The Free-Lance Star appears to have a multiple personality conflict going on. In today’s edition of the rag they use their Editorial Opinion to go on the attack against the Republican value of low taxes. Responding to a letter authored by Susan Stimpson, Chairman of the Stafford County GOP the FLS uses the old liberal excuse of 40% isn’t that much when talking about raising the gas tax.
GOP: Fun with Math
April 17, 2008
SUSAN STIMPSON, chairman of the Stafford County Republi- can Committee, on Tuesday launched a preemptive strike on our advocacy of a higher gasoline tax, this attack presumably coming to support the tax-averse House GOP caucus during a special transportation session Gov. Kaine will shortly convene. In her letter (”Raising the gasoline tax isn’t the answer”), Mrs. Stimpson stole the words right out of House Speaker Bill Howell’s mouth when she accused us of being “out of touch by calling for a 40 percent increase of the current gas tax.” Oh, what a naughty use of the “%” key! rest of the dribble
Hello Free Lance Star editors . . .Gas prices are on the rise everyday. Today the price of oil is over $112/ barrel and the price of gas at the Valero where I stopped to fill up this morning was $3.29/gallon, yesterday it was $3.27, tomorrow I expect it to be $3.30 (it was at $3.42/gallon this morning – it’s now costing me $20/day in gas to and from work). Raising gas taxes now is the wrong approach to fix anything.
Back to the the multiple personalities of the Free Lance Star. Their front page story was about the success of good leadership, including member of the Commonwealth Transportation Board and Stafford County Supervisor Cord Sterling (R-Rock Hill), on finding funding for the project to improve the Route 1/Route 17 intersection in Stafford County.
“In very difficult financial times, with transportation funds dramatically reduced, we focused on completing highest priorities,” Sterling said in an e-mail. “Not everything wanted is funded, but some important projects will move forward.” entire article
Wow what a novel idea, times are tough focus on the important stuff. The FLS on their front page seem to get it, having included the quote above from Republican Cord Sterling, while attacking the very idea on their opinion page.
h/t eric at Rappahannock Red
by the way John McCain seems to get it . . .from his plan on economic relief. To provide immediate relief to America’s families:
- John McCain Believes We Should Institute A Summer Gas Tax Holiday. Hard-working American families are suffering from higher gasoline prices. John McCain calls on Congress to suspend the 18.4 cent federal gas tax and 24.4 cent diesel tax from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Update: Looks like Free Lance Star thinks about the same way as Liberal comedian Al Franken
Filed under: Virginia Politics
Perhaps being bipolar is a requirement to be the editor there? Being liberal seems to be a hiring trait of FLS reporters, seconded only by inexperience and naivety.
Yay! McCain’s plan is a whopping 5% reduction in gas prices (if it’s that much in a few months as gas prices rise). America as a whole needs to demand less for prices to go down. Altering our driving habits because of rising gas prices will do that.
Kevin, you make a good point. Of course, altering driving “habits” simply isn’t an option for a lot of people. I live 15 miles from work and there’s no bus station near me. There are millions of folks with similar situations. As for Sen. McCain, I’ll take the 5% reduction. Every penny sure counts these days.
Altering habits include carpooling, bundling errands and cutting out non-essential trips. I understand that people have different commutes and that the infrastructure of public transportation doesn’t reach all. But I believe that we can cut a lot of wasted gas by doing what I’ve listed above.
The tax cut will not make a dent in anyone’s bill. In fact you could make the argument that oil companies will raise prices slowly over time back to the original levels because people are already used to it in the price.
-I don’t know too many folks who take a trip for every errand they run.
-I’d like to get some sort of definition for “nonessential.” How about grocery shopping? A trip to the carwash? Going to the mall?
With that said, carpooling is a great thing. It is catching on in many areas as a result of the high gas prices. In other areas, it’s been successful for years and is now intensifying.
I believe your prescriptions would cut down on some consumption. But I also believe that due to many socio-economic factors, it would be difficult to really and truly make a dent in demand and subsequently, the price of gas.
As for the oil companies, we should expect that they continue to profit from increasing demand in energy. This is after all a market economy. Inasmuch, there is a maximum price on the supply curve for every person. So ultimately, the market may make other fuel sources more cost effective.
Right…so the tax decrease would actually just go into the pockets of the oil companies instead of the improvements to infrastructure…I don’t see how that’s any better than the situation we’re in.
One last thing…here’s a top ten list from Fox Business News on why taking away that tax is bad policy…notice I said “Fox”.
http://www.foxbusiness.com/article/reasons-suspending-federal-gas-tax-bad-economy-poor-public-policy_563650_1.html
Did you read the bottom?
SOURCE: American Road & Transportation Builders Association
The fact is that the money that is taken for gas taxes currently funding transportation can easily be found from other accounts in the general fund.
Just a quick note on that last point. Back in the ’90s (I believe it was the ISTEA bill), Congress actually did something smart and dedicated the highway user fee to transportation (with the occasional boneheaded earmark like the bridge to nowhere, some transportation museum or bikepath) and firewalled the Highway Trust Fund. Finally, there was a user fee that was true in name and fact — not just a tax by a different name. (This is the most libertarian way to raise funds that the U.S. Gov’t employs — the more you drive, the more wear and tear you put on the roads, the more you pay since you have to fill up more often. Don’t drive at all, and you don’t pay the fee.) Even the Social Security “trust fund” isn’t firewalled.
Anyway, the thought is that if you have general revenues go into the Highway Trust Fund, that the firewall has been breached (albeit in a way positive for it), but it sets a precedent for the future that would allow highway funds to be diverted from the trust fund (once they make it solvent after its coming bankruptcy next year) for other purposes.
Riley, as I try to understand McCain’s plan, there would be no precedent for diverting funds from the trust fund – there would be a precedent for the stoppage of funds into the trust fund. I think there is a difference there.
That is correct that this would not set a precedent for diverting funds from the trust fund, but it would set a precedent for breaching the firewall. Believe me, once it has been breached in one direction, all bets are off in any direction when you’re talking about Congress.
Point conceded.