I see the logic in the case of transportation funding, but shudder at the thought, of more decisions being made at the state level. But, the environmental effects (in terms of efficiency) of lowering the federal gas tax, when it should be higher, are negative:
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) is calling for the 18.4 cents-per-gallon gas tax that pays for most federal transportation projects to be cut by 80 percent.
The 2016 presidential hopeful said in a post on his campaign website that the gas tax should be cut because it is "outdated" and replaced by a system that allows states to take the lead on financing transportation projects.
He also vowed to veto any increase in the fuel levy if he is elected president. …
Rubio is the second GOP presidential candidate to endorse the proposal to roll back federal gas taxes, joining Ohio Gov. John Kasich (R), who called recently for gas tax to be eliminated and replaced with an increase in the use of tolls by states to pay for U.S. roads and bridge repairs.
via thehill.com
I'm reminded of Mankiw's essay on "the key role of conservatives in taxing carbon" and when he threw the stand-up economist under the bus:
This brings me back to my friend, Yoram Bauman, who sent me that headline. He is an environmental economist and stand-up comedian (yes, an unusual combo). He is also one of the leaders of the effort in Washington State to pass a carbon tax. He has been working tirelessly to build support.
Based on his experiences, he has a message for environmental activists: “I am increasingly convinced that the path to climate action is through the Republican Party. Yes, there are challenges on the right — skepticism about climate science and about tax reform — but those are surmountable with time and effort. The same cannot be said of the challenges on the left: an unyielding desire to tie everything to bigger government, and a willingness to use race and class as political weapons in order to pursue that desire.”
Yoram Bauman is a funny guy, but this time he is not joking.
I find no evidence that Yoram was not joking.
That said, can we all agree that politicians on the left and right are all getting it all wrong? This conclusion is always especially stark during the presidential campaign when the tax and other proposals cross the nonsensical barrier. I'm just waiting for someone to propose a 0% tax rate that would lead to enough economic growth that tax revenue will increase and eliminate the federal debt (or deficit, depending on the depth of your understanding of public finance).
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