Udall responds to Clinton and McCain re: the "gas tax holiday"
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| Also listed in: Smart Energy |
UPDATE: Here's a link to the Denver Post coverage.
Mark Udall has issued a press release responding to the challenge Hillary Clinton has issued on the gas tax holiday:
Mark Udall has issued a press release responding to the challenge Hillary Clinton has issued on the gas tax holiday:
UDALL ANSWERS CLINTON GAS TAX CHALLENGE, STANDS WITH COLORADANS FOR MEANINGFUL ENERGY RELIEF
Yesterday in Indiana, Hillary Clinton challenged every member of Congress to go on the record with a position regarding her proposal to temporarily suspend the federal gasoline tax, and state whether they were with her or against her. Senator McCain has offered the same proposal, despite experts from all sides declaring that this plan will not actually lower costs for drivers.
Today, Congressman and Senate candidate Mark Udall responded to the challenge:
"There is no issue I have spent more time on in my public service career than working for real, responsible change in our energy policy - the kind that breaks our addiction to foreign oil and puts us on a path to greater national security, a stronger economy, and lower energy costs for our families. There is certainly no question that families are hurting with the soaring cost of energy and need relief.
"The so-called 'temporary gas tax holiday' that Senators Clinton and McCain propose won't deliver this needed relief. This will not create the economic relief they say it will, because prices will continue to rise until we address the real source of this problem. We do need to provide immediate relief for families hard-hit by spiraling gas prices, and we can do that by demanding the President stop adding to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. This will ease the production crunch that is causing these skyrocketing gas prices.
"Senator Clinton claimed yesterday that I either stand with her on this proposal or stand with the oil companies. To that I say: I stand with the families of Colorado, who aren't looking for bumper sticker fixes that don't fix anything, but for meaningful change that brings real relief and a new direction for our energy policy. We can't afford more Washington-style pandering while families keep getting squeezed.
"It is exactly the kind of short-sighted Washington game that keeps us from getting real results to our energy problem. Experts across the ideological spectrum agree that it will increase the deficit, drain money away from Colorado roads and bridges, and hurt the environment, all without actually making prices lower for drivers."
The next US Senator from Colorado has consistently fought for a balanced approach to energy development throughout his career in the Colorado Legislature and the US Congress.
He knows well that a "gas tax break" will only encourage more driving, not bring citizens any real relief from high gas prices.
His long encouragement of conservation of resources is a message we have been lacking at the national level since 1980.
This "tax break" would be meaningless, as the middlemen who sell the gas would increase their share of the take when the Feds roll back the tax.
Kudos, Senator Udall
I agree that the Clinton and McCain gasoline tax holiday for the summer probably won't pass significant price reductions through to families. I belive refiners and others in the gasoline delivery system will easily take most of the 18.4 cents per gallon to grab more profits.
Have not McCain and Clinton found yet another way to subsidize oil companies? And, good luck Senator Clinton charging the Congress with chasing down those "windfall" profits at Exxon, etc.
Short-sighted sound-bite pandering to voters is the old politics of throw the mob a few peanuts or loaves of bread and hope they'll go away. the NPR analyst last night was pretty convincing that the Clinton Windfall Profits proposal is shallow, complicated, unlikley to get past Congress, and uninforceable. Beyond the immediate gratification of paying for a few pizzas the long-term damage is significant.
A media induced illusion of cheap gass for the summer continues to fuel the problem. Oil companies will continue to reap obscene profits, and be relieved of the burden of collecting, recording and submitted the tax.
American drivers will stay in the damnable rut of driving without alternative mode or incentives. Meanwhile the Federal Highway Trust Fund is going into the red faster than the worst-ever Social Security projections.
The nation's roads and bridges are crumbling, damaging our vehicles and killing citizens. Now we have two vote desperate and priorities challenged candidates crying-out to stop funding the program that is barely keeping the infrastructure crisis in-check.
I think Senator Obama has a good point that drying-up the Highway Trust Fund will eventually halt Federally funded highway maintenance and construction projects. Those are high quality jobs that the nation cannot afford to loose, unless of course the other two brilliant candidates intent to just raise the National Dedbt (the children's tax) and borrow more from China and Saudi Arabia.
It's time to stand with Udall and Obama.
What consumers are feeling is not the rise in gasoline prices, but the fall in the value of their dollars, and THAT is what needs to be fixed.