Editorial: They take a pass on tax pandering

Wednesday, April 12, 2000 | 9:53 a.m.

The deadline for Americans to file their income tax returns is fast approaching and, as has grown more common in recent years, Congress once again is taking this opportunity to capitalize on the tax grief some Americans feel. Holding hearings and taking votes on tax legislation can serve a purpose when it shines a spotlight where inequities exist.

But since this is an election year, there also is room for partisan mischief. A case in point was legislation by Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, R-Miss., that would roll back a 1993 tax hike of 4.3 cents per gallon of gas. Lott and some other Republicans contended this would lessen the burden on Americans who are paying dramatically higher prices at the pump.

Economists punctured holes in their arguments for a rollback, though. For instance, cutting gas taxes won't necessarily lower prices at the pump -- oil companies simply will pocket the difference instead. In addition, a rollback means that fewer tax dollars will go to pay for needed highway road construction, which federal gas taxes fund. The real motivation behind Lott's bill was to score cheap political points with voters, trying to make it appear that Republicans were more concerned than Democrats in lowering gas prices.

Despite the temptation to pander in an election year, a near miracle occurred Tuesday: The Senate convincingly rejected Lott's ill-conceived plan, as 12 Republicans broke ranks to help defeat the measure, 56-43, in a procedural vote. It is encouraging to see that the Republican-led Senate took a respite, however brief, from playing political games on high gas prices, an issue that isn't going to be solved by partisanship.