I am a driver, so the lower a gallon of gas costs, the happier I am. I still think the bill I just heard about on my favorite local news station is absurd.
Consider these: our roads suck and the pollution in our valley during inversions is the worst in the nation.
So, in year citizens want to improve the air and the roads, why are our legislators introducing legislation that will encourage more driving?
Their idea: cut the sales tax on a gallon of gas in half, and raise the sales tax (including on food) by another 2%. Gleefully they announce that this is not a tax increase, in the short run there will be no increase in taxes collected.
So, why do it? Well, in the long run sales tax revenue increases, whereas gasoline tax revenue tends to stay the same, or even decrease.
Let’s not consider that:
- Gas consumption tends to increase when taxes go down – more wear and tear on the roads and more pollution in the valley.
- Why are we shifting the cost of our roads from the people who drive to people who eat food. (Yeah, even drivers eat food, but not all people who eat food drive, and they already pay for roads in the cost of delivering their food items.)
Well, it hasn’t passed and even though I’d love to pay 12 cents less a gallon for my gas, I’m hoping the bill dies.
