Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Obama says the 18.5 cents a gallon tax relief won't help you and I..

Obama's Elitist Vacation
Posted by Cheri Jacobus
April 30, 2008 at 4:35 pm

http://www.gopusa.com/theloft/?p=703

Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama has criticized John McCain and Hillary Clinton for their support of a summer break from the 18.4 cent per gallon gas tax as a way to provide a bit of relief for Americans so they can enjoy their summer more and, hopefully, perhaps stimulate the economy a bit, as well.

Obama has stated that some experts say it could mean only a $30 average savings per family. That means those who are still unable to afford to take a vacation, won�t, and for others the savings may be $60 or $90 or more.


Elitist Barack Obama thinks that is chump change that won�t make any difference for anyone. Afterall, as we know from the Obama family�s Easter getaway, a vacation for them is a luxury trip to the Virgin Islands. However, for many Americans, summer �vacation� is a trip to another state to visit grandma or a camping trip a few hours away from home. That 18.4 cents per gallon savings can mean the difference of an extra one, two or three tanks of gas or an extra night or two at a motel or campground which can mean the difference between taking the family on a summer vacation -- or NOT.

Obama�s sneering opposition to the McCain proposal illustrates just how out of touch he is with average working Americans. No, the gas tax �vacation� won�t pay for an Obama-style family vacation in the Virgin Islands, but it can go a long way towards helping working class Americans enjoy a typical summer vacation.

Does anyone actually believe if the gas tax was rescinded the price at the pump would go down by even a penny? Just 18 cents a gallon more profit for big oil.

Nail on the head right there.........

I actually think the pump price would drop at least $.10/gal. The oil companies probably would rather sell more due to the reduced tax and peoples notions that gas is "cheap" now without the tax.

The idiot politicians in this state actually increased the gas tax this spring and even voted to override the governors veto. So our (Nebraskas) politicians could care less up the people.

Exactly right! Big oil would just see that as money to them instead of to the government.

Even if it does go down 18 cents, big deal... That's 5% of the price/gallon..

Drop it to $2.00 and you'll make TRUE difference.. Losing that 18 cents will only cause more and more road projects to be delayed..

You who blame 'big oil' for all this is flogging a racing chicken at the Kentucky Derby...

That 18 cents is not much but if they go ahead with the plan it will only increase the odds for a larger recession in the future when all them guys that build, fix and repair roads and bridges are out of work. That's what happened in 1982 and it will happen again. If the politicians want to help us out, they need to eliminate or greatly reduce all the road blocks that prevent drilling, exploring, and refining crude in this country. The EPA needs shut down and shut down now. kwg

The traffic jams and poor roads around here cost me more than the 18 cents. The first thing needed on I-25 in Denver is to get whoever paved last time to do it over, this time sealing the seams where each pass butted to the next. All winter you could see the water in those lines and now they are cracked out. There is one just south of the I-70 interchange that is 4 inches wide 6 inches deep and about a foot long. One of these cost me 2 motorcycle wheels last year, at least I know this one is there so can avoid it.

Didn't think I would ever consider a mileage tax or toll roads, but they may be fairer than registration fees or gas tax alone.

It likely won't help much but at least it will make people feel good for a short time considering how the gov. hoses us so much.

Qtip
Soli Deo Gloria!

Obama is right. 18 cents a gallon won't help me a bit. I must be an "elitist" since I won't have to cancel a single fishing/hunting trip this year.

It doesn't actually help much. But it does bring the whole role that government taxes and regulation plays on gas prices into the discussion. As such, I think the cut would be worthwhile and it is elitist of Obama to summarily dismiss it. He shows that he is just another ultra liberal who never met a tax he didn't like.

Karl Marx was wrong about religion being the opiate of the masses - in reality, token tax "rebates" (a misnomer), short-term breaks, or holidays are the opiate of the masses. Those token tax rebates or breaks give a very emphemeral good feeling to some, but those "hits" cause long-term damage because they do not deal with the underlying issues and are unfortunately addictive (causing the recipients to be ever more dependent on the supplier) and ultimately are expensive in more ways than one (i.e., the token tax breaks end up costing much MORE than the piddling amount the government gives back to us).

We all do realize that the government is talking about giving us an insultingly small bribe with our own money that we will end up paying back down the road with interest (due to the interest payments on the govt debt the "break" will increase), right?

Obamas right.

Some oppose a summer relief from gasoline taxes as "only a short-term solution."

Others oppose new drilling and refineries as "no immediate relief."

Why not both?

I agree. How does the Chinese saying go? "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." Is that it?

IMO, the "O" is right. 0.18/gal is what, $3-4 a week for 12 weeks ??

the gas tax (whatever you think is should be) at least actually pays for a service (roads) rather than getting sucked into the black hole that is D.C.

when are we gonna make up for getting further behind on repairs ?

We take some of that money we're already giving them and currently being spent on wasteful things, and put it to use for roads.

It is never a bad thing to lessen the amount of money the government takes out of your pocket.

good luck with that!

they'll get it back buried in the '08 1040 somewhere.....

we are talking about the legislature afterall.

You are absolutely right......but as the saying go's "a day late and a dollar short"!


Even if they start drilling tomorrow it will be 10 years before we benefit from it and who can predict how expensive crude oil will be by then!

There is no quick or cheap way out of this crisis.

We've turned a corner that could take decades of new and improved technology to solve our energy needs.

Those of us in our 50's or older may never see it!

At least an increase on the 1040 is something that most people will notice. That gas tax is burried and most people pay it without even thinking about it.