Democrats and Republicans agree: It’s a perfect time for a gas tax hike

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Hot Air:

You might have noticed the spectacular collapse of global crude oil prices reflected in the commensurate reduction of your weekly gasoline bill. Gas prices are lower, much lower, than they were just a few months ago. For Washington D.C., that represents an opportunity. Even for congressional Republicans, even a little bit more money in your wallet presents a chance to hike your taxes.

 

On Wednesday, the new GOP chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works panel, Sen. James Inhofe (R-OK), said a hike in the gasoline tax is on the table as a means of paying into the Highway Trust Fund. As President Barack Obama would no doubt note, that fund is of vital importance for keeping the nation’s roads and bridge up to code.

 

“It’s not a tax,” Inhofe said. “It’s a user fee.”

 

Outside Beltway, that’s a distinction without a difference.

 

Inhofe’s embrace of a new, ahem, “user fee” for those who purchase the gasoline was shared by the new Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT). “We’ll have to look at that. I’m looking at everything—every possible way of taking care of the highway bill,” Hatch echoed.

 

“I prefer not to increase taxes but to me that’s a user fee,” the retiring Utah senator added. “People who use the highways ought to pay for them. And that’s a small price to pay to have the best highway system in the world.”

 

Technically, a targeted user fee should be directed at people who use highways rather than purchase gasoline. Thousands of Americans rarely use highways. Thousands more purchase gasoline for use in home generators, lawn mowers, or other devices that have nothing to do with driving. These Republicans can apply whatever euphemism to a tax hike they would like, but they should at least make sure it is a convincing one.

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