06 Sep 2011 Crowder Has Gas… and Obama Wants to Tax It

National Center’s Comedic Filmmaker Explodes Obama’s Plan to Impose New Federal Gas Tax

“I love this. He’s all manic and spazzy and arm-wavy in this one, and somehow in just 3 short minutes, Steven manages to show the connection between unions, the federal gas tax, regulations and elections.” – Mockarena, Chicks on the Right

Washington, D.C. – In his latest weekly video produced for the National Center for Public Policy Research, comedic filmmaker Steven Crowder is taking on President Obama’s new call to continue the 18.4 cents-per-gallon gasoline tax on consumers after it expires September 30.

“President Obama wants Congress to quickly pass an unconditional extension of the federal gasoline tax… set to expire on September 30,” says Crowder, who serves as Media Fellow at the National Center. “The tax has been 18.4 cents-per-gallon since 1993, annually amounting to 32 billion dollars, which is then given back to the states for road services, repairs. etc.”

“What does [the gasoline tax] mean for the consumer? Not only higher gas prices, but more expensive milk, toilet paper, bananas, bottled water and anything else that would ever have to be transported to our ungrateful selves,” says Crowder.

In the video, Crowder displays a pie chart showing where each consumer dollar currently spent on gasoline is used by the oil companies: 32 percent to cost of crude, 17 percent to refining and marketing, 3 percent to profits and 32 percent to taxes.

Crowder adds that the federal gasoline tax results in higher unemployment, because businesses cut back in other areas to cover transportation costs.

“Folks,” Crowder says, “things don’t just show up at your house, delivered by magic beans and happy thoughts.”

In his video, Crowder also looks at the relative size of political contributions made by oil companies, which is small relative to other corporations and labor unions.

He also notes that not renewing the federal gasoline tax would give states more financial flexibility and eliminate a federal regulation that states must use exclusively labor union labor on state highway projects.

In fact, Crowder concludes, the wishes of labor unions have everything to do with why President Obama and the liberals are fighting conservative efforts to let this tax on consumers expire: “When people want to tell you that elections are bought and paid for, don’t jump the gun and go straight to Big Oil or Big PhRMA. Think Big Unions.”

This is Steven Crowder’s 27th video sponsored by the National Center for Public Policy Research. All videos can be viewed online here.

“Crowder Has Gas… and Obama Wants to Tax It,” was pre-released on Steven Crowder’s personal YouTube page, where it already has received over 22,000 views.

The National Center for Public Policy Research, founded in 1982, is a non-partisan, free-market, independent conservative think-tank with over 100,000 recent supporters. Its 2010 revenue exceeded $12 million. Contributions to it are tax-deductible and greatly appreciated.

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