Charles Krauthammer has written an article in January’s edition of The Weekly Standard suggesting an increase in the gasoline tax and a decrease in the payroll tax.  Charles Krauthammer is a much more intelligent person than I am, and normally I am amazed by the brilliance of his ideas.  This time I think he is out to lunch.

First of all, never allow the government to raise any tax, regardless of what they promise in return!  I live in Massachusetts.  We still pay a ‘temporary’ income tax that was instituted at least ten years ago (only for a year or two).  The citizens of this state were too timid to vote to abolish the state income tax last year because they were told it would devastate their state.

Does anyone remember George H.W. Bush raising taxes on luxury items (the Democrats praised his bi-partisan spirit at the time, then used it against him in the next election)?  When people stopped buying luxury items, the people making them lost their jobs.  When the people making luxury items lost their jobs, they stopped buying things and going out to dinner.  It caused a recession.

Most Americans live at least two miles from a grocery store or a department store of some kind (or a shopping mall these days).  We are not going to walk, and we are not going to ride our bicycles.  Some of the ‘green’ cars would not be in good shape after a collision with a truck or SUV.  Some of the ‘green’ cars require a hazmat team if they are in an accident.  Charles, I love you, but I think you are wrong on this one.