Mccain_Gas_Holiday

A Gas Tax “Holiday” By: Nechama Silberstein There is no question as to the seriousness of the quickly rising gasoline prices, increased cost of produce, and the declining housing market being a great concern for many if not most Americans. We are constantly ambushed with news related, to these topics and given promises from presidential candidates of various things they will do to "fix" and to strengthen our economy. John McCain recently presented his plan for supporting and enhancing the economic status of all Americans by instituting a "Gas-Tax Holiday" from Memorial Day through Labor Day. This three month gas tax relief plan, according to John McCain's Comments on April 15, 2008, will be an "immediate economic stimulus." Adversaries of John McCain's Tax plan, Americans for Transportation Mobility (ATM), stated they believe the "Gas-Tax Holiday" would "devastate our national transportation system" and not provide the economic stimulus promised to consumers. ATM stated in a newswire on April 15th, that the so called holiday would save the consumer an average of about $28. When one considers Senator McCain's plan on the surface, it seems like it is a good idea and makes sense to enact this. Although in many Americans opinions, it sounds like a great political move so that each time someone in America puts gas into their vehicles at a "bargained" rate, they will more likely remember it was John McCain who pushed for the cut in gas prices. This three-month "holiday" will definitely have an impact on the resources for our transportation system, but should the plan work, when the prices drop dramatically it may also be a time for John McCain, or another politician to say “we should now increase the previous tax rates by two or three cents each,” which would quickly add up and restore the shortage created by the proposed "holiday". Even though the “holiday” may look convenient one must think, is it really going to help, maybe for the time being; but who in their right mind would not want a break from such high gas prices' So, would the average American be glad to have cheaper gas over the summer months' I know I would and so would a majority of Americans around the country; especially since now that I along with many of my classmates drive. It is not like anyone of us can look into the future and see the long term implications of what this might do to the transportation system, but as we all know we must focus on the present and what the current state of affair is doing to the majority of Americans. These are some critical times and sometimes we need a little bit of light at the end of the economic tunnel...and hope it is not a train! [pic][pic][pic]