Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot is preparing to spend more than $12 million of taxpayer funds on a scheme to 'offset' spiking gas prices rather than seek a longer-lasting, fairer solution like lowering the city's gas tax.
Specifically, the plan is to hand out 50,000 gas cards that are only worth $150, with the recipients being decided by a citywide lottery. Also, another 100,000 transit cards worth just $50 apiece are going to be given to some residents so they don't have to drive.
All in all, it's the same kind of lame 'solution' Democrats always offer: Too little to do much good, though overall, an expensive alternative. In short, a lot of money will be spent with little net positive effect -- kind of like Joe Biden ordering the release of 1 million barrels of oil from the country's strategic reserve each day for several days. Given the amount of oil our country consumes daily, 1 million barrels is nothing; but it will reduce our strategic reserves foolishly, which is not good.
What's more, it's an unfair solution: Only certain Chicagoans will qualify, according to American Greatness:
Both cards will primarily be given to low-income residents, who can start applying for them on April 27th. Applicants must be residents of the city of Chicago, at least 18 years old, must have a valid sticker on their vehicles, and must have a household income either at or below 140 percent of the city’s area median income.
“People have to be able to get to work, school, places of worship, medical offices, grocery stores,” said Lightfoot at a press conference. “The goal of this program is to help make those moves easier.”
“I know from talking to many residents that they are feeling the strain,” she added. “There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it. And many are unable to fill their tanks as much as they normally would because their dollars just don’t stretch that far. So, my administration’s been working through a variety of options to see how we can provide the greatest relief to as many residents as we can.”
Another Democratic 'leader' is proposing the very same solution, at the taxpayer's expense -- but at least his proposal is fair.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has proposed handing out $800 for residents to spend on gas (again, instead of a longer-term solution like lowering the nation's highest gas tax) -- which would go to all drivers in the state, regardless of income or status.
Meanwhile, it is due to Democrat energy policies that the price of oil, gas and diesel fuel have all risen so much in the first place. No sooner than Joe Biden sat down behind the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, he signed into policy several measures that set in motion today's price hikes:
-- He canceled the Keystone XL pipeline, a more than decade-long project delayed by courts and the Obama regime but approved by President Donald Trump that would have served our Canadian ally well and provided Americans with additional energy security and independence;
-- Biden canceled all new oil leases on federal lands;
-- He also ended drilling projects off Alaska's coast, where oil and gas deposits are plentiful;
-- He has made it clear that his focus is on risky, expensive, and still lagging "green energy" alternatives, despite the fact that the vast majority of materials needed to manufacture things like solar panels and lithium batteries currently come from our biggest competitor and future enemy: China.
Our country is weaker when were are dependent on other nations -- any other nation, friendly or unfriendly -- for our energy needs. Being dependent leads to goofy, ineffective -- but very expensive -- handouts of taxpayer money by the same Democrats who agree with Biden's 'America last' energy policies.
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