Raise Gas Taxes

The Democrats are outraged by record high gasoline prices and the likelihood that they might lead to "obscene" profits for oil companies. The Republicans feign sympathy for consumers, acknowledging that rising prices are troublesome. And at the same time, the rest of the world looks at us with disbelief frozen on its collective face.

The fact is that Americans are wasteful when it comes to energy. Big cars, long commutes and a disdain for public transportation prove that point and the impact is more than just smog. Scientists now proclaim with great certainty that global warming is a reality that at some point my be irreversible and that humans' are the cause. And as world economy grows, especially outside the United States, the trend is unlikely to abate.

The United States needs to join the world community and immediately affix a ridiculously high tax on every gallon of gasoline. A regressive tax you say? Yes, it is. And Democrats are taught to hate such things. But this is the only way to make a dent on our consumption patterns. Voluntary conservation is just not going to happen any other way; just ask the teenager driving the SUV who guns his guzzler in yet another attempt to test his vehicle's ability to go zero to sixty as soon as the light turns green. There is little motivation to drive with a soft foot or consider gas mileage when purchasing a car.

In the short-run this will create pain for many. It will add cost to every business with a delivery component. But look at where we'll save. We'll save our environment. We'll minimize the need to use our military might to defend oil reserves in far away places. We'll save time in our commutes, because there will be fewer people on the road. We'll reduce our dependency on fossil fuel by creating a huge financial motivation for alternative (and cleaner) energy industries. This is the right long-term strategy.

I smile when I see higher gas prices because I'm absolutely convinced that it is the only way to get this society on the right track.