national average for gallon of regular is $2.85, up 80 cents from a year ago. south carolina republican gram g lindsey graham is considering a gasoline tax and it would provide alternative energy sources. graham s idea which he insists is not a straight gasoline tax would add 15 cents to each gallon of gas. the goal: reduce consumption and greenhouse gas emission. the 15 cent fee would by a complicated formula fall as the pollution generated by industry and utilities also fell. he says it s better than the new regulation by the environmental protection agency or across-the-board taxes on carbon. opponents call it a raw deal for recession-battered consumers. the government action that raises the price. it s tax no matter what it s called. it will hurt consumers and that s the last thing we need in a struggling economy. people are struggling to make ends meet. reporter: the idea turned the gas tax debate on its
the gas tax debate on its head. oil and gas industry long opposed higher gasoline taxes is warming to graham s plan. why? the industry sees it as a potentially less costly alternative to taxes applied directly to oil and gas production. some in the industries might support this because they think it would save off something more onerous. reporter: environmentalists who longer advocated this now oppose it. they want direct taxes on carbon-base pollution. the key is to have limits on carbon pollution that drive down emissions over time. that invest in clean energy technologies and energy efficiency that breaks our dependence on foreign oil. reporter: the white house opposes any new gasoline tax but said it will continue working with graham on alternatives. also on the tax front, the first family s 2009 returns show they made $5.5 million. and paid $1.8 million in federal taxes. they gave $329,000 to charities. how is the president making