Comments on: Gas Tax Holiday: Dumbest Idea Ever http://www.starkeith.net/coredump/2008/05/05/gas-tax-holiday-dumbest-idea-ever/ What you get when my brain crashes... Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:57:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Keith Bertelsen http://www.starkeith.net/coredump/2008/05/05/gas-tax-holiday-dumbest-idea-ever/#comment-98760 Keith Bertelsen Wed, 07 May 2008 14:00:10 +0000 http://www.starkeith.net/coredump/?p=1095#comment-98760 It worries me, but the cynic in me thinks that even if they *were* to get it, it wouldn't matter, because the people don't get it. It's amazing how mad you can get people just for mentioning the effects of supply and demand... It worries me, but the cynic in me thinks that even if they *were* to get it, it wouldn’t matter, because the people don’t get it. It’s amazing how mad you can get people just for mentioning the effects of supply and demand…

]]> By: Keithius http://www.starkeith.net/coredump/2008/05/05/gas-tax-holiday-dumbest-idea-ever/#comment-98757 Keithius Wed, 07 May 2008 12:40:17 +0000 http://www.starkeith.net/coredump/?p=1095#comment-98757 Yep, supply & demand... it's really not a hard concept to understand. The fact that our leaders don't seem to "get it" really worries me, though. Yep, supply & demand… it’s really not a hard concept to understand. The fact that our leaders don’t seem to “get it” really worries me, though.

]]> By: Keith Bertelsen http://www.starkeith.net/coredump/2008/05/05/gas-tax-holiday-dumbest-idea-ever/#comment-98725 Keith Bertelsen Tue, 06 May 2008 16:16:48 +0000 http://www.starkeith.net/coredump/?p=1095#comment-98725 I was going to point out that the holiday was going to only cause the price to go up, but you beat me to the punch :) As I see it, we have two options: 1. We can go drill for oil in all those places we have it but Congress won't currently let us go. Supply goes up, we don't buy as much oil from foreign sources, we create jobs, we have a product to sell on the open market... 2. We can raise the tax on gas, reducing demand even more. Prices will get high, which people will hate, but it will inspire them to use less gas, and it will inspire companies to fund alternatives, because they'll get cheaper than oil eventually. I would say politicians need a course in basic economics, but I'm just not sure they'd get it. I was going to point out that the holiday was going to only cause the price to go up, but you beat me to the punch :)

As I see it, we have two options:
1. We can go drill for oil in all those places we have it but Congress won’t currently let us go. Supply goes up, we don’t buy as much oil from foreign sources, we create jobs, we have a product to sell on the open market…
2. We can raise the tax on gas, reducing demand even more. Prices will get high, which people will hate, but it will inspire them to use less gas, and it will inspire companies to fund alternatives, because they’ll get cheaper than oil eventually.

I would say politicians need a course in basic economics, but I’m just not sure they’d get it.

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