McCain and Clinton both proposed different versions of a gas tax holiday over the summer. As a lower middle class American I understand the pressure that high fuel prices put on families. Recently we payed 40$ for half a tank of gas because we needed to make it to payday. So I sympathize with those who are willing to support anything that promises relief.
While I wish our problems would be helped by something as simple as a tax holiday, the reality is this will only make the problem worse. So I applaud Senator Obama for having the personal courage to stand by the right decision in the face of public pressure. Like any great leader Obama understands that what is easy and comforting is not always best.
[youtube width="500" height="394"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHtFSi99shk[/youtube]
Thanks to MyDD for pointing me to this great video.
Since I am not an economist, and the few classes I have taken on economics made me never want to be, I am providing a small selection of articles about the gas tax. If you doubt what Obama is saying about the gas tax then please read these.
- Economists Knock Proposed Gas Tax Break
- Expert Support For Gas Tax Holiday Appears Nonexistent
- Dumb as We Wanna Be
- Gas Tax Holiday Splits Clinton And Obama: Who’s Right?
- What to Do About the Oil Crisis
- Gas tax follies
- Candidates’ plans to cut gas prices
William ~ WWJV4.com
I have to go with Obama on this one too.
I also think that supporting a holiday, especially with a proposal for a windfall profit tax on the oil industry is a politically smart move by Clinton. She’s nothing if not shrewd. However, I view this as just part of the continuing move to defund government, which is part of the problem with why “our government can’t do anything right” conservative philosophy.
I am almost with you on the issue of church and state.No one should force their relegious beliefs upon others via legislation.However,legislation regardless of how it originates is generally nothing more than the written will of some of the population being impossed upon others.All legislation starts with nothing more than personal belief,or collective belief.Relegious people often believe the legal ststem should reflect their relegious beliefs.Atheist are no different,they believe legislation should reflect their belief that there is no God. If we are going to have goverment by the people for the people, and if those people are relegious then we are going to have to accept the influence of relegion upon goverment.I am not so sure that I want a goverment that is totaly structured by the beliefs of atheists ! Many atheists seem to believe that man is god,therefore the state can and should be all powerfull.This of course is bad for human dignity and freedom,which is what we are concerned with of course ?