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Obama is wrong about the gas tax
Think Clinton's plan to suspend the gas tax temporarily is a bad idea? A similar measure in Illinois -- which Obama backed -- seems to have helped consumers.
By George Frost [2008-05-06]

  • Here's the petition against the gas tax holiday.

    An Open Statement Opposing Proposals for a Gas Tax Holiday

    In recent weeks, there have been proposals in Congress and by some presidential candidates to suspend the gas tax for the summer. As economists who study issues of energy policy, taxation, public finance, and budgeting, we write to indicate our opposition to this policy.

    Put simply, suspending the federal tax on gasoline this summer is a bad idea and we oppose it.

    There are several reasons for this opposition:

    First, research shows that waiving the gas tax would generate major profits for oil companies rather than significantly lowering prices for consumers.

    Second, it would encourage people to keep buying costly imported oil and do nothing to encourage conservation.

    Third, a tax holiday would provide very little relief to families feeling squeezed.

    Fourth, the gas tax suspension would threaten to increase the already record deficit in the coming year and reduce the amount of money going into the highway trust fund that maintains our infrastructure.

    Signers of this letter are Democrats, Republicans and Independents. This is not a partisan issue. It is a matter of good public policy.

    Sincerely,

    Henry Aaron

    Senior Fellow

    The Brookings Institution

    Gilbert E. Metcalf

    Professor of Economics

    Tufts University

    Joseph Stiglitz, Columbia University (Nobel Prize in Economics, 2001)

    James Heckman, University of Chicago (Nobel Prize in Economics, 2000)

    Daniel Kahneman, Princeton University (Nobel Prize in Economics, 2002)

    Roger Myerson, University of Chicago (Nobel Prize in Economics, 2007)

    Eric Maskin, Institute for Advanced Study (Nobel Prize in Economics, 2007)

    Angus Deaton, Princeton University (President-elect, American Economic Association)

    and the list is much larger than this.

    -- Kingbreaker
    [Read Kingbreaker's other letters]
    Tuesday, May 6, 2008 05:09 AM
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