The Gas Tax Holiday is Nothing More than a Bribe!

[Vyan]

Let's get real here people. We all know what this is, we all know what this is about.

Hillary Clinton and John McCain are trying to BUY YOUR VOTE for a measley $30.

A half a tank of gas.

Is that all they think it's worth? Really? A 5% drop in the gas tax for three months that consumers may actually see only half of, which will blow a giant hole in the infrastructure budget and likely put about 6000 people in Indiana and North Carolina out of work?

How much difference is a few more pennies a day going to make when you don't have a job to get those pennies in the first place?

Are you kidding me? The Republicans in Congress are not going to allow a TAX HIKE PROPOSAL to even reach a vote in the Senate, and the Bush will almost certainly Veto IT. We don't need to take money away from our infratructure when we already have Bridges Falling Down.

Obama on the Gas Tax Proposal.

Obama: This isn't an idea designed to get you through the summer, it's an idea design to get them elected in November.

This is just politics as usual, but the sad part is that this cheap parlor trick just might work with some of the voters in the upcoming primary.

Are Americans really this stupid?

Are they really going fall for it Again? Another cheap, easy, quick fix solution that won't work and is not what we need.

We need to do the right thing, we need to do the hard thing and actually implement a workable energy policy. We need to start talking about real bio-fuels, plug-in hybrids, full on electric vehicles, wind, solar and permanently ending our dependance on foreign oil.

For people who don't know we can have viable electric vehicles, the Mythbusters on Discovery channel just broadcast an episode where they had an electric car drag race against a Ferrari and WIN. It also nearly beat an F1 race car.

It's also been shown News stations such as KRON4

This is the direction we need to go - this is Real Change. Yes We Fraking CAN!

Go see for yourself at PlugInAmerica.com

We need to be thinking not about $30 and a half a tank this summer, but what about next summer, and the summer after that - and the summer after that!

Wake up people.

McCain, Clinton and the Media think you're going to fall for it.

Don't.

Vyan

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. Worse than that.

It'll cut necessary road maintenance. It'll cost more to repair damage to roads later than it'll save.

[TBF]

2. Obama says it will cost construction jobs

The fed tax on gas pays for road repair. Obama has correctly pointed out that this will cost thousands of construction jobs. The only rebuttal I've heard from Hillary on that is she prefers to tax the gas companies to pay for the road repair. Which is admirable but their lobbyists will defeat.

The tax really makes no sense and will not help individual people very much. Electing a democrat this fall will help much more.

[Dr.Phool]

9. And when the pot holes don't get fixed,

And you bend a rim, or break a tie-rod end, or knock your wheels out of alignment? Gonna cost you a lot more.

[bluerum]

22. Not to mention - that if you are in the tunnel or on the bridge when it collapses

you will be one hurtin puppy.

Ain't no amount of cash gonna save your hide.

[nichomachus]

3. Based on my current fuel consumption

the gas tax plan will put $3.24 in my pocket. Hallelujah! Now I can buy that 52-inch TV I've always wanted.

[TBF]

4. Maybe if you combine it with your big tax rebate? Heh.

[nichomachus]

5. Nope -- that's spent already -- just waiting for the check to come

[NatBurner]

7. lol

[TheCowsCameHome]

6. There are some on DU that think it's on the up-and up

Thank God the rest of us can see thru this cheap side-show scam.

[havocmom]

8. Worse than a bribe. It makes Americans accomplices in the robbing of future generations

and it does it on the cheap.

[lastliberalintexas]

10. Only if not done correctly

The gas tax (along with the payroll tax) is the most regressive tax we have and hits the working poor and poor the hardest. If Congress can get a windfall tax and/or price caps included in such a bill, then it would be a good plan. Clinton wants a windfall tax, McCain does not. I think Obama would probably support a windfall tax even though he has opposed the tax "holiday".

Some on this board rightfully say that we have a weak majority in Congress and probably couldn't get this past a republican filibuster. So? Better to force the fuckers to filibuster on behalf of the oil companies and have a GREAT campaign issue than not try at all just because we're afraid to fail.

I'd donate money to the DNC so that they could run an ad about the republicans blocking legislation that benefits the Americna people in favor of Big OIl, wouldn't you? That's an ad I'd love to be able to see this fall. :)

[Vyan]

20. Obama supports the windfall tax n/t

[KittyWampus]

11. Oh, it's more than that. It's a huge handout to the Petroleum Industry

[Gman]

12. Simple economics says that the price of gas will

be what people are willing to pay. If people will pay $3.50 a gallon now including tax, they will pay $3.50 a gallon during the holiday without the tax and big oil will pocket the difference. I'm sure big oil is all in favor of this.

[Mimosa]

13. YES! Your vote is worth 30 bucks to Clinton and McCain

They think voters are STOOOOOOPID! Grrrrrrrrr.......

[central scrutinizer]

14. An insultingly tiny bribe at that

I want at least $50 for my vote, goddammit, or I am going to put it up on eBay.

[AngryOldDem]

15. But voters will fall for it.

Nevermind the fact that they'll pay it all back (and then some) when/if the tax gets reinstated in the fall, when gas will probably be over $4 a gallon and OPEC oil at or over $200 a barrel.

Most people cannot think long term, and they have the same reaction to ready cash as Pavlov's dogs did to raw meat. What's criminal is, others are so ready to jump in and exploit that short-sightedness.

[bulloney]

16. Are the American people really this stupid?

Unfortunatley, yes.

The other night, my neighbor was commending John McCain for coming up with the gas tax holiday because it would relieve them from high gas prices.

I went ballistic.

This person is your "pro life" Catholic who votes Republican because they are the party of the pro life movement. So, anything that comes from a Republican candidate for any office is inherently a good idea.

I told her, "You're paying $3.60 a gallon for gas. The federal tax is 18 cents. That's a savings of 5% and falling, because you know gas prices will continue to increase. Meanwhile, you're taking an estimated $11 or 12 billion out of the fund to maintain and repair roads and bridges. For what? so you can save less than 5% at the pump! Why don't you do something real about gas costs, like driving less? We haven't even begun to talk about the construction workers that would likely be laid off from this cut."

Just to show what a "good Catholic" she is, she's 44 years of age and is expecting her third child in five years. Her last pregnancy had complications and she was recommended not to become pregnant again. But we can't stand in the way of the Pope's will, can we?

[eilen]

23. I totally agree with your points

Hi, I just wanted to tell you that most American Catholics keep their own counsel on reproduction and birth control. There are a few out there that use the tenets of the Church to justify poor planning and turn it around to appear as a pious act. I'm 42, and the thought of having a baby now, esp. with one most likely in or just out of diapers threatens a panic attack.

But then, I'm not a "good" Catholic. But I'm a conscious one.

[Schema Thing]

17. 30 pieces of silver?

seems to be a continuing theme ;)

[sfam]

18. She should hand out a snickers bar with every vote...

this would be a far sweeter bribe, IMHO, and would be cheaper on our road infrastructure.

[rgbecker]

19. Truck Drivers and Taxi drivers for McCain! Hillary for (GOP) Veep!

[Roxy66]

21. I completely agree...what a freeking joke!!! I she gong to wave her magic wand

because she doesnt pass laws on her own....