Every American should read this editorial from the Republican-American of Waterbury, Connecticut.

Drive less, pay more

Paraphrasing, here's how the exchange went between congressional Democrats and the president over lifting their respective bans on offshore drilling: President Bush: "We need to lift the bans. Americans are being hammered by high gasoline prices."

Democrats in Congress: "You go first."

President Bush: "OK, I hereby lift the presidential ban on offshore drilling. Your turn."

Democrats in Congress: "Forget that. Gasoline prices are too low. Let's raise the gasoline tax 56 percent instead."

Why would they propose that? Because next year, the Federal Highway Trust Fund, where gasoline-tax receipts collect, will be at least $3 billion in the red; at the start of 2006, it had a $10 billion surplus.

What happened? First, transportation spending is out of control. But Americans also are driving less because Democrats and their green cronies have made gasoline so damned expensive, so excise-tax receipts are coming in below projections.

Democrats have decided to do something about this: reward cash-strapped Americans for conserving energy by raising their gasoline taxes at least a dime to 28.4 cents a gallon. They say if they retain control of Congress, that increase will be "the cornerstone" of the 2009 federal highway bill. That measure is expected to map out $90 billion in annual transportation spending over six years, but that's well below the $225 billion yearly appropriation recommended by the nonpartisan National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission. To fund that much work, the gasoline tax would have to be raised to 71 cents. At today's rates, that would push total motor-fuel taxes in Connecticut to more than $1.20 and the pump price to $4.90.

In 2009, congressional Democrats will have three choices: a) spend less, b) tax more, or c) some combination of the two. Logic and compassion dictate otherwise, but the smart money is on b.

In other words, my fellow Americans, if you vote for the Jackass Party, you will pay more for gasoline -- a lot more, due to the Democrat scheme to raise the gas tax. Can you afford the increase?

Posted by: Greg at 09:03 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
Post contains 363 words, total size 2 kb.