Depths of political pandering: Suspension of federal gas tax for the summer
Just when you think politicians can’t stoop any lower in their open fawning and groveling for votes, the leaders at it — Sen. John McCain and Sen. Hillary Clinton — outdo your lowest expectations.
I’m talking about their totally ignorant, completely political call for suspending the federal gas tax for the summer. This is so wrong, so downright silly on so many levels, I hardly know where to start. But here are a few problems with the idea
1. Federal gas tax money goes primarily, as I understand it, to building, repairing, and maintaining highway infrastructure — things like bridges, Interstate highways, other roads, rail systems, etc. I don’t know about where YOU live, but where I live we need more and better infrastructure, not a huge chunk taken out of present funding.
2. Less money for all of the above means losses of jobs as well as more potholes and at-risk bridges.
3. The whole silly thing won’t save more than a buck or two per tank of gas. Do you really want to contribute to the sort of maintenance problems that led to the big Minnesota bridge collapse last summer to save $3-$4 on a tank full of gasoline? Will that small savings per tank full (and the $3-$4 figure is probably a liberal estimate for most drivers) REALLY make a difference in your life?
4. The ultimate goofiness about this proposal is that McCain and Clinton are both absolutely powerless to implement such a scheme — they really expect voters to be so in love with their “person of the people” image shown by suggesting the move that they’ll flock to the polls and pull the lever beside their names. This is NOT a presidential race, people. It’s a political popularity contest to decide who will actually run for president. And even if this were for the general election, whoever wins that contest will have absolutely no power to suspend any gas tax or any other tax this summer!
An acquaintance of mine on a forum I visit regularly probably put this and all these other schemes by the candidates in perspective far better than I could. His comment about this goofy gas-tax suspension idea was this:
“Dire Straits sang it as Money for Nothing and the Pot Holes are Free. It’s embarrassing. I wish they’d warn me when they’re trying to kiss my butt for vote pandering.”
I take that as something of a mantra that applies to this whole waaayyyy too long, dumb election year charades: “I wish they’d warn me when they’re trying to kiss my butt for vote pandering.”
Couldn’t have said it as well myself, Mike.
Technorati Tags: gas tax suspension, political campaigning, just a guy who reads the papers
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