I’ve been making my rounds meeting with Jewish elected officials from Attorney General Doug Gansler to Dels. Jon Cardin (D-11) and Dana Stein (D-11).  Each time I do, I pitch my idea of how to make Maryland safer, cleaner, and more prosperous. They all listened and were amenable, but they’re savvy enough to know that my idea would never make it through the Maryland Legislature. Still, now is the time to strike.

See, with sky rocketing gas prices, people are actually changimg their habits; they’re driving significantly less, shunning SUVs, and dare I say it in Maryland, taking mass transportation.

Meanwhile, lower and middle-income earners are pushing their elected officials to give them some relief from gas pains. I can appreciate that. However, now is the time for the state to raise its gas tax by 10 cents. It’s not crazy. I’d be glad to give it right back to the taxpayers with sales tax reductions on all products that help our environment – CLFs (those funny looking light bulbs), hot water tank insulation, attic insulation, or any green home improvements. 

This is not the tree hugger in me talking. It’s the businessperson and the Jew.

The businessperson understands that the Chesapeake Bay is a main engine driving our state’s economy. Not improving it would be the same as if the French Quarter were destroyed in New Orleans. (Not even Hurricane Katrina did that, miraculously sparing the historic tourist magnet.) If the Bay sustains even more damage, it would hurt all of our pocketbooks. As the Bay’s health goes, so does the region’s economic health. Driving less and being greener will help our waterways.

The Jew in me wants to reduce oil consumption to stop pumping money into Iran’s coffers. While Marylanders represent less than 5 percent of the total U.S. population, our state’s leadership in this matter would spur other states to follow. After all, Missouri was the first government to prohibit state pension funds from being invested with companies doing business in Iran. Many other states, including our own, quickly followed. Now we’re slowly starting to hear a different tune from Tehran.

We have the opportunity to further influence Tehran’s rogue government, and thus other terrorist groups that it funds and aids – say Hezbollah and Hamas – if we consume less oil.

Since the price of gasoline has doubled, people are changing their habits. In other words, they’ve learned they can drive less and survive. Now is the time to ensure that gas prices stay high so that this new behavior is not a passing fancy, but a permanent response to terrorist-controlled oil.

I realize this isn’t popular, but it is necessary.