Various Frankfort politicians and journalists spent much of 2008 failing to convince us that a cigarette tax would help balance the current budget, pay off pension debt, fund new health programs, and fund new education programs while cutting demand for cigarettes. So I should be used to ridiculous overselling of tax increase virtues.
But I almost fell off my chair while reading New York Times columnist Tom Friedman promote the idea that a gasoline tax increase would be the best thing Barack Obama could do.
I kid you not:
"A gasoline tax would do more for American prosperity and strength than any other measure Obama could propose."
And, of course, it gets better:
"Today’s financial crisis is Obama’s 9/11. The public is ready to be mobilized. Obama is coming in with enormous popularity. This is his best window of opportunity to impose a gas tax. And he could make it painless: offset the gas tax by lowering payroll taxes, or phase it in over two years at 10 cents a month."
Can't imagine anyone falling for this, can you?
2 comments:
It is easy for a jerk in New York, who probably doesn't even own a vehicle, to want others to sacrifice in the form of a tax that he himself will not be forced to pay, for the good of man.
I will not fall for any of this left coast, wrong thinking Obama crapola.....but... as a nation, we fell for his lines on the campaign trail and as a nation, we will probably fall for as many of these wacko taxation scams as he wants to offer.
Remember, to oppose anything this president elect may want will suggest racism on the opposers' part.
God help us all.
Any tax not based on proportion will do more harm to those who can least afford it.
Rather than try to tax the reduction of fossil fueled vehicles, it would be better to require auto manufacturers to provide alternative fueled vehicles priced competitively with the fossil fuel, internal combustion engine.
Government should give itself the regulatory authority requiring any business that receives government assistance either as a tax reduction, exemption, credit or a handout, such as Kentucky does to Toyota, the business will produce alternative fueled vehicles.
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