So I suppose what’s good for the goose is good for the gander? That’s generally not the case in my experience, but it might explain some of the thinking behind Georgia Governor Brian Kemp’s decision this week regarding inflation. We have Democratic Governors and Mayors all around the country declaring states of emergency and issuing executive orders over everything from the migrant crisis and gun violence to climate change and racism. (I’m sure the transgender state of emergency will be along presently.) So Kemp apparently decided to jump on the bandwagon. He declared a state of emergency in Georgia because of inflation and the high prices everyone is paying for pretty much everything under Bidenomics. Then he issued an executive order suspending the state’s gasoline tax for one month beginning tomorrow. So was this a good idea? We’ll get to that in a moment. (Fox 5 Atlanta)
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has declared a state of emergency and temporarily suspended the state’s tax on gasoline in an effort to reduce the impact of inflation.
In a press release Tuesday, Kemp claimed that his actions were in response to policies coming at the federal level, saying that President Joe Biden has caused Georgians to feel the brunt of negative economic conditions,
“While high prices continue to hit family budgets, hardworking Georgians deserve real relief and that’s why I signed an executive order today to deliver it directly to them at the pump,” Kemp said.
Let me first say that I initially enjoyed hearing about this because I found it hilarious. Everyone else is going crazy with states of emergency and executive orders, often to address problems directly caused by the Biden administration. (With the migrant crisis being the most prominent example.) And since Biden’s economic policies are driving all of these surging prices, particularly when it comes to energy, Kemp is obviously highlighting that fact by doing this. I don’t expect most of the legacy media to pick up on that aspect of it, but some of us should be able to enjoy it.
But with that said, there is a lot wrong with actually signing an order like this as opposed to making a joke about it. First of all, just because the Democrats have fallen in love with these states of emergency and the seizure of autocratic powers, that doesn’t mean conservatives should simply follow suit. Two wrongs don’t make a right, as the saying goes. And one-person rule is not the way we should be doing business.
Then there’s the issue of the tax freeze. Will it be popular? Of course. Who doesn’t want to pay less at the pump, particularly now? But the power to set tax policy rests with the legislature and they can and must be held accountable by the voters if they get carried away. Having the executive unilaterally strip away that power, even if the decision is popular, undermines the system. If this was the best solution to bring relief to Georgians, why not call an emergency session and ask the legislature to pass a 30-day suspension of the tax? Particularly in the current climate, who would vote against it? And if they did, they could have their ears pinned back over it in the next election. They could keep renewing the bill every thirty days for as long as it seemed appropriate and Kemp could keep earning winning headlines every time he signed it again. That would have been the way to handle this.
We should also consider the unequal benefits involved with this move. Typically, in a true state of emergency, executive orders should benefit all impacted citizens equally. This will not provide any relief to non-drivers, those without cars, or people with electric vehicles. (I know… I know…) Everyone is paying too much for pretty much everything under Biden’s economic policies. But there is a segment of the Georgia population who will still be paying too much and not receiving any benefit from this.
Did we learn nothing from the federal government’s disastrous COVID response and the actions of all of the state leaders who mimicked those errors? Ruling by executive fiat creates too many temptations for people with personalities that may be prone to an addiction to power. We need far fewer states of emergency and executive orders, not more. And if Brian Kemp truly believed that, he shouldn’t mimic those who tend to go in the other direction, no matter how temporarily popular this move may prove to be.
