ONE SIMPLE SOLUTION TO MANY OF OUR WOES

A nice Washington Post editorial about the sensibility of higher gas taxes. [Link courtesy of Greg Mankiw's blog.] Can we agree that it's silly to ignore this easier solution and instead proceed with so many convoluted political machinations designed to strong-arm auto manufacturers towards greener cars, deal with volatile geopolitics in oil-producing parts of the world, and address the looming specter of environmental catastrophe? Can we instead hope for the enactment of higher gas taxes, which (like $4 a gallon gas did earlier this year) will help lead to better consumption, investment, and land use decisions? Can we believe that a really bad year economically and a confluence of otherwise negative news can actually lead to a perfect storm for making this happen?

Let's hope we soon hear President Obama say in response: "Yes, we can."