Full of Gas

I don't like to talk politics, like ever. However, I felt compelled the other day to make this poster.

The lapel pin was my wife's idea.

During his State of the State speech, our governor asked our legislature to raise the gasoline tax. That's not a typo up above, either. He's looking for an $.18/gal increase.

Those of you not from around here might suppose that perhaps we have low fuel prices in Maryland. We don't. In 2009, we were in the middle of the pack. Currently, our tax is pegged at $.23/gallon, which means that every time I fill my 12-gallon tank, $2.76 goes to the government.

With this proposal, the gas tax would go up to $.41/gallon, which would mean $4.92 goes to the government every week. I fill up my car once a week because I work 28 and 49 miles from home respectively; my wife, who makes more, works a mile from home, so moving isn't really an option. Also, have you seen the real estate market lately? This is an additional $256 a year we would be spending that we can't get back.

I get the whole fair share thing, but...did I miss something about the recession ending? Do Marylanders suddenly have an excess of disposable income? Are the only choices really to cut spending on education or police?

My favorite part of the speech is this paragraph:

"Asking our fellow citizens to do more will not be popular," O'Malley said. "But without anger, fear or meanness, let’s ask one another: how much less education do we think would be good for our children’s future? How much less education do we want? How much less public safety? How many fewer jobs?  There are costs, and there are values."

Yes, I added the link.

I don't think it's the responsibility of the government to create jobs. No government, no matter what color your state, is efficient enough to create jobs as well as the private sector can. That's why taking the money out of the private sector to create public sector jobs will only worsen the recession.

Anyway, I think this is a false dichotomy (there are other choices that can be made), but no one is willing to look at other places to cut spending and/or find the money, because ultimately we would rather the government think for us.