European gas tax structure
Raoul, I've long heard that gas taxes are so high in Europe because the consequential costs of burning petroleum for fuel--air pollution, toxic cleanup, health costs--are paid directly from those gas taxes. In contrast, here in America those costs come mostly from general tax funds, hiding the true cost and creating what amounts to a general subsidy of gasoline. The truth, according to this theory, is that gas actually costs the same in America and Europe, if you honestly account for all the indirect as well as direct costs. How does that square with your understanding of European gasoline tax policy?