It doesn't have to be a regressive tax. We have sales tax here in Ontario, Canada which is "regressive" but then in April, if you earn less than $XX per year, t

It doesn't have to be a regressive tax. We have sales tax here in Ontario, Canada which is "regressive" but then in April, if you earn less than $XX per year, the government gives you a refundable tax credit (read: a check) for the estimated sales taxes you paid during the year. The US should do the same thing with gasoline. Let the rich people with premium-gas-guzzling V8s pay through the nose for the luxury of polluting and use the money to wean the country off of oil.