Gas tax-war in Indy: 'Pandering' perhaps

In Raleigh last night (that would be NC, y'all), Obama told the crowd at the State Democratic fundraiser, "If we can spend $10 billion a month in Iraq, then we can spend $10 billion a month in North Carolina, creating jobs."

There's some wisdom in voting late afterall. Or maybe it's just pandering on a more collosal scale.

Everytime the Fed Govt cuts taxes the state governments raise taxes. You can bet that happens this time. Or the gas stations will increase the price. This proposal by the Clinton and McCain government in waiting is textbook smoke and mirrors. They really think people are stupid. Is that going to bring down the other escalating costs of gas increases? Are food prices going to be reduced because transport costs presumably will go down? Are airline fuel costs going to go down? Why don't they just give everybody $30? That would make just about as much sense.

American people are paying the price for the ineptitude of the government and the unwillingness of everybody to heed the warnings of 1972. Instead of making fuel efficent cars, improving public transportation , practicing conservation, and seriously pursuing alternative energy sources we did the opposite. And now the politicians are engaging in Americas favorite sport - throwing money at a crisis.

The suspension of the federal gas tax is a horrible idea that would result in either

a) the oil companies raising gas prices accordingly, absorbing all the money from the tax cut and leaving none for consumers

or

b) demand for gas going up, raising prices even faster and making the backlash even worse once the tax is put back in place.

In McCain's case, the tax cut would drain the fund responsible for infrastructure maintainence and building. He says he would replenish the fund from other sources, but the government doesn't have any money left.

Clinton says she'd get it from taxing windfall profits of oil companies. This is money that would otherwise be spent on developing alternative energy. Even if she manages to prevent oil companies from simply raising prices to counter the tax, it would be sacrificing the long term solution for a short term one that wouldn't even save all that much.

Obama should be commended for refusing to pander and sticking to what is best for America's long term interests, not political posturing.

Obama is the KING of pandering. 10 billion a week in NC?

Obama misses the point again. Yes a long term solution is the best and payroll taxes would help also, but the solution can't be years down the road by the time his solutions finally pass. Clinton's solution is short-term minor relief, but it can pass fairly quickly with bi-partisan support and buy a little time for a better solution to formulate and pass. Besides, who wouldn't want to see their taxes cut?

Pandering, that's the understatement of the campaign. If Senators McCain and Clinton are on the same side of an issue, than you know it is a bad position. In the meantime, with this gas tax suspension, the revenues lost, just creates more job losses. Here is another gimmick that is pandering to a state that needs its gas, to comport its daily business and for these two candidates to offer a gimmick as a solution, is typical Washington nonsense.
As Senator Obama said, it is indeed a shell game and the pandering should be stopped!! Need I remind the voters of another time when Senators McCain and Clinton agreed on issue, the run-up to the Iraqi war. Let's not make that mistake again!!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE. NOW.

Go ahead and get rid of the gas tax. It's being used to subsidize tax breaks for the oil companies anyway. Tax Big Oil as they should be taxed, and lower the tax at the pump for those who use it.

I hope you people realize that they are talking about cutting the tax ONLY from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Once Labor Day returns, the tax goes back into effect. It would be at the point in which gas prices traditionally rise for summer travel. With the rise in price, the money you MIGHT save is eaten up by the price increase for summer.

The windfall profits tax was tried under Carter's administration and it failed. The one proposed here mimics more closely the taxes instituted during the world wars to tax profits. It worked better, but not as much as anticipated (88 B vs. 3393B projected).

besides the fact that the current administration will veto any bill that would take big oil. They'd hav to override that and the republicans would gang up and not allow it. So, the idea is dead in the water.

Try listening to NPR news sometime and you'll get a fairly good picture of what's been presented as the information I said above came from a story on NPR yesterday from someone involved during both administrations and knows a great deal about it.

You'd have to be really ignorant to VOTE for Clinton or McCain because of the gasoline tax reduction. Either the Big gas corporations will just raise prices, wiping out the tax savings, or the Demand will greatly increase with the lower summer prices, making FALL PRICES INCREASE MORE THAN NORMAL !!! IN ADDITION, 300,000 highway jobs will be lost, due to the tax removal, leaving our highway infrastructure in worse condition.

Wake-up !

Twenty-eight dollars, and HIGHER Fall prices,

versus

Obama giving you a $1000 tax credit. Hmmm…

VOTE OBAMA !!!