Pirate's Cove

The Surrender Monkey is thrilled that the Washington Post is in the tank for the Obamessiah. They have a cute editorial up Gas Tax Gotcha: Sen. Obama’s courageous stand in favor of fuel conservation. To start off, the WP seems to be advising that the gas tax be raised, as

The Congressional Budget Office has calculated that a 50-cents-per-gallon increase in gasoline taxes would contribute more than $300 billion to deficit reduction over five years, while reducing traffic congestion, dependence on Middle Eastern oil and greenhouse gases.

In other words, it would make it that much harder to pay for the fuel to get to work. Not all of us live or work in an area that mass transit and/or car pooling is easily available. Some areas just are not great places for mass transit. Cities like DC, NY and LA are easy. A place like the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area are not, except for small jots across town.

Moving on to the Messiah

We do not underestimate the impact of high fuel prices on families that need their cars to get to work and school. But the gas tax is one component of the per-gallon price that comes back to benefit the motoring public, in the form of funding for road construction and maintenance. Much of the rest leaves America, going to such places as Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. Ms. Clinton proposes a windfall profits tax on U.S. oil companies to recapture the revenue forfeited by her proposal. Similar ideas have failed in the Senate because of oil-state objections; this one undoubtedly would, too. We have to agree with Sen. Barack Obama, the only candidate who has refused to play this game. “It’s not an idea to get you through the summer,” he said. “It’s an idea to get them through an election.” His opponents no doubt hope that Mr. Obama’s stand will prove to be political suicide. We think it qualifies as political courage.

First, the windfall profits tax, which Senator Barack NMN Obama supports as well, will not solve the issue. It is simply taking money from companies that do not set the price of oil itself. If you own a company, and you buy your extremely important to the US economy widgets for $1 each, then sell them for a 10% profit, you make 10 cents. If the company who sells you the widgets raises the price to $2 because the stock market traders are increasing the price, you will now sell the widgets for $2.20, still the same 10% markup. Hillary and Obama come in and say “we’re taking that extra 10 cents: you didn’t earn it.” Are you a little pissed off?

2nd, other then a windfall profits tax and some yammering on about “alternative energy” with zero detail, Obama has not ideas or plans. Nor does the Post. I guess that is what stands for political courage nowaday’s. To stand for nothing but empty rhetoric.

All the ideas out there, such as drilling in ANWAR, off the California and North Carolina coast, in the Gulf of Mexico, building new refineries and nuclear plants, alternative energy source, etc, are about 30-40 years to late. If we start now, it will not help for at least 10 years. Driving less is like putting some tape on a leaky pipe you should have replaced.