Clinton and McCain Gasoline Plan is No Plan At All

Gas prices are high. People are suspicious and not trusting the oil companies. Why are prices going so high so quickly? In the summer before the election what better way to get voter support then to propose that the federal gasoline tax be eliminated for the summer driving season. Gas prices would drop and everybody would be happy, plus the politicians would gain support and hopefully votes. There is an energy shortage, the price of the dollar dropped and both these factors are what is driving gas prices higher. What would a sensible energy policy be? Well if there are shortages of a precious resource you would want to encourage the public to use less of the resource in order to conserve it. The proposal supported by both Senators Clinton and McCain would make a scarce resource cost less and encourage the public not to conserve the resource, but to use more of it. If either candidate was elected to the highest office and proposed and energy policy like this, we would all be in a lot of trouble. In an election year, the willingness of candidates from both parties to engage in such a detrimental policy for the sake of votes is disturbing. We are no longer at a point where we can play games with this nations economy. We need meaningful action, especially in the area of energy security, and we need it now. So if you follow the money, what does this actually mean. Our government because of the trade deficit is already in a great deal of debt to China. By giving up revenues generated by the gasoline tax, the government is giving up more revenue and going in more debt to China. By using more gasoline, we are also sending more of our wealth to oil producing countries, which can be a number of places but it is not here in the US. If you look deeper into what congress is doing, it gets even more disturbing. The tax credits to promote the growth of Solar and Wind energy in the US were allowed to expire by congress. The oil industry was allowed to keep its tax credits. To truly help this country, Clinton and McCain should be addressing encouraging investment in renewable energy resources and not pandering for votes by offering a quick lowering of gasoline prices that will not help the consumer or the economy in the long run at all. Consumers do need relief to high energy costs, but lets find some meaningful solution rather then give them a 15 cent break for the summer months, only to pay more later.

Barak Obama does not support the suspension of the gas tax for the summer driving months. He has come under crticism by Senator Clinton for not supporting this proposal. Well maybe this is the first step in the right direction for a sensible energy policy.