State legislators voted on suspending the gas tax after prices continue to soar to record levels locally and nationwide. Many of the same legislators crying about “penalizing the poor” when discussing high gas prices, voted against suspending the tax.
We need walkable communities. Mobility lanes. Electric bikes/scooters/cars, and green public transportation.
— Isaac G. Bryan (@ib2_real) March 13, 2022
This isn’t the first time gas prices have been high, but if we make the right infrastructure investments it could be one of the last times.
“Today we asked the legislature to stand up for constituents and suspend the gas tax. The democrat majority party said no. So be sure to thank a democrat next time you fill up your tank,” wrote Sen. Melissa Melendez on social media.
It is estimated the state has a $29 billion surplus for the 2022-2023 year.
Taxes and fees make up a portion of the cost of the state’s sky high gas prices, which are also highest in the nation.
Earlier this year, an analysis by Irvine based researchers Stillwater Associates found Californians were paying at least $1.18 cents per gallon in taxes and fees alone. That number fluctuates by a few cents depending on sales tax calculations, which vary by city.
The last fuel crisis saw residents alternating days at the gas pump, based on the last number of their license plate. That was a way to keep gas prices down, through the measured approach of who purchased gas and when.
Black elected officials are touting electric cars, while many of the underserved population live in multi-family housing, with no infrastructure to sustain a switch to electric. Not to mention the outrageous costs to replace the battery, makes owning an electric car not at the top of “poor” people’s list of priorities.
When will Black legislators start representing the interests of Black people?
