Gas Tax Holiday Petition: The Gas Tax Scam
Dear Senator Clinton and Senator McCain,
Please stop insulting the intelligence of the American people with pointless gas tax scams.
Soaring gas prices are not something we can solve with a cheap gimmick. Gas prices are high because people around the world are using lots of gas including rising demand in developing nations like China and India. Prices are high because oil is a limited resource and production is limited, because of speculation on Wall Street, and instability in the Middle East. Gimmicks won’t change any of that.
Eliminating the federal gas tax all summer would only save American consumers about 30 dollars, send more money overseas, reduce our ability to invest in infrastructure, and encourage even more driving and pollution contributing to global climate change. At the end of the summer, gas prices would be as high or higher than before and no problems will be solved.
The only way to save Americans from spending huge sums on gas is to reduce the gas Americans use. We need to invest in alternative sources of energy. We need to build more fuel-efficient cars. And we need to make it easier for more Americans to accomplish everyday tasks without having to drive.
Real estate values are strong in walkable communities while they plummet in exurbs which require long, expensive commutes each day. Our federal policy can encourage more housing near offices and schools, and support more transit lines that get people to work without having to pay for gas. We also need to transport more of our freight by rail, a method that consumes far less energy and makes everyday goods cheaper for consumers.
Experts and commentators agree that your gas tax “holiday” proposal is naked politics and bad policy. No matter whom we support in the Presidential race, we want a race about serious ideas instead of cheap scams for votes.
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