Letters to the Editor
Phoenix Woman
Published Letters: 176 Editor's Choice: 5
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CBS Fact Check: Obama is right about the gas tax holiday
[Read the article: Now, Paul Krugman throws economists off the bus]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]From
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/30/ap/politics/main4060360.shtml
THE FACTS:
In 2000, gasoline prices were climbing quickly, reaching $2 a gallon in the Chicago area _ a remarkable price back then. Illinois legislators scrambled to offer some election-year relief to angry motorists.
Obama voted three times for a tax holiday.
The version that ended up becoming law required a six-month suspension of the state's share of the sales tax on gasoline, a 5 percent tax paid directly by consumers rather than gas stations. It also required gas stations to post signs on their pumps saying that the Illinois General Assembly had lowered taxes and the price should reflect that cut.
The impact of the tax holiday was never clear.
A government study could not determine how much of the savings was actually passed along to motorists. Many lawmakers said their constituents didn't seem to have benefited. They also worried the tax break was pushing the state budget out of balance.
At the end of Illinois' tax holiday, there was a failed push to eliminate the sales tax permanently. Obama was among those voting against eliminating the tax.
Obama's presidential campaign says the lessons of that Illinois tax holiday influenced his decision to oppose a national tax holiday. The lack of clear results then make him dubious about suspending the national tax now.
In addition, the Illinois tax was paid directly by consumers and increased as gas prices increased. Obama's campaign points out the national tax is a flat 18.4 cents (24.4 cents a gallon for diesel) and, therefore, isn't climbing as gas prices climb. It's also paid by producers, raising more questions about whether they'd pass the full savings along to customers.
During a three-month suspension, the average driver would save only about $28, according to the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials.
"That assumes the oil companies are going to give it to you. That's probably not a likely outcome," said Jack Basso, the association's director of management and business development.
If oil companies did pass along the savings, tax experts say, the lower prices would increase demand. Since refineries are already at maximum production levels, the increased demand probably would drive prices back up.
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@walter_map
[Read the article: Now, Paul Krugman throws economists off the bus]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Thanks for the reminder on how the windfall-profits tax portion of her proposal is a fantasy. (Especially since the Blue Dogs, her allies, helped vote it down.)
Meanwhile, CBS News fact-checked the 2000 Illinois gas tax holiday and found that it didn't do diddly for Illinois consumers, which is why Obama voted against making it permanent and why he opposes the Clinton-McCain proposal: http://letters.salon.com/tech/htww/2008/05/06/krugman_gas_tax_holiday/permalink/6d00cf8bfa850063e85ecdcebbc11639.html
But of course pointing out these inconvenient facts (and the 150-plus economists horrified at the thought of a Federal gas-tax holiday) will never get one's letter a red "Editor's Choice" star Salon.
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Marash: Al-Jazeera "excellent"
[Read the article: Clinton and Obama on Al-Jazeera]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]From the same Wikipedia article (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Marash) Electro Robot cited:
Marsh explained, "To put it bluntly, the channel that's on now — while excellent, and I plan to be a lifetime viewer — is not the channel that I signed up to do."[2] Specifically, he cited the loss of editorial control and his inability to vouch for content that the network was broadcasting, as reasons for his departure.[3]
As for editorial control, ask Paul Krugman about how the NYT has for years resisted him so much as implying that Bush or Republicans in general lied about anything. He's had to fight for every word in every column -- and he still sometimes loses the fight: http://www.americablog.com/2008/02/nyt-censored-krugman-poke-at-bush.html
And let's not even discuss FOX, OK?
But of course censoring lefties is OK, right?
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Electro Robot, Klare's not cheering on Putin
[Read the article: Who's the superpower now?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]He's berating the US in general and Bush in particular for pursuing policies that kept us addicted to oil -- and opened us up to Putin's putting Europe over a barrel.
Russia, as much as anything, is why Europe is frantically trying to get off oil and onto wind, solar, wave and geothermal sources of energy. They don't want to be Russia's tools any more than they want to be our tools.
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What about Iraqi deaths, Elephantman?
[Read the article: Supreme Court restores habeas corpus, strikes down key part of Military Commissions Act]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]You know, the one-million-plus that have died since your hero Bush and his PNAC Platoon buddies invaded Iraq?
http://www.justforeignpolicy.org/iraq/iraqdeaths.html
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Obama is from a state w/the Mississippi as its border...
[Read the article: Targeting Steny Hoyer for his contempt for the rule of law]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]...and it's been acting up a bit lately, so I'm not especially surprised that between fighting McCain, dealing with people who claim to be Democrats but who may well vote for the anti-gay, anti-woman McCain out of sheer idiotic spite, and watching homes float down the river, Obama's attention to Capitol Hill matters might be flagging a touch.
Earlier this week, Obama's campaign sent out an e-mail to the list directing them to Quincy and points south for sandbagging efforts. This morning, the campaign put out a new e-mail asking for help in protecting Missouri towns in the path of the flood:
Dear ----------,
Emergency sandbagging operations are going on right now in Canton, Old Monroe, where the river is expected to crest on Thursday or Friday.
Your help is desperately needed with sandbagging and other efforts.
If you can assist, please go to one of these areas this week:
OLD MONROE, MO
More volunteers are urgently needed.
To find out where to meet, please visit www.wffpd.org or call 636-566-8406.
CANTON, MO
AmeriCorps has set up a Volunteer Reception Center at the intersection of 5th and Lewis.
General sandbagging guidelines for volunteers: Bring sunscreen, work gloves, and sturdy shoes. Bring a shovel if possible. All youth under age 18 must be accompanied by a guardian or parent.
Call 573-819-0512 for more information.
More information on volunteering in flood-affected areas:
http://my.barackobama.com/...
Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who have been affected by the recent flooding throughout the Midwest.
If you are not able to assist in these areas but would still like to help, visit the American Red Cross to donate to their relief efforts or find out how to get involved.
Thanks,
Obama for America