I suppose it was inevitable… the high price of gasoline has now become an issue in the Presidential race. This New York Times article covers the story. I am happy to see that Obama is opposing the suspension of the 18.4 cent/gallon federal gasoline tax for the summer. McCain and Clinton, on the other hand, are advocating this politically easy move in the face of angry protests from truckers in Washington.
This is a classic test of leadership. It’s easy for politicians to bow to constituents who want quick fixes and government assistance in dealing with market fluctuations. But high prices at the pump are a symptom of a much larger issue. This country needs high gasoline prices. Our way of life is the most unsustainable in the world, with America consuming more resources per capita than any other country. There’s lots of happy talk out there about “ending our addiction to foreign oil,” but how will this ever happen if people continue to drive as much as they do? And why would people drive less and buy more gas-efficient cars if gas continues to be affordable?
The path of true leadership in this scenario is to tell the American people what we need to hear, not what many of us want to hear. What we need to hear is that our way of life must change, our development patterns must change. It needs to be explained that the housing slowdown is directly connected to our sprawling development patterns which create an economy totally dependent on gasoline consumption. We need to fundamentally reevaluate how we transport goods to market rather than giving truckers tax breaks. We need change and innovation, and these processes are often painful and rarely easy.
The worst thing Washington could do right now is to subsidize our gasoline consumption. To do so would be to take the responsibility off of the American people to change. Give us high gas prices and let us innovate. Don’t delay the inevitable and subsidize our CO2 production. Give us high gas prices and let entrepreneurs revive the rail system. Don’t bow to the trucking industry and prolong the survival of an illogical and unsafe way of transporting goods. I’m sympathetic with those families that will be most challenged by high gas prices, but it simply inappropriate for Washington to step in here. I’m proud that Obama is opposing this measure, and I think it says a lot about Clinton that she’s advocating such a politically expedient but ineffective measure.
Cheap gas is not a birth right. If you drive an SUV and commute an hour or more to work, what right do you or the politicians that represent you have to complain about record profits in the oil industry. Let them make their billions. If you want to curb their profits, start a wind or solar power operation.
