Sometimes you just have to pretend you didn’t hear certain things in order to keep your sanity. A Michigan congressman wants to put a 50-cent tax on every gallon of gasoline to try to cut back on Americans’ consumption.

Only a Democrat could propose such an absurd idea and manage to keep a straight face. With the economy sliding towards a recession and gas prices already through the roof, a 50 cent tax on gas is exactly what the American people need!

Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., wants to help cut consumption with a gas tax but some don’t agree with the idea, according to a new poll by the National Center for Public Policy Research.

The poll, scheduled to be released on Thursday, shows 48 percent don’t support paying even a penny more, 28 percent would pay up to 50 cents more, 10 percent would pay more than 50 cents and 8 percent would pay more than a dollar.

“I don’t want to pay more, I don’t think anyone wants to,” said Karen Deacon, a motorist.

“I think that wouldn’t make any sense,” said Frankie Hoe, a motorist. “Ugh … who’s making the money from all this and where is that money going? Is it going to go green? I don’t see any green things anywhere.”

It’s almost too much to believe that anyone could suggest that we pay more than we already are at the damn pump. Democrats like to talk about how much damage the Bush administration has done to the middle class, but I wonder how the middle class would feel about paying 50 cents more per gallon of gas?

-Chris Jones