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Xiggi, not a bad start. It is an idea I first read about during the oil crisis of '74. There's not much new here.
Taking potshots at the Ford Excursion in 2008 is kind of amusing since that model was discontinued three years ago. Also the whole idea of higher gas taxes is penalizing inefficient vehicles and rewarding those who buy efficient ones. Raising taxes and then piling on other penalties and goodies is adding unnecessary complexity and enforcement costs. If you believe in microeconomic incentives (I do), all you need is the consumption tax.
For what's it's worth, while European governments were artificially raising energy prices from WWII to the present, the US was riding lower energy costs to the most efficient economy in the world. Production per worker in the US is still higher than any other industrialized economy, and our unemployment is lower.
The US could reduce its residential electricity consumption by 16%. Eliminating commercial air conditioners would save any more. Which politician do you suppose would be the first to support this initiative? None. They'd rather focus on replacing light bulbs with CFLs and hybrid vehicles. I don't think it's possible to be too cynical about the way Congress and the President approach energy issues.
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