The letter was addressed to Erskine Bowles and former Sen. Alan Simpson (R-Wyo.), co-chairmen of the fiscal commission, which is due to submit its recommendations to Obama by Dec. 1.
There is so much wrong with this suggestion I don't know where to start. The first thing to keep in mind is that Congress is not impacted by increases in the cost of gasoline--they do not directly pay for their gasoline--it comes out of a spending account (which I am sure they can increase if need be). This is another case of Congress discussing the passage of a law that will negatively impact all Americans except Congress. It will also have a very negative impact on the economy. I predicted $4 a gallon gasoline very soon without this tax, with this tax it will come much sooner.
I don't envy the members of the fiscal commission that is supposed to make recommendations on the deficit. Many of the members of the commission are people who believe higher taxes are the answer to everything--not lower spending. They are about to meet the Tea Party.
As most Americans are being forced to cut their budgets to make ends meet, it's time for the government to do the same. I don't want to hear about cutting the programs that Congress knows will get the most reaction; I want to hear about cutting waste. During the past two years as business has been losing jobs, government has been gaining them. It's time for that to change. Just for the record--I am against a means test for Social Security. No one means tested every American when the government took their money for Social Security. No one means tested Congress as they stole the money from Social Security from 1965 on (after they opted out of the program). It is time for change in Washington, and I hope the new Congress realizes that.
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