Once again this administration is showing its ignorance, arrogance and vile disrespect to the American consumer as it refuses to understand and acknowledge the symbiosis between gas prices and economic stability.
As gas prices went down to under $1.50 per gallon, people who still had jobs, began to loosen their purse strings and started to buy more non-essential items. Instead of helping along, the administration will add more taxes. It ignores the potential economic incentive from the base core it needs to come from, the average American taxpaying citizen.
Gas prices are going up again. In some areas the increase is as much as 20 to 35 cents a gallon more. The jittery markets will not continue any rally as individuals worried of continuing price increases, will stop their limited spending and hold their money for the essentials of life’s existence.
Last years stimulus checks went into the oil company coffers as people used it to put gas into their cars for work and take the kids to school. Oil companies posted extraordinary profits while the average citizen witnessed personal losses.
I paid taxes on the so called stimulus check. It stimulated me alright, into a higher tax bracket!
It’s simple to understand. The higher the gas prices, the lower amount of spending folks will do in order to keep fuel in their cars. No amount of additional taxes, forcing people to drive smaller cars and using public transportation will ever change the mindset that has been embedded in this society for almost 100 years--America's love affair with the automobile.
The current price increase is a direct impact from the oil companies having gotten used to the large profit margins along with Congress’s out right refusal to open our interior lands to gas and oil exploration. This would create jobs, lower America’s dependence on overseas petroleum, pump money to the U.S. Treasury and lower prices at the pump.
They aren’t producing the gas at the levels they should be in order to support higher prices thus increasing their profits. Oil storage is just about at capacity. OPEC has not decreased their output, yet oil has continued to rise in price. When that happens, gas prices follow.
To stimulate the economy is to come to grips that taxing people’s use of all automobiles is not the answer. We must work toward total energy independence. That will lead to lower and stable gas prices, increased spending of items like clothes, electronics and even more cars.
But this administration just doesn’t get it. The new $3.6 trillion budget includes a deficit of $1.2 trillion. One third of the budget is deficit spending, money we don’t have! That is on top of the $12 trillion we already owe. By 2019, Obama's budget will have added over $9.4 trillion to the federal debt.
This was the hope and change presented last November. 66 million votes are eating its bitter fruit. The rest of us are drinking tea.
MSgt. Armand C. Hale retired from the U.S. Air Force, has served his country for over 23 years, His many tours of duty included Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. He has a degree in business & management, and has written a book about his experiences in the country of Qatar. You can purchase his book at Amazon and Lulu Books
