Sunday, April 20, 2008

McCain's Gas Tax Holiday - Populism Defined

Senator McCain, the Republican Presidential nominee, has proposed that the federal government do away with the gas tax over the summer to help out Americans suffering from high gas prices during a recession. This is the quintesssential political cheap shot and exactly the thing Senator McCain would have mocked before running for President. The gas tax funds the highway trust fund, which helps pay for roads. You might have noticed our infrastructure is in trouble, but don't worry, the highway trust fund will not go bankrupt until next year. The federal gas tax has remained unchanged since 1993, meaning it has decreased while our nation's roads have become more congested and in a worse state of repair. Although politically difficult to do, the government needs to raise more revenue to pay for infrastructure, not less. Calling for a cut in the gas tax is pure populism and a terrible idea. You have to spend money to have good infrastructure, there is no way around this fact. Our economy requires efficient transportation systems to succeed, evidently Senator McCain thinks he should ignore this fact in order to win a few votes from some of the economically illiterate voters in our midst.

No comments: