Source: Fox News
Senators John McCain and Hillary Clinton on the campaign trail proposed a federal gas tax "holiday" to help ease the burden of high gas prices for American drivers. Senator Barack Obama rejected this proposal, calling it a "gimmick."
Now we find that the Democrats in Congress are planning to raise the federal gasoline tax ten cents per gallon.
According to Fox News:
Despite calls from the presidential campaign trail for a Memorial Day-to-Labor Day tax freeze, lawmakers quickly concluded — with a prod from the construction industry — that having $9 billion less to spend on highways could create a pre-election specter of thousands of lost jobs.
Now, lawmakers quietly are talking about raising fuel taxes by a dime from the current 18.4 cents a gallon on gasoline and 24.3 cents on diesel fuel.
Senate Democrats in May tried to add $5 billion to an aviation overhaul bill to replenish the highway trust fund next year; Republicans objected. Democrats tried again in June, but this time for $8 billion; Republicans objected to that, too.
Congress should first reduce spending on pet projects, known as earmarks, argued Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C. "I'm not going to let the Senate spend all this money when nobody is looking, especially when we refuse to stop wasting billions of taxpayer dollars on earmarks."
With gasoline prices over $4.00/gallon, hiking gasoline taxes on the already over-burdened taxpayers now is adding insult to injury. Small wonder the taxpayers feel they're being screwed.
Now who's got the best interests of the American people in mind?
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