Letters to the Editor
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You must be joking...
George, please...
There is a huge difference between a state tax and a federal tax in this case. It would be difficult for an oil company to raise the price in one state only, to make up the difference in a state gas tax. When you're talking about a federal gas tax, it's very easy for the oil companies to fudge.
The reason it's a bad idea is because prices are so volatile right now. In the last two weeks alone, the average price is up 15 cents, and it's threatening to go up another 30-40 cents before it's finished climbing. How will anyone KNOW that the oil companies are passing on the tax savings.
I would agree that, to some (very few) families, $30 is a significant savings. But Obama's points are twofold; one, there are no guarantees that we'll actually save that much, and two, the loss in tax revenue would have to be made up somewhere else, or a whole bunch of road projects will have to stop, and that could cost thousands of jobs. And if we avoided the second one, then we once again have to borrow money to cover that loss. And for what? $30? Don't be silly...