Double Talk On Gas From John McCain
Peter Collorafi
April 30, 2008
Ever since he first declared his plan for a "suspension of the federal gas tax from Memorial Day to Labor Day," John McCain has been harshly criticized--and rightly so.
Just like his plan to "freeze" spending ignores the need for spending cuts, McCain's plan to "suspend" the Federal gas tax is an attempt to pander to voters while ignoring the causes of the serious energy issue which we now face.
Suspending the Federal gas tax of 18 cents per gallon does not guarantee that any savings will reach consumers. The plan is based on the naive assumption that oil companies will turn good samaritan and lower prices for consumers, something that they have shown little enthusiasm for, especially as Shell and BP announced record first-quarter profits today, with Exxon Mobil expected to follow shortly.
In fact, Sen. McCain's plan more than likely would cause prices to rise for consumers to rise, as the brief decline would ensure increased demand, which, as anybody knows, would mean a decrease in supply, naturally leading to an increase in price.
For an substantial decrease in price, there needs to be an increase in supply. During the summer months there is always increase in demand and price, due to increased travel. McCain's temporary price reduction, miniscule as it is, would increase demand during a time where demand is already high, thus leading to an even larger price increase than normal.
McCain is joined in "gas holiday" plan by none other than Senator Hillary Clinton, who is in faovr of "Imposing a windfall profits tax on oil companies and using the money to suspend the gas tax for the peak summer months."
Teaming up with democrats to push measures that hurt Americans is nothing new for McCain, who brought the wrath of talk-radio upon himself when he partnered twice with Ted Kennedy to produce the "McCain-Kennedy" immigration bill of long and unhappy memory.
On the matter of the gas holiday John McCain shows more of the same irresponsibility. Naturally, he has not mentioned any concrete way to pay for it, beyond vague references that it will pay for itself, which, ironically, was also a reason used to push for the war in Iraq.
John McCain's lack of energy solutions is truly frightening for a man that could be the next President. His quick fix plan would raise demand when it is already high, cause prices to rise in the summer months, a time, when prices are already high, not to mention the fact that consumers would be subject to a nasty price hike when their gas price "vacation" expires after labor day.
However, McCain appears to operate under the assumption that oil companies can be trusted implicitly to look after the interests of ordinary Americans even as prices at the pump soar along with their profits.
One factor that has completely ignored here, though, is the need for alternative energy. McCain's plan would only help aggrevate a crippling addiction without doing anything to helpe America become energy independent.
Of course, energy independence is hardly something to be expected from McCain who has taken almost $500,000 dollars from oil company executives since entering the race, including $45,000 last month. Helping out his financers with an energy plan that would increase their profits while increasing gas prices for consumers is entirely befitting of a man who has spent the last thirty years in Washington who calls our addiction to oil a "national security issue" while taking money and proposing policies which profit those who stand to gain by our continuing dependance.
Just like his plan to "freeze" spending ignores the need for spending cuts, McCain's plan to "suspend" the Federal gas tax is an attempt to pander to voters while ignoring the causes of the serious energy issue which we now face.
Suspending the Federal gas tax of 18 cents per gallon does not guarantee that any savings will reach consumers. The plan is based on the naive assumption that oil companies will turn good samaritan and lower prices for consumers, something that they have shown little enthusiasm for, especially as Shell and BP announced record first-quarter profits today, with Exxon Mobil expected to follow shortly.
In fact, Sen. McCain's plan more than likely would cause prices to rise for consumers to rise, as the brief decline would ensure increased demand, which, as anybody knows, would mean a decrease in supply, naturally leading to an increase in price.
For an substantial decrease in price, there needs to be an increase in supply. During the summer months there is always increase in demand and price, due to increased travel. McCain's temporary price reduction, miniscule as it is, would increase demand during a time where demand is already high, thus leading to an even larger price increase than normal.
McCain is joined in "gas holiday" plan by none other than Senator Hillary Clinton, who is in faovr of "Imposing a windfall profits tax on oil companies and using the money to suspend the gas tax for the peak summer months."
Teaming up with democrats to push measures that hurt Americans is nothing new for McCain, who brought the wrath of talk-radio upon himself when he partnered twice with Ted Kennedy to produce the "McCain-Kennedy" immigration bill of long and unhappy memory.
On the matter of the gas holiday John McCain shows more of the same irresponsibility. Naturally, he has not mentioned any concrete way to pay for it, beyond vague references that it will pay for itself, which, ironically, was also a reason used to push for the war in Iraq.
John McCain's lack of energy solutions is truly frightening for a man that could be the next President. His quick fix plan would raise demand when it is already high, cause prices to rise in the summer months, a time, when prices are already high, not to mention the fact that consumers would be subject to a nasty price hike when their gas price "vacation" expires after labor day.
However, McCain appears to operate under the assumption that oil companies can be trusted implicitly to look after the interests of ordinary Americans even as prices at the pump soar along with their profits.
One factor that has completely ignored here, though, is the need for alternative energy. McCain's plan would only help aggrevate a crippling addiction without doing anything to helpe America become energy independent.
Of course, energy independence is hardly something to be expected from McCain who has taken almost $500,000 dollars from oil company executives since entering the race, including $45,000 last month. Helping out his financers with an energy plan that would increase their profits while increasing gas prices for consumers is entirely befitting of a man who has spent the last thirty years in Washington who calls our addiction to oil a "national security issue" while taking money and proposing policies which profit those who stand to gain by our continuing dependance.
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