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
In 2004 we were supposed to be afraid of the gays. They were trying to steal our sanctity of marriage, convert our children, and make us accept them as humans with rights. (gasp)
Now in 2008 we’re supposed to be afraid of brown people, especially Mexicans. Brown people are trying to:
- Take our jobs (that most Americans wouldn’t do anyway)
- Expose us to another language (most people in European countries speak many languages and manage to maintain a national identity)
- And a whole host of other scary things that brown people do that would harm whities.
Be afraid, be very very afraid. And vote Republican, because they’ll protect you from the gays and brown people (or insert 2012′s xenophobic minority of choice here.) But whatever you do, stay afraid.