Posted on 11/25/2018 6:13:24 AM PST by Kaslin
The Democrats are attempting to con President Trump into a decision that could end his bid for re-election.
It’s a horrible idea!
The main reason you know it’s a horrible idea is that you are the one they are expecting to pay for it. And when’s the last time that Democrats ever forced you to pay for something you actually wanted?
Through politispeak-gobbledygook they have whispered to one another that they can convince President Trump to deliver them a multi-fold win—and, they think to themselves—we can crucify his re-election chances in 2020.
They are not wrong.
What they are seeking is to exploit the President’s campaign language of “addressing infrastructure” to convince him to install a national gasoline tax that would have you paying .30 cents a gallon to the coffers of Swampville (the federal government.)
“Just think of all the projects we could accomplish,” they rehearse to themselves as though they are whispering in his ear. “He’s such a savvy deal-maker—we’ll have him bite, and voila, we get the money—and—we can pummel him in 2020.”
And they would.
They will attempt to sell it to Trump as a way to “build bipartisanship” and to simultaneously “keep an oft-discussed promise from his campaign.”
They do so knowing they will gain an upper hand that here-to-date they have been unable to get hold of.
Here’s some of the basic reasons Trump should decline their advances:
It disproportionately hurts his most valuable voters. Without question the Democrats are going to make a tough play for the rust belt in 2020. A consumption tax on gasoline will hardly impact urban commuters who are increasingly moving towards public transportation and already occupy blue strongholds. Rust belters drive. Some of them many miles a day to and from their jobs. And no matter how much their living standard may have improved .30 cents per gallon at the pump is a significant chunk of their hard earned raises, savings, and work. One estimate puts it at $405 per month per driver. (Obviously depending on average miles.) If the average factory worker and family just got their touted $2000 per year raise (crumbs to Nancy Pelosi), the gas tax wipes that out in less than half the year.
There is little guarantee that “infrastructure” ever sees a dime. In so many instances where government set asides are supposedly funded via taxes, why is it that so few of them ever make it to their ultimate destination. Taxes on gambling earnings have been promised to improve every state education system that has ever adopted them. Sadly many schools in those same locales consistently end up with worse educational experiences and the complaint by the teachers is always insufficient resources. Another tax, this time on something as vital as personal transportation isn’t something indulgent like gambling, it’s a hard need, and for the middle class more expensive than ever.
Republicans in Congress won’t necessarily help. Over the past week I’ve had opportunity to interact with a couple of elected Republicans — both in Congress. Both shook their head and agreed with my original sentiment that this tax will be seen as a betrayal of the Trump administration to the American voter. Then both went on to whisper under their breath, “but if we get infrastructure done, then we can claim we worked together with the other party.” The blank stare on my face in both conversations may have indicated what an idiotic “swampy” idea I believed their sell-out concession to be. If infrastructure is a priority to your district help Congress prioritize its values and get rid of waste, fraud, and useless spending. Since the feds reported record tax receipts for 2018 (as I predicted they would) there is proof that cutting taxes creates Government revenue. The real problem is spending. So spend wisely, make great choices, and don’t raise taxes.
Democrats don’t just want the tax, they want to take down Trump. Mr. President not a single one of your voters voted for you to raise a tax, to institute a tax, to invent a tax, or to justify a new tax. Your voters supported you—and I proudly among them—because your message that the swamp’s days were over represented economic renewal. To place taxes on a gallon of gas at .30 cents per gallon would be seen as a betrayal of that economic inspiration. The Democrats know this. They know it gives them something to pin on you, that they can then use to poke a whole in the rising balloon of making America great again. Such a tax will discourage your most ardent supporters—one’s in the rust belt that are hard earned for republicans to begin with. There is little need, zero actually, to push them away. It plays into Nancy Pelosi’s deviousness unnecessarily.
The Democrats will have taken 40 seats when the 2018 tallies are totaled. The map is even less friendly for the President’s allies in 2020. The way white hot economic growth begins to slow, before it begins to halt is for government to intrude in ways that hurt the voter.
A national gas tax of near .30 cents per gallon is the economic equivalent to the Obamacare mandate. In dollars in fact it comes very close to the same increases.
A national gas tax would have a similar devastating impact on the individual, small business, the entrepreneur, and the CEO.
I honestly believe that President Trump is savvy enough to see this coming. My earnest hope is that when the jedi-minding-vipers come to talk smooth words in hopes of getting their way, that President Trump just smiles and remembers, “These people are all about themselves...”
“And I’m here to put America first!”
Tariffs bad, gas tax good, orange man bad.
Boosting the gas tax is the main reason Tom Corbett was a one term governor in Pennsylvania and is out of politics forever.
Sheeeeyit. We raise taxes every year here in California to fix our roads and bridges but our roads and bridges continue to suck. The only thing that happens with the revenue is that government employees’ paychecks and pensions get fatter.
Don’t forget the gold plated health bennies...
We don’t need higher taxes on a commodity that will NEVER go down.
Looking at France. Just say no! Im personally car free so new gas taxes wouldn’t affect me but they would affect everyone who drives for a living.
And a gas tax is the most regressive form of taxation:
Cheap energy is the life blood of the economy. It is central to a prosperous nation. No one that wants a strong a prosperous country want to harm the supply of cheap energy. Enter the democrats. They don’t want cheap energy. They don’t want a prosperous nation. For years I have listened to democrats tell me that gas should be +$10 or outright band. They are like little children throwing a temper tantrum every time the country gets on the right track.
Trump needs to be very watchful because the dems are very good at slipping taxes buried deep in needed legislation.
There is no way Trump would put a 30 cent gas tax
“Uh...wow, Paris is BURNING DOWN over a gas tax...”
“HEY, LET’S HAVE A *GAS TAX*...!”
We had a police chief up here in a little town of 6,000 called Gridley who was making $300,000 a year and the citizens were paying for his monthly gym membership.
The city manager of Yuba City, another small town makes over $300,000 a year and he doesn't pay a dime into his pension.
Remember, almost everything you purchase gets delivered on a truck so it would raise the price of everything
I think you can do a data collection of every town in California over 3,000 residents, and find at least 250 police chiefs making $250,000 a year or more. The bubble will eventually burst. In another ten years...their average will probably go to $400,000 a year or more.
Wrong. If roads and bridges truly need to be built and repaired, the money has to come from somewhere. Its best to raise the money from the users of these facilities, rather than from those who walk to work, little old ladies without cars, families with one car rather than three, etc. Raising the funds from users also discourages the overuse of these facilities that would occur if users think that that their use bears no costs. The fact that revenue from gas taxes is sometimes wasted or spent for non-transportation purposes has no bearing on the tax per se.
The guy sounds like another concern troll - he might be on FR.....
If desperately needed (fed gas tax), strong limitations and a reduction in income tax.
but still no- income taxes would be raised and the fed tax would increase and expand for the crises du joir.
I’m personally car free so new gas taxes wouldn’t affect me
...........
Remember, almost everything you purchase gets delivered on a truck so it would raise the price of everything.
*********
A failure to build needed roads and to make needed repairs will raise your prices even more, as money is lost to congestion, pothole repairs, accidents, etc. Yes, gas tax revenue can be wasted or spent on welfare, but needed funds still have to come from somewhere.
How about we put an end to the endless and senseless wars in the ME and use that money for infrastructure?
How about slapping taxes/fees on money that illegals wire back to their native country?
Did you sleep through Econ 101?
The first thing democrat governor Tim walz of Minnesota did after winning election was call for a bump in the gas tax.
I also hope he is a one termer.
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