So at the same time our own Governor Tim Kaine tries to do the right thing and discusses considering raising Virginia's gas tax to provide some desperately needed funds for transportation (Kaine Again Ponders Gas Tax Hike To Raise Transit Funds, April 29, 2008; by Tim Craig, Washington Post), two of the three people running for President pander to the American people and call for a temporary repeal of the the $18.4 cents Federal Gas Tax.
According to The Fact Checker (A Holiday From Gas Prices?, April 29, 2008, by Michael Dobbs) in Tuesday's Washington Post both John McCain and Hillary Clinton are calling on Congress to temporarily repeal the Federal Gas Tax in time for the summer driving season in order to give consumers relief as prices near $4 a gallon. According to the Post:
"The advocates of a "gas tax holiday" are exaggerating the benefits to consumers from their proposal. If the Illinois experience is a guide, there is likely to be some reduction in the price of gas, but it would fall well short of the size of the tax reduction. In order to pay for the tax cut, the government would have to cut back on highway construction and maintenance or find some other way of plugging the shortfall in revenues to the Highway Trust Fund."
For this, the Post gives the candidates two Pinocchios. 
Agreed. This country needs to do more to invest in it's transportation infrastructure and should be encouraging conservation of fuels not lowering the price which encourages more consumption. Thank goodness the other candidate hasn't succumbed to this pandering (Obama Says Rivals Clinton, McCain Pandering On Gas Tax, April 29, 2008, By Mike Glove, Washington Post). At least not yet anyway.
Chris Hamilton is the Commuter Services Chief for Arlington County, manager of CommuterPageBlog and a Metro/biking commuter from Rosemont in Alexandria.
Thank you, Chris!!!
There's been a lot this lately on my other favorite blog:
http://www.env-econ.net/2008/04/its-spring-it-m.html
Posted by: Kevin Beekman | April 30, 2008 at 11:10 AM