Tax gasoline, not jobs

Tom Friedman's column in the New York Times on a Patriot Tax of $1 on gallon of gasoline to fund the reconstruction of Iraq and wean the U.S. off of Mideast oil seems like a great idea to me.

I like John Anderson's idea more (as articulated in his 1980 independent campaign for president): a 50 cent tax on gasoline (probably $1 in 2003 cents) with a corresponding decrease in the payroll tax.

Because first, we should tax gasoline more than we do.

And second, we should tax jobs less than we do.

These totally reasonable proposals only seem to get batted around by newspaper columnists and third party candidates. Even more evidence for a more open election system with instant runoff voting and/or proportional representation.