<McCain wants a gas tax "holiday." It's a no-brainer, right?The Oil DrumClarification on Carioca (reported discovery in Santos Basin)>

46 comments on McCain's Gas Pains: Gas "Tax Holidays" A Good Idea?

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Cslater8 on April 15, 2008 - 7:55pm Permalink | Subthread | Comments top

Here's a link on today's increase in the price of oil: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080415/ap_on_bi_ge/oil_prices;_ylt=ArjvotvN...

McCain knows full well the tax cut he's proposing will never get passed, because to do so would eliminate for several months the very money used for federal highways and bridges. At the same time though he knows people will like him for such a proposal. So he gets to have it both ways - it will never pass so there's no worry about roads and bridges, and the people will love him for it. What a politican.

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Robert Marston on April 15, 2008 - 8:21pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

McCain's proposal is utter nonsense and will do nothing but compound current problems.

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Earthworm Jim on April 15, 2008 - 8:30pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

How will it compound problems when, like Cslater8 says, it will never get passed? Cslater8 has it exactly right. McCain is just saying it because the average voter thinks he's a great guy for coming up with the idea. Yeah, we know it's idiotic. Voters who advocate a balanced budget will be against it as well. But for 95% of the voters, it improves their opinion of John McCain. Politically, coming out with proposals like this is gold.

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enemy of state on April 15, 2008 - 10:55pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

What is the economic effect of such a proposal? The pump price will seek a new equilibrium somewhere inbetween what if would have been without the change, and the naively presumed price minus the tax savings. In short for every dollar gives up the consumer will save much less than a dollar. Todays oil market is a great example, McCain's proposal tells the oil market "Those Murican Eeeediots will resist the needed adjustment in consumption. Therefore the prospects for demand destruction at current prices are lower than we thought just yesterday". Voilla $114/barrel. Todays reflexive rise is worth about $.07/gallon, i.e. the consumer has already given up to the oil sellers 35% of the proposed gain.

But Joe Sixpack is ignorant of economics -or to the fact that the lack of revenues will probably cost us another bridge collapse. Its probably good politics.

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x on April 16, 2008 - 7:23am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

McCain's proposal might be political gold, but it is a fraud. It comes from a dishonest person representing a state full of land fraud of which I have been a victim. I posted about this before and will not repeat it here.

Arizona survives buy sucking water and wealth from others. Do not trust representatives from such a place.

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beggar on April 16, 2008 - 9:14am Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Ah. Political alchemy. McCain tries to turn an idea which is essentially manure into gold.

Of course we all know that manure can be composted and used as fertilizer. The idea of reducing the gas tax has no benefit at all.

Political discourse in the USA amounts to manure which politicians try to pass off as gold.

Many in the dumbed-down electorate take this stuff quite seriously.

I'm looking for a sign of hope today. Will I find one?

The reality that the politicians might want to discuss is that too many people are competing for too few resources.

McCain, Clinton, and Obama might want to point out that the likely outcome of resource war is bad for everyone -- there will be no winners, only losers.

Next the politicians might point out that the steps to peaceful powerdown are going to require intense international cooperation as well as a great deal of change in the way we Americans live.

We will essentially be on a peaceful war footing, fighting for survival together with others, rather than against others.

However it is far more likely that the politicians will continue spinning the Petro-fascist and Christo-fascist narratives already begun. These will continue to be woven into a rationale for endless war.

Still, I look for some reason to be hopeful.

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Dryki on April 16, 2008 - 10:59pm Permalink | Subthread | Parent | Comments top

Why wouldn't it get passed? Just such legislation passed here in Maine, where we gave the heaviest truckers subsidies paid for ultimately by the individual drivers. A construction company testified that they believed their company should pay more for their trucks and licenses than their employees - after all, the heavy equipment was beating up the roads more than their employees' personal vehicles. For their trouble, the company witness got a lecture from the chairperson of the Legislative Committee.

We might know better, but our brains have been rearranged to the new paradigms. Legislatures are structurally, emotionally and intellectually biased to supporting business-as-usual. No, that's wrong, sorry. They cannot conceive of any other way.

McCain is only promising another Morning in America. As sure as day follows night.

You cannot debate or educate people that think that way. They are not even fit for compost. Some compost kills good seeds - better to put your good efforts elsewhere.

cfm in Gray, ME

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