Blaming Bill Sali for Gas Prices

It’s good to see that apparently Walt Minnick is as capable of pulling oddball stunts as Larry Grant was: 

The Walt Minnick for Senate campaign plans to sell gas for $2.26 a gallon for one hour tomorrow (Tuesday, May 6) – from 10 to 11 a.m. – at the Cole Village Chevron at the corner of Cole and Ustick in Boise. According to the Minnick campaign, the sale will take place at the same time Idaho 1st District Rep. Bill Sali plans a $1,000-a-plate fundraiser with oil and gas lobbyists in Washington, D.C. “This is exactly what’s wrong with Washington,” Minnick said in a release this afternoon. “Idahoans are being pummeled at the pump while their congressman is hobnobbing with the very people who are getting filthy rich from high gas prices. Sali should be taking a touch stance with the oil lobbyists, not looking to them for a handout.”The campaign says that consumers will pay $2.26 per gallon (what gas cost when Sali took office in January 2007), and the campaign will pay the station the remaining $1.33 for each gallon sold in the hour. The special rate ends at 11, but Minnick volunteers will hand out special stickers to drivers who intended to take advantage of the discounted gas, and the campaign says it will honor the discount for all those who were in the line to receive one of the stickers.    

So, high gas prices are Bill Sali’s fault because January 7, 2007, Bill Sali took office? If one wanted to point to an event that caused the price of gas to skyrocket, it would seem to make more sense to point out that on the same day, Nancy Pelosi became Speaker of the House and Harry Reid became Senate Majority Leader. However, such obvious so-called “logic” is beneath the Minnick campaign (because it really wouldn’t argue well that sending another Democrat to Congress would fix the problem). So, the Minnick campaign says it’s not the fault of the new Senate and House Majority which has done nothing to help consumers out on gas prices other than argue for higher taxes on oil companies. There’s a bit of a problem with this as illustrated below:

  Imagine trying to increase taxes on farmers to lower food prices, imagine increasing taxes on HP to lower computer prices. You’d actually increase prices because the increase in cost to the corporations will be passed onto the consumers.The same thing is true with oil. It’s pure nonsense to argue that by increasing taxes on oil companies, you’re going to do consumers a favor. In order to lower gas prices in the short term, you have to increase supply and/or refining capabilities. Any proposals from the Democrats to do that? Bueller? Bueller?I would encourage consumers who can to take advantage of Mr. Minnick’s offer, because it’s the only break on gas prices you’ll see from him.

UPDATE:By the way, don’t you love the scheduling. It’s between 10 and 11 am at one gas station. How many people buy gas at 10 AM in the morning. Most folks are working. Also the press release is dated today. Minnick is playing this smart, albeit a bit cynically. Massive publicity, minimal payout.  

UPDATE II:

The Idaho GOP and Congressman Sali both are calling this nonsense what it is.