Big problems are best solved with bad solutions…?
Wednesday, April 30th, 2008McCain and Clinton both think the best way to help consumers with sharply rising gas costs is a break on the federal gas tax. There are a few profound problems with that terrible, terrible idea:
- There’s no way to ensure the oil companies won’t just lower gas a few cents and pocket the rest of the difference as profits.
- Decreased cost will increase demand, which will causes base costs to increase. So the costs would likely stay the exact same
- The virtually no way to pass related legislation before the summer. Government is built to function slower than that.
- The federal gas tax pays for road work, like bridge repair. Given our highway infastructure is in serious trouble, reducing that budget fund is a terrible idea. In fact, the budget has already been approved so the money would have to be raised somewhere. Most likely source: the public. Least likely source (and Clinton’s suggestion): the oil companies based on their enormous new profits, which I’m sure they could rely on clever accounting to hide.