Dear Congress-Repeal the national gas tax

I don’t read a great amount of news…Most of my news reading consists of reading CNN.com to make sure a nuclear weapon hasn’t gone off in a major city while I was either asleep or otherwise self-absorbed. But there’s a few things that are plainly clear to me from the various news stories I’ve read that don’t involve Tiger Woods, who in all honesty should be left alone, but that’s a rant for another time.

Firstly, the price of gasoline seems to be a major issue for people that need to find jobs. Therefore, it seems that it would be an intelligent thing to do repeal the national gas tax. I understand that there are consequences to this, with regards to the federal budget, but I’d say to this to those who would scream that it can’t be done: Nothing cannot be done unless you simply don’t want to try to make it happen. That is to say, if the status quo exists, and you do not like it, then do something about it. Do not wallow in your complacency while bad things continue to happen to good people. My thoughts are that the national gas tax was put in place at a time when gas was relatively cheap, even with inflation taken into account. Now, it is a hurtful thing that is hindering people from having the money to do things like drive to job interviews. People must choose between putting gas in their cars and buying other things with their money. The abolition of the national gas tax, and really, gas taxes in all states that have them, would go far to easing the money issues of people not fortunate enough to be in the upper echelons of a company that has recently been bailed out.

A logical question, and a sensible one, would be to ask where will the money come from then, that originally came from the national gas tax? I’d suggest cutting our huge military budget. That would not be a bad thing, as it would force the military to spend its money more wisely, and more sensibly. No more pork barrels for contractors.

See, I have an issue with the idea of these stimulus plans, because they don’t help everyone. They help some people. Repealing the national gas tax would allow people to drive more for less. Ideally, it would be nice if, in light of cheaper gas, companies rolled back the cost of items that went up because of the increase in the price of gas.  If you want things to improve in the economy you have to provide assistance in real time, for real situations. You don’t fix an ailing economy with stimulus plans designed to get companies to hire people. And, anyway, what good does it do for them to want to hire more people when some people have to choose between gas and diapers, or gas and food, or any other combination you want to try? What good does it do to have hiring incentives, when people can’t pay for gas to get to the job interviews? This is happening to people, right now. People are having to turn away from possible jobs because they can’t get to the job interviews. The national gas tax is a burden on the people that the government is trying to create jobs for. It is a burden that should be removed from the people by Congress, and the money that comes from it if it were repealed should be taken from the military budget. In all sincerity, I understand we need a strong military, but I think the country can cut military spending and put it elsewhere, and make this a stronger country overall.

At the very least, Congress should temporarily suspend the national gas tax. I know more than a few people that would be greatly relieved, and maybe it would be just what we need to get the economy rolling again.