Energy Idiocy
Today, Minnesota House Republicans' grand proposal to help us move into the future is...to suspend the $.20/gallon gasoline tax for six months. This will certainly help for a little while, but it will encourage consumption, possibly causing a price rebound, and may screw things up near the end of the suspension if people start to stockpile gas. In any case, it's an extremely short-term solution to a very long-term problem. It also disproportionately benefits those who drive more. In short, it seems like a pretty bad idea.
The money in the "tax relief account" is only for one-time tax assistance, but wouldn't it be great if the state could invest the funds into something that would help us to break our addiction to oil for good instead of putting a Band-Aid on the problem? Until we manage to find something else to create our energy, gas prices are going to remain high for the forseeable future, and we need to come to grips with that. Instead of helping Joe and Jane Citizen pay for their increasingly ridiculous daily commutes, we need to be solving the problem. More transit options, better mileage standards, driving disincentives, and alternative/renewable energy are the answers here, not tax cuts.
Technorati Tags: gas tax Minnesota House transportation
The money in the "tax relief account" is only for one-time tax assistance, but wouldn't it be great if the state could invest the funds into something that would help us to break our addiction to oil for good instead of putting a Band-Aid on the problem? Until we manage to find something else to create our energy, gas prices are going to remain high for the forseeable future, and we need to come to grips with that. Instead of helping Joe and Jane Citizen pay for their increasingly ridiculous daily commutes, we need to be solving the problem. More transit options, better mileage standards, driving disincentives, and alternative/renewable energy are the answers here, not tax cuts.
Technorati Tags: gas tax Minnesota House transportation
