Dear Senator Clinton and Senator McCain,

Please stop insulting the intelligence of the American people with pointless gas tax scams.

Soaring gas prices are not something we can solve with a cheap gimmick. Gas prices are high because people around the world are using lots of gas including rising demand in developing nations like China and India. Prices are high because oil is a limited resource and production is limited, because of speculation on Wall Street, and instability in the Middle East. Gimmicks won't change any of that.

Eliminating the federal gas tax all summer would only save American consumers about 30 dollars, send more money overseas, reduce our ability to invest in infrastructure, and encourage even more driving and pollution contributing to global climate change. At the end of the summer, gas prices would be as high or higher than before and no problems will be solved.

The only way to save Americans from spending huge sums on gas is to reduce the gas Americans use. We need to invest in alternative sources of energy. We need to build more fuel-efficient cars. And we need to make it easier for more Americans to accomplish everyday tasks without having to drive.

Real estate values are strong in walkable communities while they plummet in exurbs which require long, expensive commutes each day. Our federal policy can encourage more housing near offices and schools, and support more transit lines that get people to work without having to pay for gas. We also need to transport more of our freight by rail, a method that consumes far less energy and makes everyday goods cheaper for consumers.

Experts and commentators agree that your gas tax "holiday" proposal is naked politics and bad policy. No matter whom we support in the Presidential race, we want a race about serious ideas instead of cheap scams for votes.

Latest Signers

Roxanne Warren, New York, NY

What we need is to start investing immediately in an extensive rail network, including local and regional light rail and intercity long-distance rail.

Null Cabeza, Santa Fe, NM

OK, so this is a joke site, I get it. I can't believe that people can actually believe the front page 'Confidential Memo'. While I agree that the gas tax break is futile, I think that this site is 'insulting the intelligence of the American people'. How about being honest and just collect signatures. Why is there a need to fabricate a memo. The gas prices are just now getting to the point that Al Gore proposed in "Earth in the Balance". He would have pushed to taxes to get us here in his first term. But it is also foolhardy to rush into alternatives without studying impact - I know, novel concept. Ethanol based fuels are already killing tens of thousands overseas due to agricultural products being diverted to the fuel industry. And we are only about 10% of the way to it being an effective alternative. Real solutions are not simple, knee-jerk reactions are too simple. The real problem is that for every obscene dollar in profit that the oil companies make, the government collect 3-4 times that amount from them already. There is no real government initiative to change, only to appear that they are trying.

Hemant, Austin, TX

I say we go with the Nobel Laureates :) ./h

Peter Foster, Minneapolis, MN

Leslie MacKenzie, Minneapolis, MN

Ravi Sankar, Oviedo, FL

No one with even a cursory understanding of economics thinks this is a good idea. But, you know, they have no idea about everyday suffering, and we should thank god they don't have anything to do with public policy. Yeah.

Ashley Roccamo, Telford, PA

Sean Norton, Paris, Tx

David Merritt, Greenville, MI

Its rediculous to think taking tax off the price of gasoline would somehow lower the price, considering like it was said before that the supply would be the same. silly girl.

Marcyanna Groman, Bowie, MD

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