Letters to the Editor
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Gas tax is a harmful political gimmic
How quickly we forget Earth Day, or collapsing bridges.
Is it a good idea to suspend the gas tax that pays for highway infrastructure, so consumers can get a small, temporary break in gas prices?
Lets look at the big picture. Global warming. According to the DOE, North America’s per capita energy consumption was about 4 ½ times greater than the world average in 1999.
Americans drive huge cars. Travel a bit and you'll notice that most car companies don't sell their most efficient models here in the US. This is because their research shows that Americans don't care about fuel economy as much as power and looks.
Fact is, we drive too much. We don't live near our jobs. It is common for people to drive a large SUV 30 miles each way to work by themselves.
Notice now that higher fuel prices are changing our habits. GM and Ford are reeling from a drop in SUV and truck sales. Suddenly that Ford Expedition doesn't look like a good commuter vehicle.
All that suspending a gas tax will do is push the subsidy of the highway system on to people who don't necessarily use it. A person who makes the choice to work close to home to save energy shouldn't pay as much for highways as someone who commutes 60 miles a day. Gas tax is fair because it taxes those who use the infrastructure.
I'm one of the minority that believe that Americans need the bitter pill of higher gas prices. If we were serious about being green--beyond advertising and lip service--we would raise the gas tax, not lower it.