THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, May 20, 1996 TAG: 9605160014
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A8 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: Short : 32 lines
I laugh when I hear complaints that tourism will suffer because of higher gas prices. If the average tourist drives 2,000 miles and gets 20 miles per gallon, an added 20 cents per gallon will cost $20; an added 40 cents, $40. For someone who spends $2,000 for a vacation, $20 or $40 will make little difference.
If Americans were concerned about the cost of gasoline and damage to the environment, not to mention the balance of payments, they wouldn't be buying pickup trucks and sport-utility gas hogs. And if they aren't concerned about these things, they won't complain about rising gasoline prices, unless they are total hypocrites.
What this country needs most (besides legal reform) is a $1 increase in the federal gas tax, to be applied to reducing the national debt and improving health care. Raising the Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards would be ineffective in causing Americans to build and buy more-economical vehicles. The only thing that will cause Americans to buy more-economical vehicles is increased gas prices.
EDWARD F. UNSER
Suffolk, May 3, 1996 by CNB