Observations

The Latest Stupidest Proposal

As a sensible conservative who realizes the harm that excessive taxation inflicts on the people of the US, I oppose virtually any tax increase, and always for the same reason: Governments at all levels takes from Americans far more than is needed to provide the proper degree of support to the citizenry.

While I try always to brand behavior rather than call people names, I imagine that sometimes I fail. And, truth be told, I throw away that self-imposed restriction to discuss some total jackass who has done something so far over the line that hardly anyone would argue with me about it.

That said, the nominee for introducing the stupidest legislation lately is Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., who wants to help cut consumption with a 50-cent tax on every gallon of gasoline.

This idea is not only stupid, but it’s also unpopular. Polls show that a majority of Americans support policies that would reduce greenhouse gases. But when it comes to paying for it, it's a different story. Just over one in four Americans favor paying 50 cents a gallon to help reduce greenhouse gases. That likely reflects two realities: First, hardly anyone wants to pay more for gasoline, and second, I think the reality that manmade greenhouse gases aren’t contributing significantly to global warming is spreading across the country.

The stupidity factor enters into the equation when you merely stop and think about the effect such a tax will have on every individual in the country, even those who don’t drive a gasoline powered vehicle. Not only would an increase in the gas tax cause pain at the pumps for every driver, but it would affect the prices of every product and service that depends upon gasoline for distribution, which is essentially every product and service known to man, including the cars we drive that require gasoline, and the trucks that deliver gasoline.

John Dingell must be one of those non-thinking people who believes taxes are the solution to most problems, and likely either never took a basic economics class, or failed it.

There’s a fair chance that enough smart people will put this proposal where it belongs: In the toilet.

And here's a message for government "servants" like John Dingell: If you want to spend money on reducing greenhouse gases, shift some of the billions the US spends each year from other programs that aren't as important.