Pretty much every respected scholar on this topic since the 70's has concluded that dramatically raising the gas tax is the only realistic way to cut this country's dependence on foreign oil. Force people to drive smaller cars, the car companies will start making better/safer/more efficient small cars to satisfy the market, ethanol and other alternative fuels will surge, and while the process will be painful at first, you'll see how fast things can change when big companies like Ford and GM are forced to change. No more SUVs and big cars = gas usage drops by half or even more = ethanol suddenly becomes feasible = Middle East gets no more of our money because we're self-sufficient.
But, it's political suicide to suggest raising the tax, which is why it hasn't happened despite being the best option for pretty much everyone.
3 comments:
Pretty much every respected scholar on this topic since the 70's has concluded that dramatically raising the gas tax is the only realistic way to cut this country's dependence on foreign oil. Force people to drive smaller cars, the car companies will start making better/safer/more efficient small cars to satisfy the market, ethanol and other alternative fuels will surge, and while the process will be painful at first, you'll see how fast things can change when big companies like Ford and GM are forced to change. No more SUVs and big cars = gas usage drops by half or even more = ethanol suddenly becomes feasible = Middle East gets no more of our money because we're self-sufficient.
But, it's political suicide to suggest raising the tax, which is why it hasn't happened despite being the best option for pretty much everyone.
Matt Dana 2008
No thanks. I prefer careers where I can look at myself in the mirror.
Post a Comment