vehicles. And he knows that alternative fuel vehicles will only continue to grow in popularity and use in the years ahead. In fact, over the past four years, as gas prices have grown from less than $2 per gallon to as high as $4, more Virginians have turned to alternative fuel vehicles. There are over 91,000 of these vehicles currently registered in Virginia. This is a great development for energy security and conservation, but it does present a challenge to how transportation funding has been derived in America for the past century. Drivers of alternative fuel vehicles that use natural gas or electricity pay no motor fuels tax at the state or federal level and thus do not contribute to the primary means of funding roads. However, these vehicles still have the same impact on Virginia’s roadways as conventional fuel vehicles. ]([http://www.governor.virginia.gov/news/viewRelease.cfm?id=1588](http://www.governor.virginia.gov/news/viewRelease.cfm?id=1588)) However, in conjunction with the elimination of the gasoline tax, it’s utterly retarded. ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8488 "2013-02-04T18:32:43Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > It’s not quite as stupid as it sounds; he’s proposing a $100 flat tax on vehicles that don’t use gasoline at all, not Priuses: > [ > However, in conjunction with the elimination of the gasoline tax, it’s utterly retarded. Could we lay off the term “retarded,” especially since there’s another bill to think about: [http://wamu.org/news/morning\_edition/13/01/28/bill\_would\_compensate\_virginias\_forced\_sterilization\_victims](http://wamu.org/news/morning_edition/13/01/28/bill_would_compensate_virginias_forced_sterilization_victims)]([http://www.governor.virginia.gov/news/viewRelease.cfm?id=1588](http://www.governor.virginia.gov/news/viewRelease.cfm?id=1588)) Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8489 "2013-02-04T19:06:39Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > It’s not quite as stupid as it sounds; he’s proposing a $100 flat tax on vehicles that don’t use gasoline at all […] Which of course is not going to come close to replacing the gas tax revenue he wants to wantonly throw away, at least not any time soon. From **BAB** ’s link: > [@](#): > > McDonnell sees Priuses and other “alternative fuel” automobiles as a threat to the state’s coffers. The state gasoline tax has remained largely unchanged over the last several decades and even with rising gasoline prices, the tax revenue has remained flat, primarily due to more fuel efficient cars. […] > > Most people would probably feel that lower gasoline consumption would be a good thing for everyone. Not McDonnell. His plan is to reward gas-guzzling drivers by eliminating the state gasoline tax for them and to punish fuel efficient drivers by taxing them. “Because we’re not getting as much revenue out of the gasoline tax as we’d like, we’ll give up on getting any revenue out of the gasoline tax at all.” Yup, stupid. Also stupid is the proposed shift from the gasoline tax, which is at least vaguely road-use-related, to other revenue sources that aren’t. The whole point of funding road systems with a gas tax is supposed to be that it more or less assigns the costs of road maintenance to the people who use the roads most. But an internet shopping tax, unless it’s specifically restricted only to goods that require physical delivery, has nothing to do with road use. If a shopper buys an e-book or downloadable music or software or knitting pattern or other digital product on the internet, they’re actually **reducing** the wear and tear on roads by avoiding a trip to the mall to buy the actual physical book or CD or knitting magazine or whatever. If you want a tax to cover the costs of maintaining roads, why would you tax behavior that in the aggregate requires **less** road maintenance (i.e., staying off the roads) and **stop** taxing behavior that requires **more** of it (i.e., buying gasoline to drive your car)? You’d have to be pretty stupid to think that was a good idea… oh yeah. ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8490 "2013-02-04T19:13:46Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Also stupid is the proposed shift from the gasoline tax, which is at least vaguely road-use-related, to other revenue sources that aren’t. The whole point of funding road systems with a gas tax is supposed to be that it more or less assigns the costs of road maintenance to the people who use the roads most. Yep - and this plan also means that people driving through Virginia are less likely to pay for their share of the roads. If he would simply make gas one of the items subject to the sales tax, this all might make at least a little more sense. ---
**Author:** ![otternell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecc23a/32.png) [@otternell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/otternell)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8491 "2013-02-04T19:51:41Z")
Yeah, but this is only Phase 1. You can’t release all the phases at once, or the damn libruls will pick it apart and be all mean and nasty. Then you go on to Super Secret Phase 2. Then Phase 3: Profit! ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8492 "2013-02-04T20:49:33Z")
> [@lance\_strongarm](#): > > Could we lay off the term “retarded,” especially since there’s another bill to think about: > > [http://wamu.org/news/morning\_edition/13/01/28/bill\_would\_compensate\_virginias\_forced\_sterilization\_victims](http://wamu.org/news/morning_edition/13/01/28/bill_would_compensate_virginias_forced_sterilization_victims) > > Thanks. Fair enough. Sorry to anyone I offended, and to anyone I didn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8493 "2013-02-04T21:12:03Z")
[McCain tweets racist joke about Iranian President I’madinnerjacket](http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/04/16839299-mccain-compares-iranian-leader-to-monkey-draws-gop-charge-of-racism?lite) then gets all “lighten up, Francis” when someone else in the GOP tells him it isn’t a good idea to make racist jokes. McCain is vindicated when other members of the GOP jump to is aid-- today is defend the Jew-hater against the war hero day! ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8494 "2013-02-04T21:27:26Z")
While I have no respect at all for noted Machiavellio-loon and anti-Semite Ahmedinejad, you would think that a major political figure like McCain would have figured out by now that comparing **any** dark-complexioned non-Europeans to monkeys just carries more negative cultural baggage than the lulz are worth. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8495 "2013-02-04T22:39:50Z")
Even putting aside the racist/not racist aspect, why is a US Senator directing junior-high level personal insults at a foreign head of state? Hey, Ahmadinejad, your mother dresses you funny and you have bad breath! Neener-neener-neener! What the hell was he trying to accomplish? An exciting game of “Poke the Madman Who’s Trying to Get Nukes”? Like **Kimstu** , I have no particular affection for Ahmadinejad, but I would hope that our _Senators_ would engage in somewhate more mature discourse. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8496 "2013-02-04T23:03:36Z")
I think whats-his-face shares at least one ancestor with Mark Shields, they both carry the frumpy gene. Get either of them in a two thousand dollar hand tailored suit, and instantly it looks as though it had been slept in by a restless elephant. I hear now he wants to be an astronaut. This is a great idea. The US should offer our assistance in this splendid project. With a straight face, these guys have no sense of irony whatsoever, we might get away with it. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8497 "2013-02-04T23:05:51Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > I think whats-his-face shares at least one ancestor with Mark Shields… I was thinking he’s more like Yarnell, but OK. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8498 "2013-02-04T23:12:23Z")
You can’t be referring to Ms. Lorene Yarnell, famed of the Shields and Yarnell comedy team? She passed away just recently and she is sorely missed. It is a shame that her talents were so sadly underutilized, a mime is a terrible thing to waste. ---
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2013, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8499 "2013-02-04T23:18:57Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > You can’t be referring to Ms. Lorene Yarnell, famed of the Shields and Yarnell comedy team? She passed away just recently and she is sorely missed. It is a shame that her talents were so sadly underutilized, a mime is a terrible thing to waste. I didn’t even know she was sick. If only she’d said something! ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2013, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897/8500 "2013-02-05T00:00:06Z")
[Screw McCain! Here’s a guy who knows how to fire off racist tweets!](http://www.mediaite.com/online/former-sc-gop-exec-director-fires-off-racially-charged-tweets-during-the-super-bowl/) But he’s not working for the GOP at the moment, so I guess it’s all right. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=424) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stupid-republican-idea-of-the-day/490897.md?page=426)