11.   This high-level involvement shows how Internet taxes are becoming an important political issue.

12.   Under that philosophy, lower taxes become the reward for swallowing the difficult political decisions involved in budget-cutting.

13.   When this happens, tax cutting becomes a zero-sum game because relief for some taxpayers must be offset by higher taxes for others.

14.   Worse, the gas tax has become an ever-less-reliable source of income.

15.   And the tax could become an issue in the presidential campaign.

16.   In other economic comments he confirmed plans for tax cuts next year, saying taxes had become too high in recent years.