I am so excited to save 18.4 cents on a gallon of gas this summer! As much as I drive, I stand to save about $2.75 through September. I could almost afford a Starbuck’s triple espresso with a soy shot for my wife on our anniversary in August. I’m sure she’ll be very happy with it – she always likes them when we go shopping.

But here is my real dilemma: who am I supposed to vote for in order to make this happen? John McCain had the idea first, but he’s already got his nomination sewed up. Hillary jumped on the Republican bandwagon (not for the first time), so it’s hard to get excited that she is showing initiative. And Obama already knows where his next Starbuck’s is coming from, so he laughed at them both. All three of them are senators, but none have introduced a bill. Maybe they don’t really mean what they say?

But truthfully, none of them can be president in time for me to save big in the summer of 2008. Maybe I should vote for George Bush if I want gas tax savings; but how? And besides, he hasn’t said he’s for the idea anyway. After all, he just gave me some of my money back from last year in the hopes that I will spend it this year. Preferably on something costing less than $600 that was not made in China. Is there such as thing?

Since no drivers are going to get rich with their 18.4 cents savings, who is? The oil companies will obviously prosper, since the government would effectively put gasoline on sales without cutting into the producer’s margins at all. There really is no more supply to be had, especially during the summer driving season. But an increase in demand spurred by the tax relief with no offsetting increase in supply means one thing – higher prices.

Maybe the right way to get lower gas prices is to raise the gas tax for the summer. This will discourage consumption during the time when it is traditionally highest. More people will stay closer to home. Demand will fall as a result. The oil producers have no place to store all that unbought gasoline, so they are forced to lower the price. Maybe after a summer of this, we could make the gas tax increase permanent, or even raise it some more.

Now 18.4 cents is not much to you or me. But there is one group to whom this is a LOT of money – the US government. Foregoing this tax will cost the treasury millions in revenues. Last time I looked, we had a gigantic deficit thanks to fighting two wars while handing out tax breaks. It really seems like we have to stop giving away tax revenues so casually, or the Chinese and Saudis will own us outright. But adding to the national debt in order to probably increase gas prices? To benefit candidates who aren’t even elected? Craziness.