2 Mayıs 2006 Salı

Those with a weak heart may wish to stop reading now...

Nomad has read the Republican and Democratic proposals to deal with high gas prices. The GOP wants a $100 tax rebate check to go to taxpayers. The Dems want a "tax holiday" to eliminate gas taxes for 30 days. So saith CNN. Here is the shocking part. I think the GOP is dead wrong on this one, and the Democrats are (mostly) right.

I'll pause to let the heart palpitations stop, and for anyone to seek medical help, if needed.

We all know I am not ultra-conservative, except on abortion, but in this case a "tax holiday" simply makes sense. It hits consumers exactly where they need relief - at the pump. It eases strain mostly on those who are suffering most - those who drive a lot. And it is something that can be done quickly - very little beaurocratic wrangling to worry about.

Compare this to the $100 rebate. (1) It hits all Americans equally, so a 99 year old grandmother who has not driven in 5 years gets the same benefit as a truck driver who makes his living driving all the time. (2) It fails to address the indirect impact of increased gas prices - inflation on everything else as the cost of transporting goods increases prices on every product. (3) It requires a huge beaurocratic effort to print the millions of checks and then mail them to taxpayers. i.e. It'll take 6 weeks (at least) from the time of passage until the checks are recieved.

Of course, both sides are wrong in trying to tax oil producers more heavily in trying to pay for their relief schemes. That will only encourage them to pass along those new tax costs onto consumers in excess of the savings we would otherwise see.

Mod-Blog has always striven to be a MODERATE, rather than purely conservative voice, but I think the last six months or so we have been more conservative than not. This time, but this time, the Conservatives are wrong.

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