The Terrible Rebate Idea

The Senate is proposing to give every American a $100 gas "rebate check" to help ease prices at the pump.

"Our plan would give taxpayers a hundred dollar gas tax holiday rebate check to help ease the pain that they're feeling at the pump," Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist announced Thursday. "It also includes strong federal anti-price gouging protection to protect consumers against anti-competitive behavior by oil companies or other suppliers of gasoline. Our free market system works, but it works best when there's full accountability and full transparency."

Demagoguery from Bill Frist at his worst. The smart thing, however, is that he's attached the bill to one that would open up ANWR to drilling. I just hope the GOP doesn't back out and leave us with an idiotic bill to give everyone "rebate checks."

I would rather eliminate the federal taxes on gasoline. The problem with that? Americans would see how the federal government is "gouging" its taxpayers through gasoline taxes. With "rebates," the government can pretend to be giving us their money, when we all know it's our money anyway.