There’s a movement afoot for a state and/or federal gas tax holiday, Save Jerseyans, and the loudest voices are Democrat congressional incumbents in districts that aren’t considered safe, notably Josh Gottheimer (D, NJ-05) and Mikie Sherrill (D, NJ-11).
I’m certain you can guess why.
Democrats are in the midst of a Level 5 meltdown over inflation and it’s impact on their chances – already slim – of holding onto Congress in November. They’re blaming Putin and looking for ways to make the pain seem a little less acute between now and Election Day.
Saving 18 cents a gallon (the federal gas tax burden) would certainly be nice, but with today’s national average gallon of regular unleaded sitting at $4.262, most Americans would still find themselves paying in excess of $4 per gallon. A gas tax holiday would represent a temporary measure that, at best, acts as a band aid incapable of stopping the bleeding.
A permanent repeal of the massive 2016 New Jersey gas tax hike would be more significant. The Chrisrie-Sweeney bargain was a bad idea then and it’s an obviously horrible idea now.
An even better idea? In fact, the only idea that really matters? Gottheimer, Sherrill, and the rest of our congressional delegation applying pressure to the Biden Administration to drill, frack, sign off on the construction of new nuclear plants, and do everything else within the federal government’s power to engender energy independence. The U.S. has been exporting more energy than it imported on an annual basis going back to 2005. Joe Biden is doing his best to reverse that positive trend. The mere act of signaling a shift back to guaranteeing American energy super power status and away from radical environmentalism would immediately put downward pressure on energy prices even BEFORE fresh supply entered the marketplace.
None of this is rocket science or even PhD-level economics, Save Jerseyans.
All that’s lacking is the will to act on the part of the current crop of Democrats who control national energy policy. We need a forever holiday from anti-energy independence politicians, folks!
