Dear Members and Constituents,
Can you imagine paying $6.00 at the pump for a gallon of gas? It's only a matter of time. Over the past week, I've been having an on-and-off debate-of-sorts with Marshall Carter as to whether the "gas tax holiday" (proposed by two of the three people in this country with realistic presidential aspirations) is a good idea. AAA says 1% less people are planning to drive 50 miles or more this Memorial Day holiday and the NY Times finds people in areas where mass transit is a realistic alternative are increasingly choosing that alternative. The "pain at the pump" is having an effect on people's behaviors which trigger gasoline consumption. Countries who heavily tax gasoline, like South Korea (who have already passed the $6.00 mark), drive a substantial portion of their tax revenues from this source and -arguably- provide the right incentives for people's gas-consuming behaviors.
Marshall thinks we should raise gasoline taxes and invest the additional revenue in two things: (1) public transportation infrastructure and (2) renewable energy technologies. While I agree with Marshall that the government is ideally positioned to make the right investments to wean us off of our oil addiction, my distrust for politicians and their motives leads me to question whether the extra cash going into the government coffers (i.e. spending slush fund) would be used wisely. I won't go down that rabbit hole -whether anyone who can get themselves elected for office should be allowed to exercise it is a topic for another day.
Fortunately, no one is talking about raising the price of donuts, and so, my fellow citizens, it is my great pleasure to announce Duffy rolls have arrived, courtesy of Tucker. I'm told Glenn's donuts are also on the way... It appears to be a consumer's market today because supply is twice the usual amount. So grab a caffeinated drink (and a non-donut club member friend) and come get twice your daily dose of that sweet, circular alternative fuel source.
Happy Friday!
Can you imagine paying $6.00 at the pump for a gallon of gas? It's only a matter of time. Over the past week, I've been having an on-and-off debate-of-sorts with Marshall Carter as to whether the "gas tax holiday" (proposed by two of the three people in this country with realistic presidential aspirations) is a good idea. AAA says 1% less people are planning to drive 50 miles or more this Memorial Day holiday and the NY Times finds people in areas where mass transit is a realistic alternative are increasingly choosing that alternative. The "pain at the pump" is having an effect on people's behaviors which trigger gasoline consumption. Countries who heavily tax gasoline, like South Korea (who have already passed the $6.00 mark), drive a substantial portion of their tax revenues from this source and -arguably- provide the right incentives for people's gas-consuming behaviors.
Marshall thinks we should raise gasoline taxes and invest the additional revenue in two things: (1) public transportation infrastructure and (2) renewable energy technologies. While I agree with Marshall that the government is ideally positioned to make the right investments to wean us off of our oil addiction, my distrust for politicians and their motives leads me to question whether the extra cash going into the government coffers (i.e. spending slush fund) would be used wisely. I won't go down that rabbit hole -whether anyone who can get themselves elected for office should be allowed to exercise it is a topic for another day.
Fortunately, no one is talking about raising the price of donuts, and so, my fellow citizens, it is my great pleasure to announce Duffy rolls have arrived, courtesy of Tucker. I'm told Glenn's donuts are also on the way... It appears to be a consumer's market today because supply is twice the usual amount. So grab a caffeinated drink (and a non-donut club member friend) and come get twice your daily dose of that sweet, circular alternative fuel source.
Happy Friday!
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