The suspension of the federal tax on gasoline is simple pandering with no real benefit to the consumer. This just takes money away from the highway fund (used to maintain the interstate highway system) and gives minimum relief to drivers.

It is far better to go after those responsible for increasing prices just so that they can report higher quarterly earnings. If anything, oil companies could feel free to raise prices more because the lack of the federal tax would provide a gap in the price which, in turn, could allow the price to be increased to bring it back to the previous level.

This is all conjecture, but the honesty of the petroleum industry is not held in high esteem. So people lose funds for highway improvement while the producers continue with increased profits (and maybe sell more gasoline because of the temporarily lower price).

It is all a political ploy to do the old smoke-and-mirrors con on the American people. John McCain and Hillary Clinton should both recognize this is not the way to get control of rising gas prices and the negative effect it is having on the economy.

Hillary Clinton is the necessary 'evil.' She is all mouth and no action. She will never bring this up for a vote so I feel that she should either put up or shut up. I am against the tax holiday as it will put people out of work and delay needed road work.

It is sad that some voters can be bought with $30 of bad policy. I felt that the same happened when our Utah government gave us all $50 prior to our election. I knew that people could be bought, but so cheap?

The truth is, (prior to the questionable 16th Amendment)Federal gas taxes are the one tax they have constitutional authority to implement (Art, 1, Sec.8, Clause 7). They could eliminate it, permanently or temporarily, if they wanted to. A better plan would be to spread the pain around Ration gas so that every citizen, rich or poor, feels the pain equally. Then maybe something would be done about supplies and monopolies.

If the federal tax were given a "holiday" the oil companies, refineries, and distributors would absorb the difference; we would not see a penny, it would not filter through to us.

Reality Bytes,
As someone who uses little gas, though I own a car, I support rationing. Just think of how much the rich would be willing to pay for rationed gas. I'd bet I could get $10 a gallon out of the pickup-driving, 5th-wheel hauling, doctors in my area.

You can't be serious!

A trivial reduction in the cost of a fill-up, paid for through a cut in funding for highway maintenance, is as bad/stupid a public policy as can be imagined.

Shame on Clinton & McCain for even endorsing such a lame-brain notion. It's cynical pandering.

Hats off to Obama for opposing this nonsense.

Is the writer so naive to think that we as the people would ever see any change in the price of gat by eliminating the tax it would go down initially but i give it 1 week and it will be back up 18 cents or higher then after labor day it will go up another 18 cents when the tax was put back in place.

to mark anderson

remember that the tax holiday is Mr McCains idea he floated it first (Dumb idea)

I'm tired of hearing about the mythical "fixed income". Aren't we all on a fixed income? I know I can't increase my salary at will. With the current slowdown in the economy, I doubt I'll see any pay increase this year. If that isn't a fixed income, I don't know what is. Sure, I could freelance or work a second job, but so can anyone else. So is there really any such thing as a fixed income?

Bad idea, saves me very little money and hurts our roads. Shame on McCain for suggesting it and shame on Hillary for jumping on the bandwagon. Pathetic pandering.

I wonder if anyone understands economics? Not the oil business that I am talking about, you all are complaining about big oil and there profits, gas stations and there profits, but not one of you are complaining about your 401K, IRA, or mutual funds that routinely buy oil futures hoping to make profits for ALL of us i(in our 401K, mutual, etc)

Gas is high for one reason only that is our week dollar and investors like any of us with a 401K, etc are willing to speculate that the price is going higher thus making our investment pay off… Big oil is buying the oil at the higher prices, look at the stock it is flat, wake up people call your investment house and demand that they do not invest your money in oil and watch what happens to the price. And those of you advocating rations are really out of touch, the prices are not a function of supply and demand, it is however a function of greedy investors trying to drive the price up to 200 per barrel so they can make a killing. And we can all live like rock stars when we retire….

Remember the big bridge collapse last year? An American federally-funded and maintained highway utterly collapsed! And not from a natural disaster! How unheard of is that?

And wouldn't these federal gas tax revenues be going to that very federal department of transportation that is tasked with maintaining these roads?

Boo hoo...we're all so oppressed since we're "taxed to death." Sure, some tax dollars are wasted, but money gets wasted in any organization - inefficiency and waste are not confined only to the public sector.

And what do we get in return? All these huge highways to drive on for free; police and fire services to protect us; state agencies that protect workers from on-the-job injuries and unlawful firings; the list goes on and on.

The gas tax holiday is indeed political pandering. Very small, very short-term benefit to each individual consumer in exchange for a major windfall in revenues to the federal department of transportation. And, to boot, those who actually study and understand the gas market forecast an even less significant drop in gas prices since demand may rise in response to the tax's repeal.

Look at the issue logically, not just through an ideological anti-tax lens.

30 pieces of gas tax silver will buy the letter writer's vote.

Sad.

Repeal this tax and money for highways will have to come from another tax. Taxpayers will not save anything in the long run.

It's simply a political gimmick.

You small simple minded people. Stop looking at how this benefits you as a person, and look at it from a national standpoint.

While one person may save $30, a trucker may save $200 or more a week. Which means that food can be delivered to the grocery store cheaper.

The airlines, which transport business travelers, vacationers, mail, and other pieces of cargo, can save an incredible amount of money.

Your local police and fire departments, ambulance service, post office, city park services, and other city offices that need fuel will save more.

So, while you only save a few dollars directly, you could save more by not having to pay as much for the transportation costs to get goods to you, or for public services.

While all you folks are complaining about who is going to fix your fuel bill, I have been riding my bike to and from work (17 miles each way), coupled with some TRAX time. I have ridden 7000 miles in the last two years. I have saved thousands in gas alone, to say nothing of car purchase, maintenance etc. I am healthier, happier, and better off.

Quit trying to find someone to solve your problems.

Artificially lowering gas prices, only continiues our dependence on excessive oil consumption. Americans should stop buying larger cars than they need. Keep the gas tax, lower taxes on the lower classes.

SUV = Terrorist Support = Oil from Middle East

To Anonymous 1:21 - Actually SUV does not equate to terrorist support. I have a truck that gets 15 mpg, but I use less fuel per month than my wife does getting 30 mpg.

Also, most of our oil does not come from the middle east, it comes from Mexico, Canada, and other countries.

Taxes allowed by an oil company should be kept to a standard. All extra profits/monies should go to maintaining national freeways, bridges, etc.

Do you really think you'd see a difference? Yeah, take away the federal tax, and the oil companies would up the cost of fuel to distributors to make up the difference in the case they are required to pay the tax with their windfall earnings every quarter. Remember they are pocketing billions off gas sales each quarter.

Remember the state tax from long ago to fund the pump project on the Salt Lake? When the pumps were no longer needed it was supposed to go away, but hasn't. I agree that something needs to be done about the price of gas products, but ending the tax on it isn't the answer. Make the oil companies show their books and justify their earnings.

If taxes are taken off, oil companies will still make a profit. We need to uncap our wells here in the US and prices would drop significantly.