Infuriating

I don't remember the last time I felt this angry with politicians. Sure this campaign has obviously gone on too long, and seeing the same candidates make the same speeches and the same points over and over and over and over can make me annoyed and weary, but not angry. But this week, I'm infuriated. This "gas tax holiday" scam has gone on long enough, and it has to end.

First off, let's dispell any idea (Sens. Clinton and McCain) that the sweetly-coined "gas tax holiday" is a good idea. When you consider any policy or legislation, you have to weight the pros, the cons, and the X factors that you can't control.

Pros:
-Gasoline will be 18.4 cents cheaper than it normally would be.
-Diesel would be 24.4 cents cheaper than it normally would be.
-The average consumer would stand to save an estimated $28 between Memorial Day and Labor Day. (That's a savings of $28 over the course of 94 days, or roughly 30 cents per day.)

Cons:
-The federal government would lose an estimated $9-10 billion in revenue that go toward fixing our national infrustructure (i.e. roads and bridges to drive on)
-Thousands and thousands and thousands of contruction workers would see a reduction or lose in their jobs due to the lack of money (I think I heard the Today Show estimate about 300,000 workers would be effected, but it was early in the morning and I can't be sure of that figure.)
-People will be encouraged to drive more, which would use up more gasoline, driving the prices even higher. Also, it is the wrong path to take in terms of protecting the environment.

X-Factor:
-The oil companies may simply raise their prices an extra 18.4 cents per gallon, thus nullifying the savings of the "holiday." And for Sen. Clinton's proposal of a new tax on windfall oil profits, the companies can simply raise the gas prices even higher to pay for the new tax.

Now, it was obvious what Clinton and McCain have been trying to do: use a pointless policy that sounds good (but really isn't) to influence some voters into supporting them. However, it wasn't until today that there arguments really got my furious.

John McCain said, "The lamentations of people about the draconian consequences of giving Americans just a little relief for the summer continues to amaze and amuse me...I’d like to see families in America have a relief from ever increasing costs of gasoline, so maybe at the end of the summer after this tax holiday they could buy school supplies for their children as they start the school year.” According to John McCain, if you're against the tax holiday, you're against families and children going to school.

Hillary Clinton said, "I believe it would be important to get every member of Congress on record: Do they stand with the hard-pressed Americans who are trying to pay their gas bills at the gas station or do they once again stand with the oil companies? I want to know where people stand and I want them to tell us, are they with us or against us when it comes to taking on the oil companies?” According to Hillary Clinton, if you're against the tax holiday, you're for the oil companies having whatever they want.

The "gas tax holiday" is a terrible idea, and Clinton and McCain know this, but are blatantly playing on the struggles of Americans. For 30 cents a day. Please. For some reason they think that I am stupid and will swallow and believe any dribble that comes out of their mouths. But here is the kicker: Come Labor Day, when the "holiday" would end, in addition to the prices set by oil companies that will continue to rise over the summer, American consumers will be hit by a 1-day 18.4 cent increase. This will force people, in the end, to take all the money they save and poor it right back into their gas tanks.

We need serious alternative energy sources, not 3-month boondoggles. The truth is that high gas prices are the best thing that have happened for the energy-independence movement. Now that gas prices really are unaffordable for a lot of Americans, perhaps progress will be made toward breaking out reliance on the Middle East for energy, as well as protecting the only planet that we have.

In the mean time, a number of expletives come to mind.