Townhall.com The Blogspot for Political, Conservative and Republican Blogs and Bloggers

Thursday, April 24, 2008

McCain vs. Barack Obama on Gas Taxes

Posted by: Matt Lewis at 9:03 AM

Hmm. As the WSJ points out today, Obama supported a gas tax holiday due to a “huge hike in prices” when gas was running at $1.52 a gallon. Now it’s at like $3.50 or $4.00 a gallon, and he won’t support something similar?

I think this video says it all:

(3) |

(1)

View in ascending order

View in descending order

steveegg writes:	Thursday, April, 24, 2008 5:01 PM
Figures lie, liars figure, ReadABook
You used the wrong metric and some bad numbers to buttress your argument. 18 additional cents in the pocket is, give or take the effects of inflation, 18 cents that would not be there whether taken off of $2.50, $4.00, or $4,000. Moreover, the Illinois gas sales tax holiday was worth less than $0.13/gallon. It's the policies of your fellow travellers that have created the scenario that allows a single hurricane to move gas prices by as much as they did in 2005. We are at the extreme high end of the supply/demand curve, and nothing has been done to actually increase supply and bring us toward the middle of that curve.
Email It \| Print It \| Flag as Offensive

ReadABook writes:	Thursday, April, 24, 2008 3:20 PM
Conservatives can't to math
An 18 cent reduction on 2.50 gas is much more meaningful than an 18 cent reduction on 4.00 gas. Conservatives can't do math (too much sleeping with their sister in high school, too distracting). Show me one legitimate economist who things a temporary lifting of the gasoline tax will have any meaningful impact on prices. The daily swing in crude prices is now large enough to far outweigh the gas tax(es). You want to reduce gas prices by 18 cents on Monday (and furthur bankrupt the government when our infrastructure is crumbling) only to watch a weather system in the gulf raise prices 20 cents a week later? Are you all really that stupid?
Email It \| Print It \| Flag as Offensive

steveegg writes:	Thursday, April, 24, 2008 9:22 AM
It was constituent protection
While it was true that gasoline was averaging $1.52/gallon nationwide in March 2000, gas prices in Chicago (and Milwaukee) were over $2/gallon because of a combination of factors: the switch between the winter and summer blends of the boutique RFG gasolines unique to Chicago and Milwaukee, an extended shutdown of one of the two refineries that produces said gas, and a then-new requirement in California to switch from MBTE to ethanol that caused a rather big spike in an ingredient that up until that time was pretty much unique to Chicago's and Milwaukee's RFG. Indeed, I remember making trips outside of the Milwaukee metro area to fill up with $1.50/gallon gas because it made very good economic sense to make the 62-mile round trip.
Email It \| Print It \| Flag as Offensive

Please take a few seconds to sign up, then you’ll be able to post your comments immediately, use the action center, get podcasts, create your own blog and more! If you are already registered, click here.

Townhall.com The Blogspot for Political, Conservative and Republican Blogs and Bloggers

Townhall Blog, Breaking News & Commentary from the Townhall Crew

Archives of our Conservative, Republican, Political Blogs

Comments Comments

The Latest on Town HallThe Latest on Town Hall

Blog Roll Blog Roll