Governor Beebe Reinvents Economics

An exciting revelation was trumpeted today by the governor at his gleeful news conference announcing that he's come to an "agreement" with the natural gas industry:

Raising taxes won't raise the cost of natural gas!

With that revelation, I'd like to reverse my position. If that's the case, I now call for an increase in the tax to 25%---no, make that 50%. We have to let these evil corporations make some money. But if it's not going to cost consumers anything to increase the expenses of producers by raising taxes, then let's really get our money's worth!

Yea taxes!!!

Seriously, though, just because someone says it's so doesn't make it true, even "experts" and the governor. Just because it's difficult to measure doesn't mean it doesn't increase costs. Just because it will be spread over other states doesn't mean it won't raise the cost. Since when did it become the case that you could raise the cost of production without raising the cost of the end product? Have the rules of basic economics been suspended in Arkansas?

So the governor wants a new road program... Whatever happened to Mike Huckabee's road tax from 1999 that was made so famous in the recent Republican primary? As I've said before, it had no sunset, so we're still paying for it. Why aren't we using that money?

Government grows, we decrease.