I cannot believe the talk on I’m hearing on this Gas Tax relief in the summer months idea being proposed by Senator Clinton and Senator McCain… As I was driving around today, I switched off my normal tunes to listen to a little NPR, and found a news bit about this proposal that 2/3rds of the candidates are pontificating about. My first response is, “Seriously, can you even do anything about this tax? Or are you just trying to muster some support from those who want to save pennies to the gallon?”
Come on, lifting the 18% federal tax on gas… what does that do? It makes no sense in long-term economics, and does nothing to alleviate the problems of our reliance on foreign oil (or oil in general). Let look at the actual savings: Gas prices have risen more than $2 in the last 5 years… I remember filling up my freshman year at the University of Tulsa for a staggering 79 cents a gallon… which was 15 cents below the national average. See graph below for a visual.
So we take today’s average gas price of $3.617 a gallon times 82% (which is 100% – 18%)… and we get $2.967 a gallon a savings of 65 cents… which seems like a real good deal, it was price of gasoline in September of 2007, a mere 7 months ago… but with rising fuel costs and only a short-term break in prices… does this really help us in the long run, or is it again a band-aid on a bullet wound? Thank you Barack Obama for your audacity to see through the “games” of Washington politics and strive for a change in how we attack the issues and not be distracted by the peripheral mudslinging of your counterparts. Here is what Senator Obama had to say:
5 Comments on "gas tax relief is d for dumb…"
Amen. Oh and please no more economic “stimulus” packages.
By the by, the federal gas tax has been nearly the same 18 cents since 1997. The gas tax is not the problem. The tax holiday proposed would hurt worse since it would take money away from highway projects… cause it’s not like our national infrastructure needs it or anything.
I think, though, that the gas tax relief is a “holiday” proposal — temporary. Not? It’s likely I’ve got that wrong. In other news, doesn’t it make you all warm and fuzzy that in the midst of economic turmoil, one group is defying the odds and breaking records in prosperity? Exxon-Mobil. Awwww, good for those kids
Stuff white people like #82 – Hating Corporations:
http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/2008/03/05/82-hating-corporations/
I don’t hate corporations. I’m as capitalist as the next guy! It just strikes me as funny.
Thinking about Gas and Gas prices gives me a twitch. When are politicians going to stop talking and start doing?
We’re seeing a increase in companies becoming a part of the solution. But, “Green” needs to stop being the new Marketing Tool and needs to be the new Solution.
I can’t believe how long our country and the oil companies have gone without innovation. Our country used to be the innovator, it’s time for people to stop talking and start doing.
Now…if only the trade in value for my truck wasn’t so crappy, I’d get a Hybrid. Looks like it’s new home is the garage.