Comments on: But, But…It Worked For Bush In 2000

By: Sean Aqui

Sean Aqui — Mon, 01 May 2006 21:38:15 +0000

Okay, I’ll agree that in a comparison of two bad ideas, the Dems’ plan is more accurately targeted…. :)

You’re right that we can’t fully solve the problem in the short-term. But we can start taking steps, some of which will have immediate impact. More broadly, high gas prices are the first and necessary step to solving the problem in the long term. Democracies only address difficult issues when their backs are against the wall, and the pain of doing nothing exceeds the pain of doing something. The pain of doing nothing just went up, and is likely to continue going up. Let’s seize the opportunity to do something other than trying to buy down gas prices with tax dollars.

By: DosPeros

DosPeros — Mon, 01 May 2006 21:16:59 +0000

Which loophole would this be? Offshore subsidiaries.

By: Justin Gardner

Justin Gardner — Mon, 01 May 2006 20:42:04 +0000

The only reason I want to “stick it” to the oil companies is because they’re using a tax loophole to make the money. Why reward them for this behavior at the expense of Jane and John Q Taxpayer? That doesn’t make any sense to me.

By: Meredith

Meredith — Mon, 01 May 2006 18:45:07 +0000

I don’t like the Dems plan, except the part where we stick it to the oil companies, but the Repub plan is completely ridiculous. If it really matters, I say the Dems do win, hands down.

I’ll tell you what you can do with that $100 . . . .

By: Blue Neponset

Blue Neponset — Mon, 01 May 2006 18:43:29 +0000

It is still a long way until November, but if this $100 rebate is any indication of the GOP’s mindset then they are in trouble. As Sean Aqui noted above the Dem’s plan won’t work either, but it does at least sound like a relevant plan as opposed to a marketing ploy.

Aside from rationing, there really isn’t much, IMO, the gov’t can do to reduce the price of gas in the short term. In the long term however there are many things we can do. If the Dems are smart they will make this a BIG issue in the election.

By: Justin Gardner

Justin Gardner — Mon, 01 May 2006 18:31:20 +0000

Fair enough, but I don’t think both plans stink. And let’s be honest here, there’s NOTHING we can do to fix the underlying problem right at this minute. What we can do is make sure that the American public gets just a little relief from the very companies that are hiking the prices. The Republican’s plan is just plain stupid. Regardless of car ownership? Idiocy! That’s just wasting money and is clearly just pandering. Maybe the Dems plan isn’t the most amazing plan ever, but when I compare the two, the Dems’ plan wins hands down.

By: Sean Aqui

Sean Aqui — Mon, 01 May 2006 17:47:46 +0000

As I've argued on other gas-price posts, I think both plans stink. The GOP plan was much more of a pure pander play, but suspending the gas tax will a) not provide much price relief anyway and b) do nothing to fix the underlying problem. Just as interesting to me, though, was how tin-eared Bill Frist is over the whole thing. I see his presidential aspirations sinking like a stone thanks to his repeated public displays of idiocy. Also, here are some thoughts on the economics of commuting.