I’ve been floating an idea with my friends (and mother-in-law) that has passed the sniff test for posting here. I propose that we connect the costs of the war in Iraq directly with the price of gas. This is logical because (at least some of) the need for the war is to protect crude oil supplies. This is not a new tax because our taxes are currently financing the war - it is simply a different path for our tax dollars to flow from our paychecks into the military complex.
My specific proposal is that American should have 1% of the war cost paid by increasing the gas tax for 1 month. After that it should increase by 1% each month. This relatively a small ration but highly symbolic amount that directly connects the American people with the currently hidden true costs of the war.
Disclaimer: It is true that I don’t pay gas taxes on my electric car miles. Sadly, >70% of my families miles are still powered by hydrocarbons.