The next hostage situation is less than a month away

[scheming daemons]

The federal gasoline tax is set to expire on September 30, 2011.

This tax... amounting to about 18 cents per gallon... is basically what funds the Dept of Transportation.


The Tea Party will block having this tax extended. They will claim that letting it die is a tax cut for all Americans... which is true.... but what it also is, is an increase in the deficit... since the funds needed to take care of the Interstate Highway system and all the federally-owned bridges and roads will need to come from the general fund.


So... we'll see again that the Tea Partiers are not really interested in deficit reduction at all. That's a ruse. They are interested in defunding the government so it can "drown in the bathtub" to quote Grover Norquist (Jane Hamsher's BFF).



So... in about a month... all the brinksmanship will be back. Democrats will frame the debate as the GOP being in favor of collapsing roads and bridges and raising the deficit... Republicans will frame the debate as Democrats blocking a tax decrease for the poor and middle class.


The bottom line is that the gas tax should be much HIGHER... to help finance the infrastructure repair that is so desperately needed in this country and to also help wean the U.S. off of gas-guzzling vehicles and toward alternative fuels.


And know what else? When the gas tax goes away, your gas prices won't go down. The oil companies will keep gas prices as they were and pocket the profits.


What the GOP will be essentially arguing for is a windfall for the oil companies.



Just warning everyone. Mid to late September, and another hostage will be taken. What concession will the GOPers want in return for extending the gas tax? Obama's head on a stick?


We'll see...

[liberal N proud]

1. What are you - a fortune teller

Can you see into the future or something.

Maybe you have a time machine?


I am sure you are absolutely correct.

[scheming daemons]

5. Just saying... there's already rumblings.... the tea party will use the federal gas tax as a hostage

Here's how we call their bluff:


Let it expire. Gas prices go down... helps the economy... we take funds from the general fund to deal with highways and bridges... deficit goes up, but so what? They don't really care about the deficit anyway ... we point at Tea Partiers and laugh.

[SpiralHawk]

2. "Drown America in a freaking bathtub. Sneer." - TeaBagliCons (R)

[bluestateguy]

3. A one year gas tax holiday is a good idea, IF it is paid for

Take the money out of the Pentagon.

[scheming daemons]

8. Prices won't actually come down... oil companies will keep prices the same and pocket the difference

It is a transfer of government funds to the oil companies.

[Angleae]

13. Most gas stations aren't owned by the oil companies.

They're privately owned franchises and it's those owners that would make the decision. Keep in mind it only takes one in an area to start a cascade effect to the other stations.

[Fearless]

4. Does the president get it yet? I doubt it. Bring on the compromise...

How about slashing unemployment benefits to keep the gas tax?

:sarcasm:

[scheming daemons]

6. I'm wondering what they will ask for.... you used a sarcasm tag, but I wouldn't put that past them

[Fearless]

11. Nor would I.. Sadly n/t

[county worker]

7. I say let the tea party have it's way. Let's burn down the village to save it.

If we keep caving time after time this will never end. Let people see what life is really like in a tea bag world.

We are dying a slow death anyway.

[scheming daemons]

9. It amounts to a transfer of govt money to oil companies, since they won't lower prices by the full

18 cents.

Count on it.

[county worker]

12. But still there will be no money for the roads and what ever the tax money went for.

We don't get the money to put in our pockets either way as you say but in a tea bagger world there will be no government services since there is no money to pay for it.

What the stupid tea baggers don't get is that they will never benefit by putting their ideology into practice.

[TBF]

10. Bridges? We don't need no stinkin' bridges!?! nt