[eastbay]

... CNBC will be discussing the merits and problems of a higher gas tax. It might be interesting to watch. About two hours from now.

Today

5pm Eastern
2PM Pacific

[Baldwin]

I suppose the 1/4 trillion war spending needs to be covered somehow...

[shakespear1]

So that more money is waisted

[eastbay]

The segment was a waste as well. They (I didn't even bother to note the names) babbled about how Europe has suffered under their oppressive gas taxes and how such suffering should not be imposed on Americans at which point I lost interest.

[emersonbiggins]

Yep, those poor Europeans with their high-speed rail lines ...
LUVS MY INTERSTATE

[pup55]

I hardly ever talk bad about anybody, but Larry Kudlow ought to be marched to the nearest McDonalds and forced to do useful work for once in his life.

On average, 2/3 of the panelists on his shows are pro-administration cheerleaders, who are precisely the same people who have gotten us into a state of near catastrophe.

*Greg Mankiw, Harvard economist, former chairman of Bush's Council of Economic Advisors
*Rob Portman, White House budget director
*Fred Bergsten, director of the Petersen Institute for International Economics

The idea they had approached making sense, in that they suggested a $1 gas tax and corresponding decrease in the income tax, that is, everybody except Portman thought it was plausible.

But they still have the general believe that running up deficits is good, social security will be magically good if the economy grows enough, and that defense spending is the key to a happy, healthy nation.

What they really need to do is to take the total cost of the Iraq war, and all other military spending directly or indirectly related to protecting our oil supply, divide that by the number of gallons of gasoline sold, and make the tax that much. No problem, the users who use the resource ought to pay for it. This is called a User Fee in Republican-speak.

[cynicalheretic]

I don't think people are going to be very happy with a $1.00 gas tax.

We don't seem to spend any money on defense. It's all on offense.