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Another Tax On Gas?
IBD Editorials ^ | May 5, 2011 | Staff
Posted on May 5, 2011 9:08:25 PM EDT by Kaslin
Energy: Of all the ideas the White House has floated for taking more of your money, none is more pernicious than the latest: slapping a tax on you for every mile you drive. Isn't that what our gas tax does already?
It's not exactly a novel notion. This is the third time President Obama has pushed the idea of a "vehicle miles tax" — a tax on every mile you drive. Like a bad meal, it just keeps hitting the table.
"Bad ideas never die in Washington," wrote Nicolas Loris in the Heritage Foundation's blog, The Foundry. "They don't even fade away."
Even so, Obama and other Democrats love this concept. It taxes those they loathe the most — the successful and the middle class, who often live in the deep suburbs and have the most hellishly long commutes.
They're the ones who will see their taxes rise most — though even the poor and working classes will also take a hit. It's a tax mother lode, a potential revenue gusher.
This is the kind of thing Democrats love. It takes money from you and gives it to Washington, and it's really social engineering — forcing people who don't want to live in big cities to move closer, or pay a price.
They'll tell you it's all about creating a "green" tomorrow, or conserving oil, or even balancing the budget. But it has nothing to do with that.
It's about changing your behavior, making you live in smaller homes closer to big cities
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
