Dear Senator Clinton: Please drop the gas tax holidy

You know that I am your supporter but this idea rally does not fly. We need this tax, perhaps we even need to increase it to provide for public transportation, so that individuals for whom driving is getting prohibitive, would have some alternatives.

I agreed with you when earlier you attacked the "stimulus" package that is being sent now, instead of using that same amount to put into working on the infrastructure, providing jobs, and taxable income.

A better way to help lower income families would be to offer "gas credit" on their income tax return, or to offer vouchers to be used when renewing car or driver's license. Either send them directly or reimburse the states who would offer these reliefs.

I don't know if you, like McCain, put a time bracket on it - holiday for the summer vacation. How many of your supporters, do you think, can afford to take a vacation this summer? The only ones who would benefit would be the upper classes... Obama's and McCain's supporters.

Please say that while helping Americans with gas prices is important, that this gas tax holiday is not the best way to go about it.

Thank you.

Of course, this is the kind of conversation DU is supposed to be having.

It's too bad it's rare amid the tit-for-tat extremism.

Clinton is lucky to have your sensible support.

Maybe someday we will debate the issues here.

and would do more in the long term to reduce gas prices by bringing down demand. I agree with her proposal to tax windfall profits (I believe both democrats have proposed that), but I think the money from that would be better spent improving and expanding public transportation and investing in alternative fuels.

P.S. Very thoughtful post, but I could do without the dig at Obama supporters being rich. I canvassed for him in some of the poorest neighborhoods in Philly where there was tons of support.

but the rich Democrats have been voting for him, according to the exit polls.

I am not even sure about taxing windfall profits. I am amazed to remember back in 1998 and 1999, when a company I worked for, in the oil service industry, reduced its working force by about 50% because gas was too cheap and it was not worth it for oil companies to drill for it..

But we can start with eliminating the stimulus that they have been getting from us.

I already said it was a dumb idea but if I wanted to vote for a candidate who agreed with me on everything I would vote for myself...

During the 00 election gas prices were spiking and Bill Clinton wanted to tap the Strategic Reserve to bring them down to help Gore... Republicans hollered...Democrats applauded...

It's politics...

Oh, please. Obama's supporters are not just upper classes. Some of us are downright poor.

There is a difference between saying that Obama's supporters are wealthy, and that the wealthy Democrats have been voting for Obama.

If you really care, why not leave that line out? Yes, some very wealthy dems are supporting Obama. Do you think they are just going to jump ship to McCain? It would be far easier to just vote for McCain to start with and keep collecting their tax benefits. Instead they vote for Obama because they believe in his ideals. Some may have started out in the working class themselves, or they just favor a more egalitarian society over facism. It's more than likely that they'll vote for Clinton if she ends up being the candidate, so why alientate them now? Focus your attack on where it belongs - against McCain and his oil friends.

to McCain?

As has been reported, Clinton got the less than $50K voters while Obama - the over $100K.

Thus the ones who can afford to take a vacation are probably not among her supporters.

There is a difference between saying that all of Obama's supporter are wealthy; they are not, of course, and that most of the wealthy voters voted for Obama or McCain. Of course, no doubt, there are many wealthy voters who support Clinton but this is what stats. do to the numbers.

You're right. The tax is either justified or it is not. If the tax is justified, then a moratorium is unjustified.

A gas tax moratorium will have no effect on gas prices, long-term.

It is a stupid idea as virtually all educated observers realize.

Got a link to back up that assertion?

Thanks.

- as

http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/president/18424909.html

"Democratic Sen. Barack Obama accuses his presidential rivals of pandering to voters by supporting the "gimmick" of temporarily lifting federal taxes on gasoline, despite his own past support for a similar tax holiday.

As a state legislator voting for a tax break, Obama even joked that he wanted signs on gas pumps telling motorists that he was responsible for lowering prices."

was all for it "before he was against it"

And he's supporting Clinton over Obama.

I would also point out that.. "IF" the tax on gas were lowered.. that would only increase demand (globally).. and as demand was raised, so would the price... to the extent that lowering the overall cost here would undoubtedly raise gas prices in another country.. and so on and so on until it hit here again.. the net I think.. would be slightly lower prices at the pump for a short time.. but in the end.. after a month or so, would be gas prices as high as we have now.. (if not higher)... the winner in all of this is Exxon, chevron, et al.. we are in a global economy now.. it would be foolish to think that we can continue managing our economy on a micro scale, when we are (whether we like it or not) dealing on a macro scale.

On the one hand we do not like outsourcing everything, on the other hand, we enjoy the low costs of stuff being make in developing countries where employees are being paid a dollar a day, or close to it.

And welcome to DU.

:toast:

R:kick: