Papers Ganging Up on Feuer Legislation

Last week we saw the Investor’s Business Daily advise people that global warming doesn’t exist and any tax on gas is a bad idea. IBD isn’t the only voice criticising Feuer’s legislation, the Press-Enterprise’s “Daily Dude” is enraged at the mere thought of increasing the gas tax to help fight global warming but leaves out any substantial discussion to leave space for jokes about pandas mating.

Look, I don’t care if it starts raining lava drops and my refrigerator is overrun by emperor penguins looking for shade, there is nothing — NOTHING — that’s going to make taxing gas a good idea.

How out of touch have our politicians become? Gas is flirting with $4 a gallon and these knuckleheads are practically inventing ways to give away taxpayer money.

Why stop at global warming? Tack on another nickel per gallon, see if there’s anything we can do about making mimes more entertaining.

Throw in a few more pennies to get those pandas mating.

The 9-cent gas tax is the brainchild (there’s an oxymoron) of Assemblyman Mike Feuer, D-Los Angeles, who calls it a “climate change mitigation and adaptation fee” that could rake in an estimated $400 million a year.

Why a newspaper aimed mostly at residents of San Bernadino cares so much about user fees for LA County highways wouldn’t be a mystery, he probably likes riding cheaply in his single passenger vehicle into the city, if I was sure the Dude knew what he was talking about.  The Dude doesn’t mention that the congestion fee would only be imposed after a vote of LA County residents or that it only applies to LA County roads, so I’m not sure why he’s so worked up unless he’s really worried about panda mating not getting enough funding.

So don’t worry, dude, Feuer’s legislation, if passed, probably won’t even register on your Tom-Tom unless you plan on making a lot of trips to the city.  In the meantime, we’d appreciate it if you’d let us try to solve our own transportation problems in peace.