No, it's not Heidi Fleiss talking. It's a different kind of prostitute: Florida Governor Charles "Charlie" Crist. I kid, I kid. But that's Charlie's ultimate justification for hopping on the summer gas tax holiday bandwagon (there's got to be a Cliff Richard joke in there somewhere). Speaking to the The New York Times, Charlie says he's been "struggling" to cut 10 cents a gallon from the Sunshine State's gas taxes. And yes, he knows it doesn't mean shit, moneywise. But that's not the point. "'It’s about trying to serve the people and trying to understand and have caring, compassionate hearts for what they’re dealing with at the kitchen table,' said Mr. Crist, a Republican." Wow! A Republican said that? And now a word from the Law of Unintended Consequences. "Since 2000, four states have enacted gas tax holidays: Florida, Georgia, Illinois and Indiana. In general, retailers did not pass on all of the intended savings… During the last gas tax suspension in Florida in 2004, people hoarded gasoline, driving up demand and prices." D'oh! And, to conclude, a little not-so-subtle Bush bashing. "Several drivers, even in Republican strongholds, blamed President Bush for high gasoline prices because of his support for oil companies and the war in Iraq. Others suggested consumer sacrifices like a return to the national speed limit of 55 miles per hour, which would conserve gas but have little immediate impact on prices." Several? Others? Oh brother.
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It’s amazing how much Presidential approval ratings track gas prices. War or peace, victory or defeat, high or low unemployment, high or low interest rates, corruption or not — nothing really matters more than gas prices. What’s really amazing is how politicians on both sides almost never do anything meaningful that will have a positive impact on those prices. They’ll cheerfully do the negative impact stuff for some reason though. Oh well, too many voters don’t remember the 70’s so I guess we’re going to repeat the mistakes of the past.
No, it’s not Heidi Fleiss talking. It’s a different kind of prostitute: Florida Governor Charles “Charlie” Crist. I kid, I kid.
“A professional politician is a professionally dishonorable man. In order to get anywhere near high office he has to make so many compromises and submit to so many humiliations that he becomes indistinguishable from a streetwalker.”
— H.L. Mencken
Crist was a big help to McCain in cinching the Republican nomination and is on lots of short lists as a VP running mate. Florida is often an electoral swing state. How convenient that McCain’s first name is John … that matches up nicely with Crist’s dedication to satisfaction. {Full disclosure, my name happens to also be John, and I don’t buy the services of prostitutes.}
This gas tax holiday nonsense is all about buying votes.
“More than 230 economists — Democrats, Republicans, advisers to past presidents and four Nobel laureates — signed a letter today opposing proposals by Clinton and presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain to suspend the 18-cent federal gas tax for the summer driving season.
“First, research shows that waiving the gas tax would generate major profits for oil companies rather than significantly lowering prices for consumers,” they wrote. “Second, it would encourage people to keep buying costly imported oil and do nothing to encourage conservation. Third, a tax holiday would provide very little relief to families feeling squeezed.”
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/05/05/economists_release_letter_oppo.html
If we had a Commenter of the Day (don’t get any ideas, Farago), it would be Skor because perfectly apropos Mencken quotes only come along so often.
Or, in the current climate, every five minutes.
But my point stands
Does anyone really believe that a tax break, even 10 cents a gallon, will show up at the pump? I don’t. I think it will end up in the pockets of the oil companies. So we will end up giving them our road maintenance money. Nice.
Can someone please explain how the oil companies would wind up with the 18 cents IF the feds quit stealing it from us? Are you saying that the oil companies determine the price is going to be $3.69gallon today and by God if they have to jack it up an extra 18 cents due to a federal gas tax “holiday”, they WILL. Just to make dang sure the price is $3.69gallon today? Is this the reasoning, or is there some other logic I’m missing?
While I’m quite opposed to the oil cartels, and FIRMLY believe that the price of oil has NOTHING whatsoever to do with supply and demand or anything remotely like a free market, claiming that they will just steal the fed tax if the government doesn’t take it is… well, let’s just say it’s more than a little illogical. If they want an extra 18 cents, the price will simply go up 18 cents, REGARDLESS of how much fed tax is tacked on to it.
THe only people that think dropping the fed tax is a bad idea are the communists that think the entire concept of “personal” income, property, or freedom is a bad idea.
skor
I really think that joining the late night comic criticism wave doesn’t make for really good humor.
You were being funny, I hope.
Its so damned easy to criticise…yet offer nothing.
This stings of the usual and boring “blame it on the rich guy” mentality.
Blame it on the government.
Blame it on the management.
On and on and on.
I always feel soory for those who take a chance and stick their creative necks out only to get slammed when failure is the result.
Be it artist or politicians.
It takes a lot to stand up and try to do something to fix the world you live in.
Its the 80/20 rule.
Just because 20 percent of the politicians are shallow and self centered, that doesn’t make the 80 so.
Please…lets stay possitive everybody.
Megan McArdle has a good explanation of why economists expect much of the gas tax holiday would end up in the oil companies’ pockets rather than the consumers’:
http://meganmcardle.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/05/who_will_reap_the_benefits_of.php
Others suggested consumer sacrifices like a return to the national speed limit of 55 miles per hour, which would conserve gas but have little immediate impact on prices.
No doubt supported by revenue enforcement and slow drivers everywhere. I’m a little bitter, a Ohio State Patrol yesterday floored it to catch up with me to advise me I was doing 71mph in a 65mph zone. I guess he was mad I didn’t slow down when he was oncoming. So there was the wasted gas of him catching up to me, and our cars idling during the 15 minutes to run plates/license when he said up front he wasn’t going to give me a ticket…
The only meaningful/quick way to reduce the price of gasoline on a short term basis is releasing part of the strategic oil reserve, IMO.
“Just because 20 percent of the politicians are shallow and self centered, that doesn’t make the 80 so.”
I was told by my lawyer (which a majority of politicians are, by profession) that 99% of lawyers make the other 1% look bad. I think the same can be said for politicians.
Wolven,
The gas stations/oil companies collect that tax on the gas. They won’t change the price and pocket the dime or .18 or whatever it is while you still pay the same.
Common sense that, really.
THe only people that think dropping the fed tax is a bad idea are the communists that think the entire concept of “personal” income, property, or freedom is a bad idea.
Ah hahahaha. Communists? You’re joking right?
Gas prices are the only ones that are advertised in huge letters, several times over most people’s commutes. I really believe that’s why they have such an impact on perceptions and politicians’ approval ratings.
Food price increases have been just as dramatic, but because the font size of the price is not as big, and because the consumer doesn’t see it daily, he/she does not register it as much.
As for politicians and “whoring” it simply has to do with the major flaw of democracy: voters. Let’s be honest, most voters are self-centered and short-sighted, and generally, populist measures will be more successful in gaining votes than harsh ones.
Example: lowering taxes is always popular, even if it means an increase in the deficit (paid by future generations. But who cares? They don’t vote).
If a politician wants to be re-elected, pandering to its electorate is one of the surest ways to do so. Hence the temptation of populist, useless programs, which also include ranting about truck balls or exposed underwear, or really anything else that resonates with the particular electorate at stake, regardless of the actual long-term value of the program.
@wolven
THe only people that think dropping the fed tax is a bad idea are the communists that think the entire concept of “personal” income, property, or freedom is a bad idea.
Just let us know who’s going to pay for road repairs (if privatized, you can be sure you’ll pay tolls on them), or other things paid by taxes such as the FDA (so that there’s at least a chance that the labels on your food won’t be, well, libel), the FAA, so that planes don’t crash into one another because there are no air routes, and so that they don’t fly right over your house.
Personal income, freedom, and property as we know it (i.e. not in an anarchic state) can exist only within the context of a society, which needs to police individual behaviour to make it tolerable, as, unfortunately, individual human beings cannot always be relied on to make decisions that don’t infringe on their neighbors own freedoms. That’s what the government is here for, and taxes are the oil in the machine.
I’d certainly love a society with no government whatsoever, if I trusted other people (and myself, for that matter) to never infringe on anybody else’s freedoms. As it’s not the case, we need said taxes.
Bull. More than half the stuff the feds pay for (in a wasteful way I might add) is not needed or could be provided for by the private sector. I could sit down and write a budget of less than 2 trillion dollars that would cover everything meaningful and you would never know that it was cut.
A CBS affiliate did a story on the cars that US Representaives and Senators drive. One was Charlie Rangle, the leader of the House Ways to be Mean committee, who can’t wait to raise your taxes. He drives a Caddy Deville, that costs $800 a month to lease. Who pays for it? Why, YOU do bunky! The cars used by congress are paid for by the taxpayers (I guess $160,000 plus a year isn’t enough for them). But there’s more – insurance, which can’t be cheap in Washington DC is paid for by – you guessed it! Us. Oh, and the gas? We pick up the tab for that too. That’s why they don’t get the gas tax holiday idea – they never have to pay for their own, they are isolated from the cost of gas.
If the Feds stop building bridges to nowhere, stop wasting money on earmarks (you thought that went away when the Dems took over the House? Hell no it’s full steam ahead!), stop letting bridges collapse even when they have our tax money, and stop paying themselves for auto leases, insurance, and gas, maybe, just maybe I’ll say a gas tax holiday is bad idea and we can’t “afford it”. You think that might happen? Snowballs’ chance in hell comes to mind.
Irregardless of if they pay for their own fuel or not there have already been instances of gas tax holidays and evidence enough that they are a bad idea.
Hey Windswords, I totally agree with you on wasteful spending by the government. Funny thing is, it also happens in the private sector, a lot! The only real difference is that if the private sector doesn’t provide services customers want, it goes out of business.
I.e. we should make our government more competitive. Technically, we could (that’s called elections), but somehow, we’re more efficient consumers than voters.
OK.
I am soooo tired of the silly talk from all of these democrats and fear mongers.
I am tired of all the negativity needed to keep one’s self in demand.
Aren’t all of you tired of the so called Chicken Littles running around telling us we need them to stop the end of the world as we know it.
Only thing is, its not ending and all of their so called disasters aren’t real.
They just need these to create their own importance.
The global warming…even if true, the great and powerful MANKIND has absolutely no control. This, even though it hurts this generation and ruins its self importance image it has.
Every generation believe IT is the ONLY generation of any importance and ITS disasters are THE greatest of all time.
Look, 5 times in earth’s history, 95 percent or more of all life was wiped of the surface.
Talk about tough times, who here would have wanted to live in western Europe during the 20th century?
Please…these are the best of times here.
Next, there is no gas shortage.
Brazil just found two of the largest oil deposits in history.
I am tired of being screamed at every time I try to point out that speculation by these same panic driven traders rush to sell and buy and then sell again…all based upon their wish to gain instant wealth…without creating a damned thing.
Relax, my friends. The sky isn’t falling.
Kiss your kids tonight and sit out on the porch and enjoy the evening.
http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/apr2008/bw20080422_520796.htm
Thanks, optic, for citing the McArdle article. It’s an excellent primer for anyone who doesn’t grasp the meaning of “The market will clear where supply and demand intersect.” Not that it will stop the panderers and panderees.
And thanks also to ppellico, for reminding us to keep a sense of perspective. The media tends to blow everything up to a “crisis.” It’s probably always been the case that what one generation calls “these troubled times” the next generation will refer to as “the good old days.”
@ AKM: I’m curious, how do you think the U.S. managed to survive, grow, and become the most powerful and prosperous nation in the world during its first 150 years with no income, social security, property, unemployment, sales, etc., etc., taxes?
And what has been the result of all those taxes that have been created over the last 80 odd years? Oh yeah, we’re now the biggest DEBTOR nation in the world, heading for a third world lifestyle and if you listen to the politicians, they STILL don’t have enough money to keep funding their “services”. IMO their “servicing” hasn’t helped America one bit.
What has the FAA given us? Strip searches, communist country style waiting lines, imprisonment on the runways for hours, and antiquated technology in aircraft.
The FDA? I just read that they’ve decided that up to 10 percent of beef infected with E.coli is acceptable for sale in the U.S. They STILL allow the feeding of ground sheep and other meats to cows (herbivores remember) which causes mad cow disease. They approved the use of all the chemicals, saturated fats, and other poisons that are in our food. And they only “ban” their use after someone proves it has killed a few thousand people. Yeah, they’re real beneficial…
@ AKM: I’m curious, how do you think the U.S. managed to survive, grow, and become the most powerful and prosperous nation in the world during its first 150 years with no income, social security, property, unemployment, sales, etc., etc., taxes?
Back at a time where a village was self-sufficient. It would be like comparing a horse cart with a Ford explorer.
Note that I didn’t say taxes were used efficiently, simply that they are (sadly) unavoidable.
I also note that while you make fun of the specific examples I use, which is easy since the government is generally inefficient, you don’t address the basic point I make, which is that our society cannot thrive without regulation. I wish it could, but because the size of our society has grown so much and has developed externalities, it is not possible anymore.
I guess I just don’t believe in the utopia that perfect capitalism is, as theorized by Ayn Rand or even Adam smith, no more than I believe in the utopia of communism. Both rest on assumptions that simply overestimate the intelligence and morality of humans.
Both rest on assumptions that simply overestimate the intelligence and morality of humans.
Ha, we’re in total agreement there.
Filling up my V70 in Sweden is 120 USD, nothing compared to value loss on a 2005 each month.
Hell no to that 55 Jazz. It takes forever as it is to get anywhere at 70.
You want 55; you go right ahead in that right lane.