I have heard that the amount of total savings would add up to about $25 per car over the time period of the "holiday" but I don't have specific figures to back that up. Big deal.

My question is "Who was holding a big hammer over your head when you signed on the dotted line for that big gas sucker?" Now that prestigious behemouth is worthless. The government's response? "That's OK. We'll take care of your stupid decision and ease your pain for a while."

In my opinion, it was only a matter of time when our fuel prices would need to adjust to align with the rest of the world, except perhaps for the middle east and Venezuela. It was bound to happen someday.

Political BS at its finest, Washington style...
Gotta love it :-(

• Fri, 05/02/2008 - 12:23
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That two of the three front-runners are proposing we kill the gas tax for the summer quite frankly makes me sick. This really proves that politics is no more than a popularity contest, in case we needed any more proof of that. Eliminating the tax for the summer doesn't solve anything at all. The impact, by the time it got to us, would be minimal. Think about it- who would be able to take advantage of this? The oil companies would raise prices half the difference, maybe more, so we wouldn't really realize much savings, the government would be getting less income, and when they re-activate the tax, everyone will whine about it.

It is a short-sighted, stupid gesture that really bothers me. Of course, that's how politics works, isn't it? Didn't that "tax rebate" for $300 per household a few years ago cost the government something in the $1 billion range to implement? What a joke! We didn't realize that much of a gain in our economy, I promise you that.

This will be the same story- sorry for this to turn into a rant here, but how do we expect out government to work at all when no one wants to pay a damn dime for it? There's a cost for everything. The money doesn't come out of thin air. And yet, politicians are all to eager to talk about how they'll cut taxes and such. Taxes aren't fun- but they are very necessary. How no one seems to realize this, I don't know.

• Fri, 05/02/2008 - 12:39
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It is indeed sad that people such as Steve K.(and McCain, Clinton, and Bush) don't see the big picture. Gas prices are going up in no small part due to the runaway deficit spending that is tanking the dollar. To add to that by reducing revenues is truly stupid and short-sighted. I won't add to the "rants" above, other than to say that they are correct, and politics is sickening. And, as industry leaders point out, higher prices will steer the unwashed masses toward more efficiency, not a bad thing.

• Fri, 05/02/2008 - 13:59
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Frankly, raising gas taxes makes much more sense, combined with eliminating all CAFE standards. If we need to reduce fuel consumption, tax gas as an incentive for people to buy fuel efficient vehicles would work, and let the market then decide what sort of vehicles people will buy. The original incentive for the entire SUV genre was CAFE standards effectively outlawing the traditional station wagon, while leaving a loophole that allowed light trucks to be exempt. The more the government "fiddles" with this stuff, the more damage they do. There is and has never been any evidence of intelligence or common sense emanating from any politician. They may be brilliant Rhodes scholars when they run for office, but getting into politics seems to make the smartest people stupid!

• Fri, 05/02/2008 - 14:09
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@X3 SoB

It's (QofD) like you're reading my mind...

• Fri, 05/02/2008 - 14:13
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There is a poll
running 32 to zero for the "holiday". Go vote. Warning NSFW

• Fri, 05/02/2008 - 14:46
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The federal gas tax is one component to immediate reduction in expense, and seeing as the summer is the busiest travel season, this would be a small gesture against the tide of rapidly escalating costs. The cut is small, but it would be there. We've become used to seeing gas costs consistently jump. To see 18¢ cut right off the bat would be a little easier on my mind. One part of me is pleased fuel prices are pushing people away from light trucks; another is bothered that regular gas is about to hit four bucks in my area. I remember complaining about spending $3.30 two years ago when I had my roadster. It dropped down to $2.40, but now three dollars is becoming the low.

To Jeff, Ronald Reagan had runaway deficit spending in the 1980s to finance his arms buildup against the Soviets and support anti-communist operations around the globe. Gas costs actually dropped off from the sharp high in 1979, before picking up with the start of the First Gulf War. The dollar's lower value hasn't meant a thing in Europe and the Far East that operate on their own currencies and have suffered from high fuel costs as well.

• Fri, 05/02/2008 - 14:52
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There are other factors to consider. My girlfriend is tooling around in a V-8 T-Bird that gets crap mileage, but it's the only car she can afford on her wages. She feels gas prices much more acutely than I do with my 4 cylinder Altima.
I'm sure she's not alone in this regard, and for the third class who has these vehicles out of necessity (and who tend to comprise a good portion of voters) this cut might be enticing enough to consider. After all, it's hard to care about what's best for everyone else when you're working minimum wage and everyone else isn't too keen on giving you a raise.

• Fri, 05/02/2008 - 16:16
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sorry trinks, but that doesn't hold water. even driving 20k miles per year at 15mpg would only yield savings of about $60 over 3 months. That's insignificant.

• Fri, 05/02/2008 - 22:20
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I say triple the tax for the summer.

The only problem with your method is it will only really hurt people that can't afford to switch to a more fuel efficient car. The people with means will simply buy another car. My mother, for example, can only afford the car she has. It's not very fuel efficient but it was cheap and she can't simply switch cars. There are millions in her shoes.

• Sat, 05/03/2008 - 23:38
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W.L is right.
18 cents a gallon, thats $18 for 100 gallons, $180 for 1000 gallons, lets say your car gets 25 mpg, thats mean on 1000 gallons of gas, u can drive 25000 miles. During the summer months, even if people drive more than other seasons of the year, nobody is going to drive 25000 in 4 summer months. Lets say they drive 10000 miles,you will need 400 gallons of gas. so 400 gallons of gas times 18 cents,400 x 0.18 = $72
wow, Fed Programs have to suffer just so someone can save $72 on an average. I am amazed at what politicians these days will say to fool us all,to make themselves look good and get elected.People spend over $70 on one weekend at restaurants, I am sure they can choose not to eat out one time.However,$72 savings per person means alot of money in millions that goes to fed funded programs which are probably used to pay gov. employees salaries,maintain road,etc.Obama is right. People lets not be shortsighted like Clinton.

• Sun, 05/04/2008 - 05:25
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Elect Obama,he really cares about long term future of America and he will stand up for us.

Why do we need someone to "stand up" for us? Why do you think Obama or any other candidate can actually do something? The office of the President holds no real power. All it has is the veto. Your congressman hold the power and you elect them so you have the real power. Our problem is half of us have been duped into thinking we have no power (or at least little power) AND the other half who haven't been duped don't care.

Every now and then you have someone that is a natural leader that gains the respect of all the congressman and you see some advances. But for the most part, it's just petty bickering and nothing gets done. But you don't need them to get things done. We're not in a totalitarian state, we can do our own thing without government intervention.

Go grab your friends and family, start a business, make some money use that money to fund public healthcare or "subsidize" solar panel research. The government is not required for everything.

• Mon, 05/05/2008 - 01:07
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