An economist that supports the McClain-Clinton gas tax holiday

Need an economist to support a tax removal? Go to George Mason U. From the Chronicle:

What economist will vouch for Hillary Clinton’s proposal to cut gas taxes?

Bryan Caplan will. At EconLog, Caplan, an associate professor of economics at George Mason University, offers his “economic case for the tax cut.”

A summary of his summary: A cut would politically crowd out the notion of price controls, or worse; if, in times of crisis, tax cuts are as likely as cost controls, oil companies are “more likely to keep searching for new energy sources during crises”; and even if there’s little elasticity in world supply, tax cuts in America would still benefit consumers at least a little.

But “with arguments like these,” Caplan writes, “I doubt that I’ll be getting any phone calls from Hillary’s team. Her proposal is defensible; it’s just not defensible using arguments that the American people want to hear.”

What economist will vouch for Hillary Clinton’s proposal to cut gas taxes?

Bryan Caplan will. At EconLog, Caplan, an associate professor of economics at George Mason University, offers his “economic case for the tax cut.”

A summary of his summary: A cut would politically crowd out the notion of price controls, or worse; if, in times of crisis, tax cuts are as likely as cost controls, oil companies are “more likely to keep searching for new energy sources during crises”; and even if there’s little elasticity in world supply, tax cuts in America would still benefit consumers at least a little.

But “with arguments like these,” Caplan writes, “I doubt that I’ll be getting any phone calls from Hillary’s team. Her proposal is defensible; it’s just not defensible using arguments that the American people want to hear.”

Comments

[joshua corning]

Who is McClain?

Or did I miss a joke somewhere?