Townhall Tax Follies 12.05.07

Townhall.com publishes a daily e-letter which contains columns from, generally, right wing pundits. Most of the time their language is simply red meat for the fringe element of red states. Occasionally there's a logical piece, but the authors of these sane discussions appear far too seldom.

Once in a while a "balloon" is floated which has some merit, but which, on a moment's reflection, causes a furrowed brow.

For instance, one David Strom has a piece today entitled "Eliminate the Federal Gas Tax."

Sure. Strom lists it at $0.184. For every six gallons that would be $1.00 less out of our pockets. Who wouldn't like that?

Strom's entire argument is based on how effective the tax is for its original purpose, to foster "interstate commerce and ensuring a first-rate transportation infrastructure that serves as the backbone of our national economy."

Um. Yes. Then one thinks of the current state of affairs relative to the use of petroleum and the automobile.

Many persons are advocating an increase of Federal gas taxes in order to make driving the gas fed internal combustion engine so expensive that car owners will figure out ways to cut back on the consumption of petroleum thereby weaning ourselves from our dependency on Middle East (read Islamic terrorist here) oil fields.

As a matter of fact, in all the calls for lower taxes, there has been precious little said lately about the Federal gas tax, and one supposes the reason for that is exactly the huge consumption of petroleum in the U.S. and the subsequent realization that we're actually helping fund Al Qaeda at the same time we're spending additional billions fighting bin Laden.

No. A cut in the Federal gas tax is not a good idea at this time.

Trust in the sincerity of tax cut advocates, but verify the efficacy of their proposals.

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