The gas tax debate

Rider, Louisville, KY — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:19:53 GMT

Gas prices need to go up. Cheap gas brought us Escalades, climate change, exurbs, and the Iraq war. High gas prices will bring us fuel efficiency, alternative clean energy, revitalization of urban centers, and a decrease in our being held hostage by OPEC.

The gas tax debate

rick, NC — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:21:45 GMT

Just more pandering from both billary and mcsame...this is an other scheme to con the easily conned into thinking getting the equivalent of a free 1/2 tank of gas over 3 months will make their lives better...give up the gas hog car, ditch the cell phone and cancel digital cable and you could afford tons of gas..most americans are too lazy to make the changes that would actually improve their own lives

The gas tax debate

donna — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:26:04 GMT

Gas prices are a difficult problem. My money is on Obama. He is the smartest of the pack.

The gas tax debate

MSierra, SF — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:26:31 GMT

The walls are closing in on Hillary
Why are Congressional Democrats STILL moving towards Obama ?

Not even gas tax demagougery will help her
Clinton 'copy catted' McCain on gas taxes
This folly will result in MORE gas usage
a LARGER TRADE DEFICIT for oil
MORE green house gases
NORE Gloabl warming

From Politico:

'...Obama backer predicts victory in Hill war

By AMIE PARNES & JOSEPHINE HEARN

Capitol Hill insiders say the battle for congressional superdelegates is over, and one Senate supporter of Barack Obama is hinting strongly that he has prevailed over Hillary Rodham Clinton.

While more than 80 Democrats in the House and Senate have yet to state their preferences in the race for the Democratic nomination, sources said Tuesday that most of them have already made up their minds and have told the campaigns where they stand.

“The majority of superdelegates I’ve talked to are committed, but it is a matter of timing,” said Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.). “They’re just preferring to make their decision public after the primaries are over. ... They would like someone else to act for them before they talk about it in the cold light of day.”

Obama currently holds an 18-13 lead among committed superdelegates in the Senate, while Clinton holds a 77-74 lead in the House. Asked which way the committed-but-unannounced superdelegates are leaning, McCaskill — who has endorsed Obama — said: “James Brown would say, ‘I Feel Good.’” ...'

The gas tax debate

Pete - Albany, NY — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:26:47 GMT

The sad part about proposing the Gas Tax Holiday is that both Senator Clinton and Senator McCain, who have spoken in favor of it, have the power in their current position to present legislation that proposes the idea.

They won't do it.

I guess it's easier and a whole lot more politically expedient to pander to voters on the stump by talking about a Gas Tax Holiday than introduce legislation in Congress proposing it and risk it's failure.

Do they think we're stupid? Both Senator McCain and Senator Clinton promise us this will happen if we elect them President as if we'll somehow forget they have the power right now to try and make this happen.

Double the shame on you, Senator Clinton...you campaign on "solutions, not speeches" and then you talk about a Gas Tax Holiday instead of introducing the bill to make it happen.

The gas tax debate

Lisa, New Britain, CT Women for Obama — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:28:38 GMT

Friedman is right on the money...for anyone for whom the gas tax is a voting issue, they should read his article.

The $30 to $50 I might save in the Summer is not worth the downside in lost jobs, bad roads, and future high costs in the expensive Winter.

Obama is taking the smart approach here, Clinton is once again pandering and both McCain and Clinton are being short-sighted.

The gas tax debate

sotiredofignorance — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:31:42 GMT

Friedman is correct. Short term gain turns into long term pain.

Anybody remember the bridge collapse in Minnesota? Those funds are supposed to be used for infrastructure, which also provide jobs.

The gas tax debate

Cory(SC) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:41:49 GMT

The Gas Tax idea will not work. Saving $.18 a gallon is not worth the $10 billion loss in revenue.

Just think of the lost revenue there that could put people to work on our roads and infrastructure. $10 billion would go a long way in improving both our highways and bridges and our economy by providing some good jobs for people. Obama is right, the better solution is to invest long term not a short term fix that will have to made up down the road by US, the American people.

Clinton and McCain are both WRONG on this one.

http://www.politivine.com

The gas tax debate

Larry Napoleon IN — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:42:35 GMT

I am so happy that Hillary is going to save me 18 cents on my gas. This will save my home and give me money for food and beer, THANK YOU

The gas tax debate

jesse St.Paul Minnesota — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:45:16 GMT

This is what most of us have been saying all along,That the hillbillys will try any trick to fool the uneducated.Anyone with half a brain knows that a gas tax releif will cost all of us.The tax will take billions of dollars away from our states highway repair funding.Having seen the bridge fall in Minnesota and finding out about all the bridges that are not being inspected or repaired (My daughter was on that bridge twice the day it crashed).This is why we need a change in Washinton,the hillbillys and McBomb are so old school thinking that thy can fool people into thinking that this is going to help,a half a tank of gas WOW!These two have been in D.C so long they are so tied to the oil lobbyist they try to push this garbage.The only ones that will win are the big oil company,the will raise there prices to offset the tax and will end up making more money.This is pandering to the wallet of voters.The tax also pays for 300,000 construction jobs for repairs and replacing our crumbling highways.So the out of touch want to kill jobs,give a windfall to big oil,and spin it like it's a great idea.This is not time for band aids it's time to change the way we use oil,to start finding new fuels,using soler and wind,bio,not playing this scam.Obama is right on this one,and most experts agree with him .

The gas tax debate

SK, Buffalo, NY — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:49:54 GMT

In NY, there is a substantial increase in gas price due to the high sales tax. This is linked to the price of gasoline, rather than a tax per gallon (federal taxes). The question that comes to mind is what is the state doing with it's tax windfall? In NY, increased tolls for the Thruway were recently announced. It would be much more beneficial to have a state tax holiday on gas. This would cut the cost in Erie County by 8.75%, a substantial decrease.

The gas tax debate

Paul Miller, Woodbridge, VA — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:51:21 GMT

More pandering for the simple-minded.

The gas tax debate

Class Warrior, D.C. — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:54:35 GMT

Who cares? Tax the bast####! Sure, they'll use the windfall profits tax to raise prices---and profits---but theyll use a rainy day as an excuse to do that, anyway. Tax 'em! Then bring them in UNDER OATH to Congress to explain why their prices and profits are so high when they aren't building refinaeries or anything else with those profits. Then tax 'em some more!!

The gas tax debate

Pam G, IL — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:00:40 GMT

We Americans like instant gratification.
This is not a solution, but a band aid.
Believe me, we will pay in the end if this sways the voters towards the untrustworthy Clinton or the forgetful McCain.
Stop the bleeding, Vote for a change and real solutions
Go Obama!!

The gas tax debate

Selina, Wilmington, Delaware — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:01:54 GMT

A gas tax holiday doesn't help in the long wrong. It compromises other things. It's wrong, end of story.

The gas tax debate

LPB in Pennsylvania — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:04:29 GMT

Interesting how you left out the commemt by Tom Friedman in this mornings NY Times article ..."Good for Barack Obama for resisting this shameful pandering". Looks like selective editing to me...

The gas tax debate

Joe, Glen Rose, Texas — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:12:23 GMT

Clinton and McCain...OLD thinking gets you nowhere.
Obama has a fresh perspective and knows that a temporary gas tax holiday or a 3 month moratoriam on housing forclosures is only pandering and not a solution. Hillary claims she knows solutions, a temporary fix to a larger problem is not a solution..it is a band-aid. Obviously Clinton can't tell the difference!

The gas tax debate

Peter Oxley, Boise, Idaho — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:13:48 GMT

In this case, Obama is right: 18.4 cents tax break for the summer is a gimmick, not a plan. If your car gets 20 MPG, you would have to drive almost 11 thousand miles over the summer to save 100 bucks! And after the summer, then what?

The gas tax debate

Andress — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:16:15 GMT

So clinton would want all those poor struggling americans who work road construction in the summer to starve, go on well fare, etc. . .

Some Presidential Candidate

The gas tax debate

JJ, Arlington, VA — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:24:40 GMT

I don't like politician pandering to voters either. But Mr. Friedman is not an objective journalist. His remarks are nothing but typical attacks that trying to bring down HRC. Regardless HRC loses ot not eventually, it's not helpful to voters and the country as a whole. What this country badly need is objective journalism, not chasing sensation of the time kind of journalism. That kind of journalism is not much different from propaganda of dictatorships. And it's more dangerous and have greater power to mislead because everybody assumes free media will be unbiased and objective. The decidedly one sided tone of support for war under the name of partiotism in 2002/2003 with little challenge to the rationales of the administration by journalists at the time contributed to the ego of the administration to reckless go into war.

The gas tax debate

GCD — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:26:24 GMT

Seems to me that Obama's "chickens are coming home to roost"

The gas tax debate

PANDER TO THE PEOPLE --- — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:29:38 GMT

PANDER TO THE PEOPLE --- doing nothing about the problem.

Sincerely, Hillary R. Clinton.

P.S. How insane do you have to be to understand that unless we drill for oil in Alaska & off our shores --- there is no way we can be less dependent on foreign oil sources????

The gas tax debate

John, Wyoming, Delaware — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:30:36 GMT

The gas tax reduction will be passed on to the oil companies and the oil producers and the consumers will see almost none of the temporary elimination of the federal gas tax. There is no reason to favor this except for pandering. While high gas prices are detrimental in the short term, they are beneficial in the long term. They reduce our dependence on foreign oil by reducing consumption and making alternative energy sources more competitive. Oil is running out and the sooner we find a good alternative source the better of we and our children will be. Also gas taxes go towards supporting our infrastructure, something critical to our long term economic prosperity. If you want to pander, tie it to food or something else, but this is just plain bad for the country and its citizens.

The gas tax debate

Tom, Tennessee — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:32:24 GMT

Hey Paul Krugman!
I thought you, not Freidman was the eloquent economist from the NYT op-ed pages with a long history dating at least to a March 2000 blasting of "W" for the same proposal to this past Monday's blasting of McCain while remaining silent on Hillary.
Don't tell me Paul, you refuse to apply the same searing logic of your fiery intellect to your candidate of choice as to one of you candidates you oppose?
No wonder the NYT lost more than 3% of its suscriber base over the past 6 months.
Glad MSNBC has joined your paper in the print space!

The gas tax debate

Diane from Illinois — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:35:36 GMT

I am against the gas tax hoilday that both Hillary and McCain are proposing because it will take the money away from much needed road and bridge repairs. One only has to remember the bridge collapsing in minnesota last year to know that this would only be a potential disaster for the country for a "quick fix" attitude of Hillary and McCain. We need stronger leadership, like that of Barack Obama to get us to look beyond the quick fix, let me have your vote attitude of both the other candidates.

The gas tax debate

FeedUp! in Va. — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:36:29 GMT

It clearly does not matter wish tax break direction that is taken. We the American consumer will pay for it in the long run. Gas tax holiday? give us a break, at least the ones with an ounce of common sense, only holiday I would like to see is Hillary bowing out and taking her Clintoidiots with her.The womans campaign is a mirrored image of corruption and idiotic ideacy she has yet to come up with a plan of her very own or of any substantial change.I would have wished more from Mcsame

The gas tax debate

Not Duped, Newark, NJ — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:39:35 GMT

Hillary & McCain should just get a room already! They are stinking up America's future with their funk! How do you justify 300, 000 jobs and 9 Billion in lost revenue for roads and bridges (remember that collapse?) in 3 Months?? " . . . Jobs, Jobs, Jobs!"? Really Hillary?? And the ultimate jellyfish will say anything to go with what he percieves the wind is doings just to float on it. These two should run together on the same ticket!!!! :-(

The gas tax debate

Tim, NWI — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:46:23 GMT

Here are my thoughts on the gas situation.

I would like to know what would be the consequences of a freeze on gas prices? Actually, I like a freeze on gas prices better than a gas tax holiday.

Here's my idea. Freeze prices, investigate price fixing, and only allow incremental adjustments to the price after it's lifted.

The price of fuel cannot continue to be left in the hands of wall street.

Your thoughts?