Dems Stack Taxes Miles High

Democrats Have New Schemes to Tax You By the Mile

Heading into Memorial Day weekend, gas prices remain high and families are being forced to change their vacation plans as a result:

NATIONAL GAS PRICE AVERAGE: $3.81/GALLON, $1.03 more than a year ago.(“AAA’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report,” AAA, Accessed 5/25/2011)

FAMILIES AVOIDING MEMORIAL DAY TRAVEL: “The high price of gas will deter some people from driving over Memorial Day weekend, the traditional kickoff of summer in the United States, according to a national survey by AAA.

“With the price of gas $1.06 higher than it was a year ago — at $3.91 a gallon nationwide — the number of people who told AAA they would drive more than 50 miles from home slipped by 100,000 to 30.9 million.

“Forty percent of would-be travelers said that gas prices would have an impact on their vacation planning…” (Ashley Hasley III, “AAA Survey: Fewer Gas Trips Planner for Memorial Day Weekend,” The Washington Post, 5/20/2011)

That hasn’t stopped Democrats from scheming over how to make gas even more expensive. Rep. Nick Rahall (D-WV), known for using his office to do favors for his own family, didn’t do any favors for American families when he floated the idea of a new gas tax Tuesday:

RANKING DEM ON HOUSE TRANSPORTATION FLOATS NEW GAS TAX:“Increasing the federal gas tax should be considered to pay for a new transportation bill, a key Democrat said Tuesday.

“Rep. Nick Rahall (W.Va.), the ranking Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, said President Obama should be more specific about how he plans to fund a long-term transportation spending bill, and that raising the gas tax should be one of the options.” (Keith Laing, “Key Dem Says Higher Gas Tax Should Be on the Table for Highways,” The Hill, 5/24/2011)

Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) similarly endorsed a driving tax of his own a few weeks back, suggesting that every single mile you drive should be slapped with a new driving tax:

“The chairman of the Senate Budget Committee says Congress should not rule out a mileage tax, tolling or public-private partnerships as funding options for transportation no matter how unpopular they may seem.

“Chairman Kent Conrad, D-ND, raised the point during a hearing Wednesday, Feb. 24, on the subject of President Obama’s recent budget request for 2010-11. Conrad highlighted some of the options.

“ ‘And these include increasing the gas (fuel) tax; charging for each mile traveled; adding more tolls; continuing general fund transfers, which I strongly oppose; and identifying other funding sources,’ Conrad said.” (David Tanner, “Budget Chairman: Tolling and Mileage Tax Still on Table,” Landline Magazine, 2/25/2011)

Is it any surprise that congressional Democrats want to tax American families and workers by the mile when President Obama’s own energy secretary endorsed hiking gas taxes? Democrats are driving family budgets off a cliff in their desire for new driving taxes.

“In a sign of one major internal difference, Mr. Chu has called for gradually ramping up gasoline taxes over 15 years to coax consumers into buying more-efficient cars and living in neighborhoods closer to work.

“‘Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe,’ Mr. Chu, who directs the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal in September.” (Neil King Jr. and Stephen Power, “Times Tough for Energy Overhaul,” The Wall Street Journal, 12/12/2008)