Voting Pocketbook Issues: The Gas Tax
Clinton proposes to pay for the tax cut -- which might save 5-6 percent for every fill-up -- with a surcharge on oil industry profits. Given record profits (long before crude went up to $120/barrel), that doesn't seem unreasonable. And at least she is thinking about the ramifications of a tax cut.
Sen. Obama, on the other hand, rejects any reduction, one assumes, as symbolic (more polite than pandering).
When did the Democrats become the party of fiscal balance?
I am sympathetic to the increased gas prices. Really. I drive, too, (a truck) and ride motorcycles.
Moreover, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in 2004 that transportation was the number two expenditure for the average American (18 percent, compared to 32 percent on housing). The Bureau of Transportation Statistics reports that in 2004 it cost on average $7,448 a year ($0.56 per mile) to own and operate a motor vehicle. And most of us have two or more.
This summary explains the McCain and Clinton proposals.
Moreover, these data from the Clinton campaign sound tragic:
[W]hile the average [N.C.] family's energy costs have gone up $2,000 a year since President Bush took office, average North Carolina family incomes have fallen by almost $5,000.
Don't know about you, but I don't believe that average household energy costs anywhere in this country have increased $2K each year for seven years! Show me that data source. (I am quite willing to believe that average family real income may have dropped.)
And I have little sympathy for the choices made by many in my native south: trucks, trucks and more trucks. Not little Rangers but Suburbans and F350 4x4s and Hummers. And no, most of the people aren't carting around tools or horses or farm equipment; they're carting kids and groceries.
The increase in the price of gas is painful but inevitable. To those who say consumers are not responding to increased gas prices, I say, look at this: car and truck sales "dropped 2.5% overall in 2007 to their lowest annual level in over a decade." And they dropped some more in March:
General Motors Corp.'s (GM, Fortune 500) U.S. sales fell 19%, Ford's sales dropped 14% and even industry stalwart Toyota was down 10% compared with last March, according to figures released Tuesday. Chrysler dropped 19%, Nissan fell 4% and Honda reported a 3% drop. Some automakers warned things could continue to worsen in the near term.
Econobrowser reports that the big hurt is in light truck sales, which include "the increasingly less trendy sport-utility vehicles. March sales of domestically manufactured light trucks were down 18.3% relative to March 2007."
The growth, not surprisingly, is in vehicles that get good gas mileage, like hybrids (and possibly scooters and motorcycles).
Why should we pervert the market (increasing prices reduce demand) by artificial price reductions in gasoline -- especially when the state of our infrastructure suggests the gas tax should go up, not down?
From around the web: Gas tax holiday a bad idea no matter who's pushing it and Gas Tax Holiday Won’t Help You…Much, Obama says
Comments
Actually, the USA should increase their gas tax (as well as the tax on oil companies), not decrease it. And it should use the increase in revenues to improve the public transports in the USA as well as the (dismal) transport infrastructure of the country. That would be a painful but forward looking and clever policy.
Clinton surely means that a family’s total annual energy costs are $2000 higher today than in 2001, meaning a rise of about $300 per year. But that’s still obfuscatory because gasoline costs aren’t considered alone. Moreover, I can’t tell if she’s talking about all U.S. families or North Carolina families, but I’ll bet she’s talking the national average. A little more obfuscation there.
This tells it like it is.
A long story with a lot of facts in it towards the end.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3340274697167011147
MY FELLOW “BITTER”, STUPID, WORKING CLASS PEOPLE
If you think like Barack Obama, that WORKING CLASS PEOPLE are just a bunch of “BITTER”!, STUPID, PEASANTS, Cash COWS!, and CANNON FODDER.
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think Barack Obama with little or no experience would be better than Hillary Clinton with 35 years experience.
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that Obama with no experience can fix an economy on the verge of collapse better than Hillary Clinton. Whose
husband (Bill Clinton) led the greatest economic expansion, and prosperity in American history.
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that Obama with no experience fighting for universal health care can get it for you better than Hillary Clinton. Who anticipated this current health care crisis back in 1993, and fought a pitched battle against overwhelming odds to get universal health care for all the American people.
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that Obama with no experience can manage, and get us out of two wars better than Hillary Clinton. Whose
husband (Bill Clinton) went to war only when he was convinced that he absolutely had to. Then completed the mission in record time against a nuclear power. AND DID NOT LOSE THE LIFE OF A SINGLE AMERICAN SOLDIER. NOT ONE!
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that Obama with no experience saving the environment is better than Hillary Clinton. Whose
husband (Bill Clinton) left office with the greatest amount of environmental cleanup, and protections in American history.
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that Obama with little or no education experience is better than Hillary Clinton. Whose
husband (Bill Clinton) made higher education affordable for every American. And created higher job demand and starting salary’s than they had ever been before or since.
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that Obama with no experience will be better than Hillary Clinton who spent 8 years at the right hand of President Bill Clinton. Who is already on record as one of the greatest Presidents in American history.
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think that you can change the way Washington works with pretty speeches from Obama, rather than with the experience, and political expertise of two master politicians ON YOUR SIDE like Hillary and Bill Clinton..
You Might Be An Idiot!
If you think all those Republicans voting for Obama in the Democratic primaries, and caucuses are doing so because they think he is a stronger Democratic candidate than Hillary Clinton.
Best regards
jacksmith… Working Class
p.s. You Might Be An Idiot!
If you don’t know that the huge amounts of money funding the Obama campaign to try and defeat Hillary Clinton is coming in from the insurance, and medical industry, that has been ripping you off, and killing you and your children. And denying you, and your loved ones the life saving medical care you needed. All just so they can make more huge immoral profits for them-selves off of your suffering…
You see, back in 1993 Hillary Clinton had the audacity, and nerve to try and get quality, affordable universal health care for everyone to prevent the suffering and needless deaths of hundreds of thousands of you each year.
Approx. 100,000 of you die each year from medical accidents from a rush to profit by the insurance, and medical industry. Another 120,000 of you die each year from treatable illness that people in other developed countries don’t die from. And I could go on, and on…
OBAMA AIDE: “WORKING-CLASS VOTERS NOT KEY FOR DEMOCRATS”
DEBATE! DEBATE!! DEBATE!!!…
DEBATE! DEBATE!! DEBATE!!!
It’s time for everyone to face the truth. Barack Obama has no real chance of winning the national election in November at this time. His crushing defeat in Pennsylvania makes that fact crystal clear. His best, and only real chance of winning in November is on a ticket with Hillary Clinton as her VP.
Hillary Clinton seemed almost somber at her Pennsylvania victory speech. As if part of her was hoping Obama could have proved he had some chance of winning against the republican attack machine, and their unlimited money, and resources.
But it is absolutely essential that the democrats take back the Whitehouse in November. America, and the American people are in a very desperate condition now. And the whole World has been doing all that they can to help keep us propped up.
Hillary Clinton say’s that the heat, and decisions in the Whitehouse are much tougher than the ones on the campaign trail. But I think Mr. Obama faces a test of whether he has what it takes to be a commander and chief by facing the difficult facts, and the truth before him. And by doing what is best for the American people by dropping out of the race, and offering his whole hearted assistance to Hillary Clinton to help her take back the Whitehouse for the American people, and the World.
Mr. Obama is a great speaker. And I am confident he can explain to the American people the need, and wisdom of such a personal sacrifice for them. It should be clear to everyone by now that Hillary Clinton is fighting her heart out for the American people. She has known for a long time that Mr. Obama can not win this November. You have to remember that the Clinton’s have won the Whitehouse twice before. They know what it takes.
If Mr. Obama fails his test of commander and chief we can only hope that Hillary Clinton can continue her heroic fight for the American people. And that she prevails. She will need all the continual support and help we can give her. She may fight like a superhuman. But she is only human.
Sen. Hillary Clinton: “You know, more people have now voted for me than have voted for my opponent. In fact, I now have more votes than anybody has ever had in a primary contest for a nomination. And it’s also clear that we’ve got nine more important contests to go.”
Sincerely
Jacksmith… Working Class
Hi, Alphast — no argument with me about infrastructure or alternatives to cars (mass transit).
Andrew – thanks for trying to figure out what Clinton’s campaign meant.
Griff — he’s an ordained Baptist minister. While I might be prepared to listen to his opinions on the Bible, I need more than assertions to swallow his statements on Alaska.
Even the most ardent peak oil person doesn’t say oil is “gone” — he says the cheap stuff is one — the cost per unit of finding/refining is going up. I’ve seen no data to refute this critical peak oil contention.
Moreover, it’s common sense that at some point in time we will use up ALL non-renewable resources. It’s why they’re called “non-renewable.”
Jack – this is not the partisan site at About. Please don’t post like this again.