Green, the gas tax, and getting it wrong

I mentioned Congressman Mark Green's fast shuffle on the gas tax question yesterday, but didn't really do it justice. The story below pretty much speaks for itself. Green didn't mention that he wanted to reduce the gas tax during two interviews because he was "rushed." He has no idea how rushed he'd be if he were governor.

Clearly, Green's not ready for prime time. Maybe he should just let Mark Graul to all of the interviews, news conferences, and debates. Then he wouldn't have to go around behind Green trying to clean up his messes.

Madison - Republican gubernatorial candidate Mark Green said Monday that he would lower the gas tax by 2 cents a gallon if elected.

Green, a U.S. representative from Green Bay, issued a statement on the gas tax just hours after the Journal Sentinel reported Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle had promised not to raise the 32.9-cent gas tax over the next four years.

In two earlier interviews, Green declined to say what he would do with the gas tax, noting he would wait on the recommendations of a legislative committee on transportation that will come out after the Nov. 7 election.

In his statement Monday, Green said he would stand by a November 2005 pledge to eliminate a 2-cents-a-gallon gas tax used to clean up leaking underground fuel tanks and for other environmental programs. The remaining 30.9 cents a gallon goes toward transportation.

Trimming the 2 cents would leave no revenue source for those programs. It also would mean $273 million in bonds would have to be paid off with other funds. Green's campaign would not say how he would pay off the bonds or fund the programs. Together, the bond repayment and programs cost $79 million a year.

Dan Leistikow, a Doyle aide, said Green's plan was irresponsible and would lead to cuts in education.

"It's pretty clear he's trying to govern by press release and blow a huge hole in his budget," Leistikow said.

Until this year, the tax for environmental work was 3 cents a gallon, but Doyle and the Republican-run Legislature trimmed it by a penny. Doyle vetoed a Republican budget provision to explore phasing out the remaining 2 cents.

Green's campaign manger, Mark Graul, said Green did not bring up the 2-cent reduction recently because he was "rushed" during two interviews that centered on other subjects.

"Mark Green is not saying he's going to raise the gas tax," Graul said. "In fact, the only thing he has said for sure is he wants to lower it by two cents. . . . He will say categorically that he will not raise the gas tax unless it is accompanied by some other kind of relief for Wisconsinites."

Green has a real dilemma on the gas tax. He's promised the roadbuilders he'll "be there for you," so he can't take away any money from road-building. Instead, he'll just gut the environmental cleanup fund. Brilliant.

Afterthought: Remembering the way Graul handled his own ethics violations in the press, maybe he's not the answer.