Some gas costs chewing away at your wallet should be tax deductible and Rep. John Campbell was in Newport Beach today to spread this message.
His new bill would make the cost of gas you use to drive to work tax deductible. Campbell, R-Irvine, put his mouth where the pump is at a Chevron Station on the corner of MacArthur and Bison avenues this morning. He talked about his new bill and soaring gas prices.
“In California we have the highest gas prices in the country and Orange County has the longest commutes. So combine highest gas prices with highest commutes, that’s a problem,” he said in a phone interview before the event. “This is something needed nationwide, but particularly in Orange County.”
The former car dealer was bullish about the bill’s prospects, saying if he can’t get it heard as a free-standing measure he’d try to add it to an energy bill. But consider the political realities – Campbell is a Republican in a Democratic House in an election year. The chances of the Democratic majority giving a GOP member bragging rights over a measure to ease gas prices aren’t great.
He wrote the bill because many constituents and business owners in his district have been complaining that their employees can’t afford to drive to work.
“Someone who lives in the Inland Empire and drives 50 miles into work each day in traffic and you do that five days a week and you double the price of gas, they literally can’t afford it,” he said.
The bill would put the Secretary of Treasury in charge of figuring out how to organize the tax deduction.
Campbell suggested they keep track by having drivers log the miles they drive to and from work and the money spent— much like travelling business people do when they get reimbursed by their companies.
A similar bill has not been introduced in the Senate and Campbell has only spoken to a few House members about this. He said he plans to start talking to other members about possible co-sponsorship after Congress’ Fourth of July recess.
Did anyone mention to Campbell that we already have been adding 500 billion dollars a year to the national debt under the Bush administration?
Did anyone ask him about balancing revenues with expenditures?
Do these guys understand that part of the increase in the price of gas is from the devaluation of the dollar because of the massive debts that they have run up, and from the instability in the mideast caused by their invasion of Iraq?
We’re already paying Republican gas prices, and his answer is to make the high price tax deductible.
Why don’t we hear a single republican stating “hey, we need to improve efficiency of automobiles”?
This is just a gimmick like McCain wanting to repeal the federal gas tax for the summer, which would do nothing but deplete funds to fix bridges and other infrastructure.
Why is the price of gas “high”?
1. A barrel of oil is traded dollars, and the weak dollar means it takes more to buy a barrel.
2. Instability in the Middle East. Someone (’won’t mention names) invaded Iraq, took that oil off the market, and created instability. Note that each time George “W” mentions Iran, the price of a barrel of oil goes up by five bucks.
3. It was undervalued back in 2000. So the relative change seem large.
4. China and India are developing, and look to be large consumers of oil, and the future’s market is now add that into the demand side of the equation as they set the price.
5. Americans (or anyone) , who buy commodities such as oil (to hedge against the weakening dollar) actually contribute to the rise.
Are you kidding? Why should someone get reimbursed for choosing to live farther away from work? I work with someone who CHOSE to live 70 miles away just to have a large house with lots of land while I live 5 miles away and live in a small house with barely enough room for a flower pot. We all have to make sacrifices to live the way we choose. I hear it all the time how some cannot afford to live in OC. It’s not they cannot afford OC, it’s they don’t want to live in the area or the type of house they can afford. Yes, it’s expensive to live here. You can either have your large house and pay for the gas or live in a small house (or condo) and save gas. Your choice.