Clinton's Gas Tax Plan Called 'Ineffective', 'Shortsighted'

The Washington Post published yet another article today showing the negative reactions to Hillary Clinton's plan to suspend the federal gas tax.

A growing chorus -- including a top congressional Democrat -- labeled Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's proposal for suspending the federal gasoline tax ineffective and shortsighted yesterday, even as she continued to paint Sen. Barack Obama as insensitive to drivers' woes for not endorsing the plan.

Yesterday, HuffPost's Sam Stein published a comprehensive article about how Clinton has nonexistent expert support for the plan:

Surely, however, there must be someone out there not associated with a politician or a candidate who supported the idea of a gas tax reprieve -- especially if, as Clinton suggests, it would be paid for by an excess profits tax on oil companies.

I emailed Howard Wolfson, Clinton's spokesperson, asking him to put me in touch with an economic or environmental analyst who favored his boss' plan. He never wrote back.

So I took the task upon myself. I would call experts from all sides of the ideological aisle to get a sense of where the debate stood. In the end, every single analyst I surveyed judged the gas tax holiday proposal to be, roughly speaking, a silly, superfluous, or outright pandering idea.

Comments

[samidean]

WAKE UP YOU MISGUIDED QUEEN HILLARY SUPPORTERS. ONCE AGAIN YOUR CANDIDATE HAS SHOWN WHY SHE GETS THE UNEDUCATED VOTE. SHE PANDERS AND INSTEAD OF DOING ANY RESEARCH ON YOUR OWN YOU JUST BLINDLY KEEP SUPPORTING HER BECAUSE SHE LIES AND TELLS YOU WHAT YOU WANT TO HEAR. MEAN WHILE HER AND BILLY LAUGH BEHIND YOUR BACK BECAUSE THEY KNOW YOU WILL BELIEVE ANYTHING SHE WANTS YOU TO. ALL OF THE EXPERTS KEEP TELLING YOU THIS CRAZY IDEA IS A BAD IDEA AND WILL NOT COST YOU LESS, BUT WILL END UP COSTING YOU MORE, AND WILL COST US MORE GOOD PAYING JOBS.

NO WONDER THIS COUNTRY IS IN THE MESS THAT IT IS. INSTEAD OF WANTING TO LISTEN TO SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO TELL US THE TRUTH WHETHER WE LIKE HEARING IT OR NOT, SO MANY OF YOU FOOLS JUST WANT TO BLINDLY FOLLOW THE SAME OLD POLITICS OF I'LL TELL YOU EVERYTHING YOU WANT TO HEAR WHETHER TRUE OR NOT AND I'LL GET YOUR VOTE. THIS IDEA WILL NEVER PASS IN CONGRESS ANYWAY, AND BUSH WOULD NEVER SIGN IT, SO IT IS GOING NOWHERE.

[abby4ever]

Your text size is too big.

[bumpersticker]

So we will burn our food and give up the taxes that supports our infrastructure to keep on trucking. The world must admire our ability to consume ourselves at the expense of others for, as Bush put it, the American lifestyle that we "deserve."

The shift in power is to multi-national corporations who are not controlled by the old concepts of countries defined by land masses. Geography now ham-strings the regulators and social scientists who are increasing out maneuvered and held hostage by the geography-free corporations.

Hopefully, Obama's call to unite and buckle down will win the argument over the feel-good approach of Bush, which is being carried forward by Clinton and McCain. The "Happy Summer" plan seems as adolescent as Bush.

[ElliotNC]

According to the experts, the meaningless tax savings would devastate the Highway Trust Fund, cost the federal government $12 billion, put thousands of construction laborers out of work, and jeopardize highway safety for millions of Americans!


Why doesn't Senator Obama immediately propose TRIPLING the gas tax?


It would cost nothing, put tens of thousands more Americans to work, and make our roads safe for everybody.

[Grunty1]

Increasing the tax would certainly help. If I recall correctly, the tax has been the same level since the 1970s. And obviously costs and wages have increases since then.

[madkey]

Because we have a president thats not going to pass that. Dont you guys get it. Obama know that already thats why he says we have to change Washington inorder to get anything done. Capital Hill is not going to go for that either. Between Bush and Capital Hill were stuck.

[altara]

Obama and leadership

Compared to the Reverand Wright melodrama, it may seem like small potatoes, but Obama's opposition to the McCain- Clinton campaign proposals to grant a summer tax holiday from the federal gasoline tax is just a significant step as his denunciation of Wright.

True, the savings to automobile owners is small compared to the price of gasoline. True, the logic in favor of foregoing this summer gimmick is clear: to conserve energy we should be discouraging driving not the reverse. But the real significance of Obama's stand is his refusal, in a time of intense campaigning, to go along with the political pandering by his rivals.

Let us hope that the taking of this position portends the type of presidency that Obama may bring us.

homer www.altara.blogspot.com

8:23 AM

[JFB]

If proof is needed that Hillary Clinton and John McCain’s “summer gas holiday” plans are a sham, one only has to consider that neither one of them will be president until 2009: well after this coming summer. Just how are they proposing to implement their plans? Are they perchance introducing bills in the senate? If so, where are these bills?

This is perhaps the most blatant political pandering foisted onto the electorate in this entire electoral season: a craven attempt to win votes through deceptive pronouncements.

Shame on them both.

[abby4ever]

Amen.

[Bobby]

Instead of writing stories about all the bullshit that Hillary and McCain spew, why doesn't Huff Po have a daily story for ALL to see about the enormous profits that big oil and all the war profiteers are making. Sort of like a stock page. Exxon made an $11 BILLION dollar profit last quarter. They also raise gas prices EVERY day. Exxon and the boys will also be getting a lion's share of the Iraqi oil. Meanwhile, the cash registers are ringing for Blackwater, Halliburton, the Carlyle Group, Lockheed, General Dynamics, Raytheon, Bechtel and others. The country for the most part has NO idea the amount of profits these guys make. People need to see this EVERY day.

[rwe2late]

Bobby
But then we would have to discuss real issues.

The Pentagon Strangles Our Economy: Why the US Has Gone Broke
http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=8813

Food Crisis: "The greatest demonstration of the historical failure of the capitalist model"
http://globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=8836

[Bobby]

Thanks for the links. But you are right, flag pins for the lapel is SO important to those who AVOIDED going to Vietnam.

[helonias]

Too bad Ronnie R dumped Jimmy C's efforts to make us energy dependent

[kidvidkid]

HRC -- Ready to pander on Day 1. Leadership­...not so much.

[zenguy]

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.

[barrista]

Sounds like he's learned from that mistake. Hillary should take notice.

[TheMastadon]

Are you going to keep cutting and pasting the same comment? We get it, he voted for cutting the gas tax in his state in 2000, but did it ever occur to you that he may have realized that it didn't work so well and he learned something from HIS EXPERIENCE?

Is your argument that because Obama voted for this in 2000, that Hillary is justified in supporting this now? When she has no real power or authority to get it done? Does it bother you in the least that Hillary's point of view more often than not is in line with the Republican nominee instead of her Democratic counterpart?

Obama is saying the truth, that this is a bad idea. Open your eyes!

Obama 08 !!!!!!!

[HumeSkeptic]

Spam!

I answered to this earlier.

[cballen]

what is your point? that Hillary and McCain did NOT do their homework or else they would have seen the evidence that this sort of policy does NOT work and is potentially harmful?? that they are pandering in the face of hard evidence that this sort of fiscal irresponsibility is completely ineffective??

[speakeasy]

Uh... wasn't that before 9-11, the bridge collapse in Minnesota and a tripling of the federal deficit???
Obama also voted to not make that tax cut permanent because studies showed the benefits weren't being passed down to the consumers (i.e. gas station owners could manipulate prices to improve their own profits).

[LeeinJax]

Hillary is betting on all of us...

Hillary is gambling that there are enough vulnerable, or frightened, or greedy, or undereducated, or hating, or cynical people to put her over the top.

EVERYTHING about her campaign panders to and preys on that demographic.

But saying so does not help, because the brilliant thing--for her, anyway--is that they are immune from recognizing they are IN the demographic.

Her third-rate soap opera antics, and irrational policy statements, restatements, and mistatements are completely convincing to the same crowd that thinks professional westling is not scripted.

[zenguy]

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.

[HumeSkeptic]

Spam!

I amswered to this.

[speakeasy]

Uh... wasn't that before 9-11, the bridge collapse in Minnesota and a tripling of the federal deficit???
Obama also voted to not make that tax cut permanent because studies showed the benefits weren't being passed down to the consumers (i.e. gas station owners could manipulate prices to improve their own profits).

[LeeinJax]

Exactly -- Obama said he could not support this idea because it did not work.

WTF is "experience" for if you learn nothing? Hillary has been offered lessons but refuses to learn. Refuses to apologize. Refuses to admit mistakes.

Sounds like Bush... He ALSO had a close relative in the Whitehouse. His close connection and networks supported his candidacy for POTUS. Bush and Clinton are astonishingly similar in integrity, ablitity to learn, and act with intellectual honesty.

Oh, that's right..."i­ntellectua­l" is elitist...­this dumb @ss move is another badge of street cred for Hillary.

[HumeSkeptic]

First it was warmongering and now this dumb idea. Hillary is acting more and more like a Republican.
What's next, she'll be for teaching Creationism in schools to get the idiot vote?

Dump her Indiana and North Carolina. Dump her. She's worthless.

[abby4ever]

I am an advocat of Creationism, guess that makes me an idiot---by your lights, anway.

[barrista]

Um yes it does actually.

[HumeSkeptic]

Absolutely. If you don't like "idiot", the alternative is "imbecile".

[TheDeRanger]

Pretty much a litmus test. You test positive. Thanks, as a self described Creationist, means you don't have the wherewithall to think through much of anything, so now worries if your posts are ignored.

Nice when the herd culls itself.

[zenguy]

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.

[HumeSkeptic]

So, what's your point? If he did a dumb thing then that he should take that dumb thing at the national level?

I expect our leaders to learn from mistakes of the past, and repeat those mistakes.

You Clintonistas make strange arguments.

[speakeasy]

Uh... wasn't that before 9-11, the bridge collapse in Minnesota and a tripling of the federal deficit???
Obama also voted to not make that tax cut permanent because studies showed the benefits weren't being passed down to the consumers (i.e. gas station owners could manipulate prices to improve their own profits).

[Jinxykb]

Hillary is doing a fine job and I look forward to her being my Senator for the next dozen or more years.

[ntmessage]

Clinton has never said that her gas policy is limited to economic relief for consumers. This works no differently than the economic stimulus package that Obama already voted for. In addition, it can be done quickly.

These are the same arguments that academics and economist made regarding the Clinton economic policies in the 90s. To the surprise of all the so-called experts over 22M jobs were created, a budget surplus and shrinking debt.

And by the way, a barrel of oil was roughly 10% of what it is today!

So again, Clinton (Results) is so much better than Obama (Speak) for the American people that does nothing.

[Veman]

The Clinton years benefitted ENORMOUSLY from the "Dotcom/NASDAQ" boom; none of which had ANYTHING to do with Clinton's economic policies - unless you include Gore's contribution, i.e. inventing the internet.

[TheMastadon]

THANK YOU!!!!!!! And ntmessage, you can't say "Clinton (Results)" when all of the results were the result of her husband's work.

How do you like this one? Clinton (Lies/deceit) ... Obama (Truth/judgement)

[BillyT]

you are short sighted. Obama is standing up to pandering. People like you have no understanding of the economic issues and should not be put in a position to advocate any kind of policy.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/30/opinion/30friedman.html?em&ex=1209787200&en=c74689f177717558&ei=5087%0A

Gas tax holiday is not like money in your pocket.

It lowers the US government's foothold in the profits of the oil companies.

The oil companies can raise prices to cover any supposed drop in gas prices.

This means US collects nothing for the highway trust fund, which is one of the few sensible tax program in the country (you tax transportation expense to pay for transportation needs, not some unrelated program in Senator Pork Barrel Clinton's $3.2 billion list).

So we save nothing, the roads and bridges go unrepaired, and the oil companies are richer for it.

Great plan. This has nothing to do with economic plan for the whole country. This is micromanaging at its worst: knee jerk proposal and without understanding the consequences. In other words, PANDERING.

[ntmessage]

These are Obamas scare tactic talking points almost verbatim.

Completely false since there is no way this will ever cost jobs or programs.
Also false is that this is Clintons policy position.

The Federal budget is not separate buckets as you falsely present. This will add to the debt just like the stimulus package that Obama voted for.

Frankly, Obama is making up an issue to deflect from the Pastor Disaster.

[wendelgee2]

It works like the stimulus package?? No. It doesn't. We're taking money out of our treasury, which is in the red. The money will reduce the price of gas, which will increase the demand for gas, which will in turn raise the price of gas...in the meantime, all of that money from our treasury has been funneled directly to the oil companies. While the "stimulus," which I don't support btw, will be spread throughout the economy, this money would immediately turn into profit for oil companies.

Also, please outline the Clinton policies in the 90s that resulted in oil being "10%" what it is today.
Correlation is not causation.

[ntmessage]

Too many poli-sci classes? You need to do you own homework on what happened in the 90s. Better still why dont you read Bob Rubins book?

It is generally agreed that the person and administration in power is responsible for the economy.

Listen please get your facts straight.

1. There is no pay-go and the stimulus package is not paid for as well.

2. The tax relief is not a substitute for policy it is to lighten the load on the consumer, just like the stimulus package.

Obama politics does not work well with facts and numbers and the success of the Clinton administration in the 90s.

Obama will lose on this stupid issue because he is still only talking.

[SMP]

We are sorry for your loss. We are no longer in the 1990's and cant go back. rude awakening isnt it. but hey, go ahead and vote for Clinton..b­asically, no one is asking your not to....just informing you of what the Experts of the 21st century say..

It is easier for some to "swallow" false promises and have them reminise of the past.

[ntmessage]

Yep. Just like Obama is only words today, these economists and pundits are full of crap and they have been for years. Anyone paying attention would know that.

We do not need another manufactured personality as President.

[madkey]

Yeah Hillary will be a great commander and pander

[MikeDu]

I can't recall who I heard suggest this but a gas tax holiday *coupled* with a Big Oil windfall profits tax to make up the shortfall in revenue (and more) doesn't sound like a half-bad idea. Tax holiday without a plan to make up the revenue shortfall sounds like a VERY bad idea. I doubt that either Clinton or McCain are willing to touch the oil giants' megaprofits.
I also heard someplace that world fuel supplies for the summer are NOT in short supply, that the grotesque killing oil prices are mostly from market speculators. Bush's oils buddies trying to load up with as much cash as possible before their best friend in the White House finally leaves office.

[KMKY]

Clinton's proposal calls for the windfall profits tax.

[BillyT]

Windfall profits tax on oil companies have been tried. And have failed.

Oil companies will simply declare that tax as expense and raise the prices more to cover for it.

So, we pay for their increased profit, get nothing for our roads and bridges, and they get the tax credit. You like that idea? Hillary does.

And how does Hillary think she will get that implemented in the next month? When DC insiders like herself are on payrolls of the big oil companies??

[MikeDu]

I do agree that the stress should be 85% on getting windfall profits out of the greedy grasp of Big Oil, and if that's a success the tax holiday comes as a side benefit. To put the cart before the horse on this issue sounds rather... Republican.

[wendelgee2]

It would save folks about $2.50 a tank. What'll that buy you? A happy meal? That's short-sighted, and it's not going to put food on the table. If we were smart, and brave, we'd use this money to develop and deploy long term energy solutions, like cheap, renewable wind/solar­/geotherma­l/hydroele­ctric power. But no. Heaven forbid we all pitch in and sacrifice for a better future. The gov't would rather just cut a check every once in a while and tell us that everything is alllllright. Because. As the Joker once said, "And now, folks, it's time for "Who do you trust!" Hubba, hubba, hubba! Money, money, money! Who do you trust? Me? I'm giving away free money. And where is Obama? HE'S AT HOME WASHING HIS TIGHTS!"

[EinChicago]

"I can't recall who I heard suggest this but a gas tax holiday *coupled* with a Big Oil windfall profits tax to make up the shortfall in revenue (and more) doesn't sound like a half-bad idea. Tax holiday without a plan to make up the revenue shortfall sounds like a VERY bad idea. I doubt that either Clinton or McCain are willing to touch the oil giants' megaprofit­s."

Ummm. If you venture outside the Obama 527 that the Huffpost has become, you'd see that the tax holiday coupled with a wind fall tax ito pay the lost revenue is EXACTLY HRC's proposal.

[MikeDu]

No, my problem is I got my information from network news, which tend to leaves me 85% ignorant on most topics. If Senator Clinton is pledging to go after windfall profits then more power to her!

[skepticalindenver]

Ineffective and shortsight­ed.....hmm­m....just like her campaign. Why does this surprise anyone?

[somekid1234]

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/story/20306341/the_queen_of_pork

WHY ISNT THIS TOP STORY ON HUFFPOST?

[maxwellinformed]

THIS IS A GOOD STORY. I nominate Hillary as today's worst person in the world.

[knosiswar]

Good Catch

[kararay]

Thanks for the information: I knew it was bad, but I knew not the half.

Please keep talking about PETER PAUL VS WILLIAM JEFFERSON CLINTON in the California courts.

[Decipherer]

The fact is, the U.S. motor fuel excise tax is absurdly low compared to other countries which are trying to reduce consumption of petroleum while maintaining (and expanding) things like roads, bridges, mass transit (rail, light rail, buses, etc.) which last time I checked COST MONEY.

Additionally, the tax on gasoline has not been increased in decades, and is now lower on an inflation adjusted basis than it was 25 - 30 years ago.

This pure pander play by Bush, McCain and Clinton would do little to reduce consumption, would put more dollars in the hands of Big Oil and our so-called "friends" who are sitting on the oil we need and want to kill us, and would add to our national air quality problem. Meanwhile, our roads and bridges will crumble and collapse, but what the heck! It will put $25 in our pockets over an entire summer of driving.

We'd all be far, far better off driving less (park your SUV, ide your bike or walk to the store), driving slower (reduce your speed by 10mph -- not bad, try it sometime), avoiding rabbit starts and hard braking, keeping your car tuned and tires properly inflated, etc.

Folks, take charge of your own lives and some responsibility. Stop waiting for Uncle Sam to bail you out. Finally, listen to what politicians are telling you and THINK ABOUT IT FOR MORE THAN 30 SECONDS!

When you realize you're being had, vote for the other guy. Simple.