Sign up for the editor's
weekly newsletter
- Germany edition
- Change edition:
- France |
- Norway |
- Sweden |
- Switzerland
Reader Offer
February 10, 2012
Köhler urges higher gas prices for environment
Published: 21 Mar 10 14:45 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/national/20100321-26023.html
President Horst Köhler on Sunday said higher petrol prices could help make car-crazy Germans become more environmentally conscious, sparking the ire of the automobile lobby.
- Brutal cold triggers reserve power plants (9 Feb 12)
- Daimler books record €6-billion profit (9 Feb 12)
- GM threatens major job cuts at Opel (8 Feb 12)
But Germany’s ADAC automobile club fired back at Köhler's suggestion, accusing him of “demonising personal mobility.”
ADAC president Peter Meyer criticised Köhler’s contemplation of raising fuel prices as misguided.
“To the many millions of commuters who have to put up with driving long distances day after day to get to work, these kinds of remarks sound like ridicule,” he said on Sunday in Munich.
Köhler suggested government funding as a way to help low-income earners cope with higher petrol prices. “That’s not a problem we should shy away from,” he said.
Despite the solid reputation of Germany’s carmaking industry, Köhler questioned the economy’s dependence on the automotive sector. “Someone from that branch proudly told me that 60 percent of all innovations involve cars,” the president said. “That makes me rather nervous.”
Taxes account for more than 70 percent of the total fuel price in Germany. “From each tank filled, about €50 goes to the government,” ADAC's Meyer said, arguing that it’s unfair for drivers to bear the brunt of costly climate and environmental protections.
But Köhler told Focus that the German government must facilitate a paradigm shift that promotes an environmentally friendly and sensible economic attitude.
“The nation that adjusts to this situation most quickly and intelligently will create jobs and prosperity,” he said.
DDP/DPA/The Local (news@thelocal.de)
What do you think? Leave your comment below.
Fark It!
Digg This
Share everywhere
Send to a friend
Printable version
Twitter ThisToday's headlines
Brutal cold triggers reserve power plants
After exporting power to France earlier this week, Germany has switched on reserve energy plants amid surging demand for electricity due to the ongoing deep freeze hitting Europe. READ (6 COMMENTS) »
Artist compensated for two lost French fries
A Munich court on Thursday awarded an artist €2,000 in damages because a gallery lost two 22-year-old chips that were the basis of an artwork in which the fries lay across each other in a cross. READ (2 COMMENTS) »
Star cyclist Ullrich found guilty of doping
Germany’s most famous cyclist Jan Ullrich was found guilty of doping and stripped of his third place in the 2005 Tour de France by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Thursday. READ (6 COMMENTS) »
Germany expels four Syrian diplomats
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said on Thursday Germany was expelling four diplomats from the Syrian embassy in Berlin after the arrest of two men suspected of spying on regime opponents. READ (1 COMMENT) »
Berlinale opens with revolutionary drama
Diane Kruger stars as Marie Antoinette in "Farewell My Queen," a lush costume drama set on the eve of the French Revolution that will open the 62nd Berlin film festival on Thursday. READ (1 COMMENT) »
Rent-jumping family caught by police
An eight-person family that avoided paying rent for years by moving house every two to three weeks has finally been caught in the northern German town of Schneverdingen. READ (7 COMMENTS) »
What's on in Germany: February 9 - 15
This Week's Highlights: The star-studded Berlinale film festival kicks off in Berlin, Munch goes on view in Frankfurt, and a ukelele orchestra sets up in Munich. READ »
Sick pups found in van
German police this week rescued 92 puppies from a van, after the dogs had spent 13 hours being transported across Europe without food or water. READ (5 COMMENTS) »
More National
- 09/02 Brutal cold triggers reserve power plants (6 comments) »
- 09/02 Germany expels four Syrian diplomats (1 comment) »
- 09/02 Rent-jumping family caught by police (7 comments) »
- 08/02 Germany signs €3 bln in deals with Kazakhstan (3 comments) »
- 08/02 Drunken Munich U-Bahn train driver busted (9 comments) »
- 08/02 Arctic cold wreaks quirky havoc across Germany (6 comments) »
- 07/02 Syrian spy suspects arrested in Berlin »
- 07/02 Germans jailed in UK for owning terrorist material (19 comments) »
- 06/02 Car thieves discover dead baby (5 comments) »
- 06/02 Snow to follow record deep freeze (7 comments) »
Highlights
See all ads | Join the Marketplace
-
Greenback Expat Tax Services
US expat tax preparation services, specializing in Americans living in Germany -
British Corner Shop
British Corner Shop is the online supermarket for British Expats. -
Get Grocery
Online shop for wide range of authentic Indian food in Germany/EU -
tolingo professional translation service
fast and reliable translations in over 35 languages -
British Allsorts
Your Corner shop in Munich -
Keith Tanner
Your British financial adviser in Berlin -
Greenback Expat Tax Services
US expat tax preparation services for American owned companies in Germany
Sponsored Links
- EXPATTAX - German tax advice in English language - nationwide
- Dolores - Berlin's best California-style burritos!
- Learn German in Germany at one of the largest German schools in Berlin: ESL IH Berlin – booking made easy with ESL – Sprachreisen
- Hundreds of job opportunities for foreign professionals in Germany
- Translation and English writing services
- Find the right relationship
- Your advertisement here
Jobs in Germany, in English
1326 jobs available
721 new jobs this week
0 new jobs today
- Manager Global Quality Development (m/f)
- Manager Global Quality Development (m/f)
- Labor Entwicklungsingenieur (Medizintechnik)
- Biostatistican -SAS- (m/f)
- Teamleiter für die Dokumentationskontrolle
- Sales Manager m/w, Medizintechnik, PLZ 76XXX
- Senior Product and Marketing Manager Air Conditioning / Heating / Ventilation (m/f) (FH, Uni)
- Internship - Investment Funds Services
- Advisor in Invetment Funds Regulation (m/f)
- Commodity Manager - Metal / Plastics
Blog
- Feb/07 Do you like home-made Rock’n Roll with your fries?
- Nov/25 Hop on hop off Berlin
- Nov/25 Shopping in Berlin
- Nov/25 Typical Berlin
- Nov/25 I lost my heart in Kastanienallee
Essentials
Dating
Looking for your own blonde bombshell? Or is the strong, silent type more your
style? Find a German sweetheart here.
Weather
"After clouds comes clear weather," say the Germans. But what about after that? Find out in The Local's weather
section.
Blog
German stuff that's distracting us today.
Noticeboard
Whether you want to buy, sell, hire, announce or promote something, here's the place to do it - completely free of
charge.
Discuss
Debate the news, ask for advice, make friends - or just let off steam.
Register
Register now for:
> Free use of noticeboard
> Special discounts
> Weekly news roundup
> Unlimited use of discuss
News from the Goethe-Institut
- The new film from Helmut Dietl
Twenty-five years after his cult TV series, Kir Royal, director Helmut Dietl has now come released a sort of “sequel” for the big screen. - German documentary films
The numerous annual festivals dedicated to documentary films in Germany are proof that the genre explores topics in our society that people feel are relevant – and viewers come in droves to enjoy the premieres. - The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere 2.0? – Answers from Gerhard Schulze
Does the public sphere have a different structure in the digital age than in the past? Some answers from Bamberg sociology professor Gerhard Schulze.... - Dancing is thinking – on the relationship between philosophy and dance
At first glance, dance and philosophy seem to be a contradictory pair. - More Than Just a Dream: The German Digital Library
The German Digital Library, the project of the century that is to make Germany’s cultural heritage freely accessible to everyone, is gradually taking concrete shape....
News from Young Germany
- Weimar has the best international university in Germany
The Bauhaus University in Weimar, Thuringia, describes itself as being eager to experiment, open... - New law clears way for recognition of degrees and training earned abroad
The Upper House of the German Parliament, the Bundesrat, has approved groundbreaking legislation... - Deutsche Literatur im Netz
Wer sich im Ausland für deutsche Literatur interessierte, hatte es früher nicht immer leicht, an... - German research vessel begins Antarctic expedition
The Polarstern—a German research vessel operated by the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and... - Science - a powerhouse of ideas
Scientific insights that can change our world are at the centre of a special scientific conference...
News from DeutschlandOnline
- Fewer animal experiments thanks to nanosensors
Countless mice, rats and rabbits die every year in the name of science – and the situation is... - German employers split over campaign to ban smoking breaks
Employers in Germany have launched a campaign to ban all smoking in the workplace, not just... - Marine Research in Kiel is heading towards new shores
Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel established On January 1, 2012 the former Leibniz... - Federal Foreign Minister Westerwelle: Laying down ambitious and binding rules for the euro
Federal Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle issued the following statement in Berlin today (11...
Noticeboard
- 09/02 Looking for family
- 07/02 Help needed
- 06/02 Channel 4 News request - moving to Germany
- 06/02 Native Italian Speaker
- 06/02 Sport-Promotion in Berlin
- 05/02 English Lessons via Skype
Toytown Germany
- 00:41 Perception of Germany in the UK
- 00:18 Moving from Florida to Stuttgart
- 23:46 VAT Registration Questionnaire Received
- 23:41 Drawing / Painting / Pastelling meetup
- 23:34 Opening a German bank account
- 23:33 International schools in Berlin
- 23:14 Photography Club Munich
- 22:54 Potential position at Rolls Royce Dahlewitz
- 22:47 Drinking & Clubbing In Karlsruhe
- 22:33 Preparing for the TestDaF German language exam
Hotel reservations in Berlin
Visiting Berlin anytime soon? Book your hotel in Berlin here.
Visiting Berlin anytime soon? Book your hotel in Berlin here.
Rental apartments in Berlin
For home-from-home holiday accommodation, search for a Berlin apartment to rent.
For home-from-home holiday accommodation, search for a Berlin apartment to rent.
Trade CFDs with InterTrader.com
Start trading shares, equities, forex, etc. No commission on equities; Low min. margins. Apply for a CFDs account now!
Start trading shares, equities, forex, etc. No commission on equities; Low min. margins. Apply for a CFDs account now!
Your comments about this article:
He is out of touch with real people, has his own chauffeur probably and hasn't foot the bill for fuel out of his own pocket for his transportation is several years himself? Lunatic!
Americans don't seem to mind paying extra money, sometimes a lot extra because some lowlife comodities traders have pushed the market price up, as is happening now. But if there is a tax increase making the prices go up, what an outrage!!
In Germany, they shouldn't raise for normal people but they should raise beyond a certain number of liters per month for companies which provide cars to their employee.
You have Sheiße for brains.
"In the US, the gasoline taxes can't even keep up with what's required to maintain the roads."
The two items are completely unrelated. In the U.S., gas-tax revenue usually goes into a general fund and pays for a variety of things. The potholes are due to our lazy socialist public workers. They are protected by union laws, so they slack off and do as little work as possible.
"Americans don't seem to mind paying extra money [for gas]."
Completely dumb statement. Americans flip out if the price of gas increases by five cents. Further, we cannot control commodities prices, but we can vote out of office politicians who raise our taxes. Watch all the liberal Democrats get tossed out of office during the next general election for doing exactly that.
"In Germany, they shouldn't raise for normal people but they should raise beyond a certain number of liters per month for companies which provide cars to their employee."
How do you police that? Is some government official supposed to stand at each gas station and make sure that corporate customers pay more? Also, don't you realize that the corporations simply will pass on the costs to their customers? Maybe they'll leave Germany altogether. How would you like that?
All FEDERAL gas taxes (14.8cents) go in to the Highway Trust Fund. Last year, Congress transferred $8 billion into the Highway Trust Fund to cover highway projects that taxes fell short paying for.
Other taxes on fuel are generally state and local SALES taxes which usually go into a general fund.
So you essentially told me that I'm half right, and you failed to respond at all to the other points. Thanks!
Independent, not Republican, but I'm happy to vote for Republicans as long as Democrats continue to raise our taxes.
Our public transportation system is a laugh and our emphasis in housing is to expand the suburbs, instead of developing the cities.
If the price for gas would increase then the employed/low wage people can't get around to their jobs because they can neither afford the gas or the price for a new car. As awesome as these hybrid cars are, they still run on gas and yes it would might even out to be cheaper but your still paying off said hybrid. Before you weed out Gas cars for the masses by making it too expensive to run them how about making the "environmentally friendly" cars available to the masses to replace them.
I for one would buy a cheaper to run car if it where cheap to buy the damn thing.
What happens is that the politicians consistently raid the state and federal highway funds to apply to their pet pork barrel projects. It makes no difference the party as both seem to be guilty of this. Although the Democrats seems to be the best at stealing the pie from the window as in one state the Democrat controlled government has pulled nearly $1 billion from the state highway transportation fund over the past 6 years.
According to your profile... so are you.
That aside after looking at your comments, you must be a Democrat, you have tax & spend fever and your only comebacks are insults. Plus you mislead... you stated that the Federal fuel tax is 14.8 cents when in reality it is 18.4 cents per gallon for gasoline and 24.4 cents for diesel. Maybe you "vertippt" but it's more likely that you intentionally try to mislead. Moreover, you have nothing to back up half of your statements like, "corrupt crooked Republican "Biatchboys", "take it up the Arse from Wall Street" or my favorite, "limit the deduction, that easy." You sound like someone who runs with attack points sent out by your dear leaders, with research care of wikipedia. If your motives were really budget control, you would do well to look at the 2010- and 2011 FHA budget estimates and see how much waste is involved. From there you could focus your anger on the out of control spending rather than the less-than-sufficient tax rate. But I suspect that you could care less about reduced spending and have a little tax envy, bitterness towards capitalism, and enviromental hypochondria. Now... let's see if you can respond without using words like "shut up" "idiot" some other mindless superlative, and tell us what your problem really is.
Why higher gas prices do not yield profit for the German government
That story is almost a year old (May 2008) Fuel taxes are definately not 59.6% these days.
Taxes in Germany are crazy anyway. It doesn't stop with fuel costs.
We live in Germany people and the article is about Germany!
"Zis iz Deutschland!"
Bottom line is that we, the tax payers can moan how much we want, if they want to do it, they will do it and we will have to suck it up and swallow another round.
And yes Politian's do raid the fund for none transportation purposes, which requires that they be replaced from the general funds.
When I was in high school my buddies and I were convinced that ALL traffic, alcohol and drug laws were unnecessary and existed for the sole purpose of limiting our options to have fun. As I got older I was able to put aside my adolescent notions and realize that such "freedoms" did indeed cause personal problems and that rules and laws to control traffic, alcohol and drug use were there for the protection of myself and society.
A large part of American society has never been able to put aside their adolescent notions with regard to taxes, guns, the environment. To them taxes=bad, guns=good and environment is no cause for concern.
And every effort to charge taxes, limit guns or protect the environment is a conspiracy to restrict their fun.
Wow, just like in high school, some people truly never do grow up.
Personal "liberty" aren't granted outside of the framework of society. We have responsibilites as citizens and as members of a society. One can attempt to take the position of "every man for himself" but it isn't a valid one.
"All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated...As therefore the bell that rings to a sermon, calls not upon the preacher only, but upon the congregation to come: so this bell calls us all: but how much more me, who am brought so near the door by this sickness....No man is an island, entire of itself...any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee." John Donne (1572-1631).
Yes, of course it does. Just like all the Social Security taxes go into a social securities fund.
Oh, by the way, the teabaggers are all in your political relm, as they have always been. If teabaggers were Tea Partiers, Nasty Pelousi would never have been elected. Everytone knows where the teabaggers align themselves politically.