One Man's Quest To Save $100 From The 'Gas Tax Holiday'

Despite the best efforts of Senators John McCain and Hillary Clinton, Americans seem to be highly resistant to the boondogglicious "gas tax holiday" policy each camp is proposing, correctly identifying the idea as one specifically retrofitted to play ordinary, working-class Americans for rubes. Still, it can be helpful to know exactly what life would be like, were we to take this insane step and have a "gas tax holiday." So I went on out to the Gas Tax Holiday Calculator, to find out for myself.

Now, if you're like me, when you get that rare chance to take a vacation, you plan with some ambitious goals in mind. Barack Obama says at best, I can expect to save only $30 under the McCain/Clinton plan, but that hardly seems audacious or hopeful! So, I decided to see what I'd have to do to save a mere $100 between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

As it turns out, my "gas tax holiday" would feature little more than me driving around. To break the century mark in savings, I'd have to drive approximately 979 miles each week of the "holiday." That could keep me in my car for about four hours each day. And I drive a fuel-efficient compact. If I wanted some more room to stretch out - and with all the driving I'd be doing, who would begrudge me that? - I might end up having to spend all day in my car.

Still, I've always wanted the chance to drive across the country and see this great nation of ours, and McCain and Clinton do promise me a pittance for my efforts, so why not buckle up and take a few laps across the heartland? Well, once you've committed yourself to the arduous task of permanently driving, you encounter the next problem: the getting to and fro will be highly circumscribed once all of the roads start cracking and bridges start collapsing.

According to the American Road and Transportation Builders Association, whose "primary goal is to aggressively grow and protect transportation infrastructure investment to meet the public and business demand for safe and efficient travel," the "gas tax holiday" would cost the Federal highway system nearly $9 billion in lost revenues. Additionally, for many Americans, the "gas tax holiday" would result in the sort of vacation that many dread - unemployment. Over three hundred thousand jobs would be lost over the course of the next 3-4 years if the "gas tax holiday" were enacted.

That includes 6,390 jobs in Indiana and 7,071 in North Carolina. Why do I specifically mention those states? Oh, no reason!

Comments

[gdaerin]

AND you forgot to mention that the rise in demand that would arise simply from people Thinking they could afford to use more, would ultimately cause the prices to rise Faster than they are already rising.

The gas tax holiday is just completely Idiotic.

Idiotioc

[Javarod]

I've been laughing about this since I heard it. I drive a 22MPG minivan as a courier and do 200+ miles per day. My typical fill up is 16 gallons, so I'd save... what, $72 over the three months, at best, $100. Ummm, that's less than 2 tanks, and less than a week's worth of fuel. Ummm, I'm kinda underwhelmed by the savings.

[ErnestineBass]

Underwhelmed is an understatement!

[Veman]

Here's a plan . . . I'm a well-educated, elitist who is happy to divide $1200, evenly, among 8 families (4 in Indiana 4 in NC) - out of my own pocket -so that not one hwy / road worker has to lose his/her job. My only catch is that the beneficiaries must promise to not vote for Hillary.

[PAposter]

"Veman", I will join you in that proposition, $150 per family. Done!

[PAposter]

THE CLINTONS ARE MAKING MILLIONS ON THEIR OIL INVESTMENTS! And she wants the Oil Companies to give each of us 30 bucks. They are sooooooooo generous, and so in touch with our struggles. It takes over $75 to fill my truck, and I don't drive for a living, take your $30 and shove it up your rich ass!

[ThemisDike]

Clinton, talking with O'Reilly: "Rich people, God bless us. We deserve all the opportunities to make sure our country and our blessings continue until the next generation."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N64fDLplBfQ

[liberalghost]

That was the most disgusting and contemptible remark Clinton has ever uttered. While many of the Obamatons have been wackjobs, looks like their primary premise wasn't wrong.

Maybe she and O'Reilly should enlist.

[LiarLiarIraqsOnFire]

Has Hillary penned this legislation, gotten co-sponsers, and submitted it to the Senate? No. Can she get this hypothetical bill passed in both chambers of Congress? No! In three weeks time? NO!!! Can she overturn Chimpy McFlightsuit's VETO of the hypothetical bill? BWAHAHAHAHA!

But, just for shits and giggles, let's assume she get's it done. She makes BigOil pay the 18 cents a gallon - and they turn around and stick us with a 25 cent increase. 18 cents to cover the tax hike and another 7 cents a gallon to cover Congressional Lobbying costs, Executive bonuses and Golden Parachutes. Please Hillary, don't do me any favors.

[margoharris]

There is already a bill. They tried to pass it before. Not enough votes.

[margoharris]

Wasn't she going to use the money on windfall oil profits for investment in alternative energy jobs? Isn't she using it twice?

[indypete]

And don't forget an extra nickel for the same reason dogs lick their own genitals... because they can!

[SMSSMS]

Following website gives a background on how gasoline is priced.

http://www.eia.doe.gov/bookshelf/brochures/gasolinepricesprimer/eia1_2005primerM.html

Price of oil plays a big part of the price. Refinaries have some control in price by using oil from storage vs using oil from the open market. Speculators and oil producers use commodity futures market to gurantee a particular price which increases oil prices.

Consumption all over the world including Iraq and Afganistan war also consumes lot more fuel.

Another component is government filling up oil reserves which are over 700 million barrels which reduces oil in the market.

Also, US government passed incentives for businesses for accelerated depreciation when their vehicle is over 6000 lbs. This caused a lot of Hummer, Escalade, Navigator sales in past 4-5 years.

All of the above has increased the price of gasoline. US policies have played a big part in increase of gasoline prices.

[rollingdivision]

Since the gasoline tax has so many benefits when will BO call for an increase in the federal gasoline tax? It's a regressive tax, which places the highest burden on the lower income citizens. Aren't the Democrats against regressive taxes and for progressive taxes? As a matter of principle, Democrats should be against this type of tax.

[olderdem]

It was reported on MSNBC tonight that Bill increased the gas tax by 5 cents.

[margoharris]

Poor people don't have cars.
Republicans are regessive and excessive.

[rollingdivision]

From Democratic Underground: "Regressive Taxation Rage, March 1, 2002, , By Chris Harrison "Perhaps an even better example for the innate unfairness of regressive taxation is a gasoline tax. While well-intentioned advocates of a gasoline tax tout the way it will shift demand away from gas-guzzling SUV's and toward hybrid cars and public transit, they fail to recognize how it will devastate large groups of lower-income commuters." "Plainly put, regressive taxes (such as gasoline taxes) are unfair, and they are wrong."

[BillyT]

You are making stuff up that makes no sense ("Democrats should be against this kind of tax! When will Obama raise the tax??") using it to attack.

You learned from ONE ELITE LOW BLOW POLITICS EXPERT: your candidate the Hillarator.

I thought we aren't supposed to trust EXPERTS ANYMORE....you certainly learned from one.

[eej]

Hillary is just filling the airwaves so that she does not have to talk about the war.

Anything but the war.

[eej]

Get ready for Hillary's next plan: http://hunch.se/stuff/free_candy.jpg

[Bigeasy]

Well to me saving $100.00 for the holiday driving four hours a day, thats not too bad. I'll be paying a lot more in child support when I explain to my wife that I'm just trying to save money and that's why I'm never home.

[olivia]

I can think of at least a couple dozen ways to accomplish saving the average individual money on gas that does not involve the loss of 300,000 jobs (unemployment compensation, anyone? lost health insurance?) and does not require an act of Congress and a signature by the idiot Bush.

Hillary is supposed to be smarter than I am, and this is the best she can do?

[olderdem]

You would also be spending about $2000 in gas to save that $100. 18/360X100. Happy holidays.

[mimundo]

This is very amusing. But what's not funny is the fact that Hillary is lying to her base the uneducated, the poor and the elderly. She knows these groups of people will not have access to the truth. How can any one that is educated and have the means vote for someone like her?

[RNdaSilva]

That's what is really sad...she will be getting their votes. Only a psychopath would be able to sleep at night with that, and other lies, on their conscience.

The lies, the pandering...when will they ever learn?

[TrueBlueInOH]

"If I wanted some more room to stretch out - and with all the driving I'd be doing, who would begrudge me that? - I might end up having to spend all day in my car."

I'm confused by this statement. If you have more room to stretch out that implies a larger car. A larger car implies fewer miles per gallon. Fewer miles per gallon implies more gallons of gasoline needed for the larger car than your compact over the same number of miles. And that implies that you'd need to drive fewer miles in the larger car than your compact car to save your $100. Driving fewer miles implies spending less time in your car. In fact, wouldn't driving a car that only got 13 miles per gallon imply that you'd only have to spend two hours a day in the car? I know people that spend two hours a day commuting to and from work in their SUVs which gets about 13 miles per gallon. Hmmm...

So I don't understand how you arrive at needing to spend all day in your car.

[Squirtapotamus]

Brilliant deduction. To take best advantage of the gas tax holliday, buy a Humvee.

[PAposter]

TrueBlueInOH: What are you '"True Blue" to? If you want to take advantage of the the "Tax Holiday", cancel your reservations. This is the most blatant lie since, "I did not have.............well, you know the rest. It all a political ploy to garner votes, don't believe the hype.

[TrueBlueInOH]

Trust me, I'm not in favor of the "Tax Holiday". I'd love to see the price of gasoline continue to rise. It would be better if the increase in the price of a gallon of gasoline was fueled by increased taxes instead of increased profits for oil companies, but either way an increase in prices is the only way the US is going to reduce its demand for gasoline and oil.

My question was a legitimate one. I don't understand what the author means when he seems to imply that driving a larger car would require him to spend more time in the car to save his $100.

[Soulsurfer]

Well, let's see, the national debt is hovering somewhere around 9 TRILLION bucks.....why not go in a little further for a completely idiotic short term election time ploy? What's 9 billion lost against 9 trill?

[cathye]

Another bridge collapse.

[OriginalScreenName]

The sad thing is it will take something like that for people to finally realize how utterly stupid this idea is.

And to think she calls Barack Elitist, when it is she who is taking people as fools. Sound Rovian?

[PAposter]

That's right "Soulsurfer", Hillary's good for it.