Raise Taxes, Says Sen. Voinovich

Ohio Sen. George Voinovich is campaigning to raise the federal gasoline tax because it "has not been raised since 1993."

Obviously, Voinovich isn't considering the impact. In the middle of a recession, those industries that depend on gasoline to operate will be hit with a crushing new burden.

America's truckers, for example, will have to increase fees which automatically will be passed on as price hikes on most merchandise bought by the public. Already-strapped and probably unemployed consumers will have to forego certain purchases while businesses barely above water may be forced to operate with losses or fold.

Arguably, Sen. Voinovich's legislative mindset is a generic problem with many Republicans in Ohio. Typically, they're indistinguishable from Democrats.

In Voinovich's specific case, I read once that he has never, in his whole life, purchased anything on credit. If that is true, it could be part of the reason he apparently doesn't understand what taxes do to an economy, much less an economy gasping.