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California gas tax hike takes effect

July 1, 2013

moneyCalifornians will pay an extra 3.5 cents per gallon of gas beginning Monday. [Mercury News]

The 3.5-cent gas tax increase gives California the highest gas tax in the nation at nearly 72 cents per gallon.

Drivers who travel 15,000 miles and get 20 miles per gallon will pay an extra $26.25 per year.

In February, the five-member state Board of Equalization approved the tax increase as part of a “gas tax swap” that eliminated most sales taxes on fuel purchases in exchange for a higher excise tax.

Revenues from the sales tax fund local government programs, while excise tax on gas funds state highway and mass transit projects.

Board of Equalization member George Runner said the gas tax hike “is based on uncertain projections of future gas prices.”

California drivers are paying an average of $4.03 a gallon, 23 cents more than one year ago.

 


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The irony is, that this gas hike will cost the average California resident an additional $26.00 per year. The same person that cries over this small amount, was not even alarmed over “W’s” two fraudulent wars that has cost this nation $1.5 trillion dollars and counting, and the loss of 5000 Americans and heavy losses of civilian Muslim life as well.


It’s funny how both sides of the party line calculate their priorities relative to their party organization.


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Great, the extra funds MAY help the state-funded roads but they do it by taking income from counties and cities. So “robbing Peter to pay Paul?” SSDD


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I pray one day people will wake up and stop drinking the kool aid


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I also wish this, but from what I can see and hear around me, it appears as though we’ve reached critical mass. No going back or fixing anything now… just prepare for the ride.


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Big Government needs Big Bucks…Please don’t act surprised that increasing revenue to the ever increasing government is a bipartisan desire in Sacramento…


Don’t worry we are getting a speedy fast train that we can all ride to wherever we want to go. LOL


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Don’t blame just the Democrats – our Assemblyman Katcho Achadjian also voted FOR the gas tax. Is there a conflict of itnerest here since he owns gas stations? At the very least perhaps he could have recused himself on that premise instead of voting with the supermajority Democrats to pass it.


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womanwhohasbeenthere: The money from the tax does not go to the gas station owner. The article says,


“Revenues from the sales tax fund local government programs, while excise tax on gas funds state highway and mass transit projects.”


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Why would Katcho vote FOR a gas tax? So that people will buy less gas from him? That absolutely makes no sense.


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Because he is a politico now…


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The article says the 5 member Board of Equalization voted on this tax, I don’t believe Katcho is on that board.


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I do recall the CCN article on this back in March that provided much more insight into the mechanics of this whole Board and tax-raising scheme.


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The elected Democrats in California really care about the people, don’t they! NOT


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Don’t forget, California Republicans = Democrats.


If I yell “REPUBLICAN” and it gets you mad…

If I scream “DEMOCRAT” and it burns you up…

If I blame “BUSH & CHENNY” and you get excited…

If I slam “OBAMA” and you agree…

…then you are no longer helpful in anyway to the repairing of our once great nation. Take your party toys and go home. Lock the door, and drink your Kool Aid.


If you do not get it by now, you probably really never will.


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The gas tax swap was likely decided during a spit swapping session, woops, closed session. And what do we get, only a $26 a year cost increase. Yaaaaa, thank you thank you thank you.


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and WE still have the worst roads in the united states , what a load of s— they feed us with there SPECIAL BLENDS for summer and winter


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Yes but don’t forget that we have great pay and pensions. With that we can retire to in some other state and bad mouth California. Like most F’s, we just complain, pay our mis-appropriated taxes then die.


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but as long as the elected officials still get their $$$$$upport from special interest groups no reason to change


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“Special blends” in summer means people in LA and Fresno get to breath far less dirty air. I know, I lived most of my life in LA and that, combined with smog devices on autos, made a HUGE difference. Go live in Houston if you want to breathe smog. Blame the bad roads on Prop 13 and pensions.


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Pensions and prop 13 are everyones favorite whipping boys but I think our states bigger issue is the amount of people on some form of government assistance. We seem to pick on the people who are working. Look around at all the people sucking up every possible form of aid from welfare to free health care to food stamps, tuition, school lunches and housing, the list goes on and on. This states best times are behind us and our elected officials are killing the middle class with their taxes and regulation.


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Can you state some statistics to back up your claim (that don’t include Fox News or blogs)? Also, who says holding property while under Prop 13 means that you are working? And you may have paid into a pension during your working career, but when that money was invested poorly and the fund lost its metaphorical shirt and then you retired………… well, you got paid out of some other pocket. What’s killing the middle class is the upper class and their low pay wages. If you work at Walmart, where do you get your medical care—that’s right, the state!


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Just take a look at the state budget and the amount of money, and increases year over year, that goes to all the “programs”.


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Didn’t the state have a surplus budget this year? Only in the Golden State do we continually get ripped off. 72 cents for taxes? Where is it going?


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But then again we voted these people into office again and again, so what does that say about us?


As to where is it going, it may not be going to pensions and benefits but is making up for other taxes that are going there. A person in the public sector doesn’t retire in California, they just stop coming to the office but still collect their paycheck, and another person has to be hired to fill their desk, this can not be sustained for long.


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A very famous person once said, doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result is insanity…


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And they will continue to get elected because our fine citizens or non- citizens don’t want to lose their benefits.


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