A State Department official is drawing criticism after tweeting that he prefers high gas prices because it means less driving and less carbon emissions.
“I prefer high gas prices = less driving, less CO2,” Senior State Department Foreign Service Officer Alan Eyre tweeted on Friday in response to a tweet from President Biden claiming American families are paying less per month on average than they were during “peak prices.”
Eyre’s tweet was widely criticized on social media including from former Republican congressional candidate Ron Bassilian who called Eyre a “ghoul” and pointed out that gas demand is “inelastic.”
“Perhaps, but I don’t think it is inelastic and I remember in the 1970s the oil embargo led to a massive increase in renewables,” Eyre responded along with the hashtag #BeKind.
Basilian responded with criticism that was echoed by several other Twitter users pointing out that gas prices have caused significant struggles for Americans across the country.
“Be kind?” Basslian said. “Perhaps be kind to the billions of people left high and dry in this situation you praise. Saying a famine is a good way to start a diet is not kind.”
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