Californians Gas Tax Money Grab SB1

Repeatedly, it seems that government’s solution is to throw money at a problem. They raise taxes, issue bonds, and implement new, bigger budgets, all at public expense, then use those funds to simply disappear, misappropriate those tax dollars into the pockets of politicians, contractors, and Lord alone knows who else. Meanwhile, this haphazard approach typically solves nothing, so traffic congestion, roads, and infrastructure remains as it was, costing us millions in slowed economic activity and lost business.

Not that any of this stops our communities from expanding. No, that goes right on apace, increasing demand on an already overburdened transportation infrastructure, while our efforts to alleviate the problem run into the familiar wall of government wastefulness and ineffective incompetence.

You cannot solve every problem by simply throwing more and more money at it. It is practically an appeal to emotion, since it, really only feels like doing this should work, while critical examination does not take long to reveal the folly of the strategy. That is why we have one of Countries highest taxes and it is why Californians now have been saddled with a new tax  SB 1, the $5.2 billion-per-year transportation package.

We are talking about the new gas tax, of course, the one that has already sent prices on regular gas up by 12 cents and on diesel by 20 cents. Additional fees start in January, when those numbers will almost certainly climb higher. That translates to a more expensive commute to work, higher costs to ship goods around the state, and less money in the regular folks like you and me pockets to stimulate the State’s economy through discretionary spending. With little fanfare, less debate, and practically no warning, we have been shackled a medicine ball to our economy’s ankle. The CAGOP allowed the rubber-stamping of Brown’s tax increases and slush fund by remaining the party of INVISIBLE – “Not Limited” government.

The CAGOP brand is damaged, ineffective, and their constituents hate it. Some constituents naively believed them looking for change again but they have been largely ignored again. The CAGOP ran for office on the platform of putting the brakes on the Democratic majority and their unstoppable impulse to tax, spend and regulate us to death. But yet again, the have let us down – instead they are running around the U.S. capitols taking selfie pictures – yes, I am talking about my opponent Mr. Matthew Harper. No legislation, no busting up the Gas Tax and Reform and completely absent on the repeal of the Sanctuary State initiative.

And why is their no fight for our tax plight? What is the purpose behind this latest unconscionable grab at our wallets? Surely, there must be a brilliant plan in place to use this new found money to fix some desperately threatening problem in CALIFORNIA. Is it our money-grabbing politicians looking for more of our hard-earned taxed dollars, AGAIN?

Not really. Supporters of the new tax legislation say it will raise over $5 billion per year to be allocated toward infrastructure work, repairing and expanding California’s road system. A noble cause indeed, but when we already live in the one state with the nation’s highest average gas prices – due to existing taxes – it hardly seems as if even more is necessary.

It also does not help that we have a report from at least one Senator who describes how the money is being spent so far, to include lifeguard recruitment, credit card fees, and parklands. That is not needed infrastructure work; it is what the government always does with tax money: sucks it right out of our pockets and spends it on whatever it darn well pleases, because calculating politicians will once again divert the funds!

This road funding measure, labeled the largest gas tax increase in California’s history. With two-thirds vote, Democrats can raise taxes without the Republican votes. The first potential Democrat casualty of the vote could be a Senator Josh Newman, D-Fullerton, he is being targeted for recall because of his narrow margin of victory in the 2016 election, increasing the chances that Republicans win the seat and break the Democratic super-majority. Fullerton Mayor Bruce Whitaker has become the first candidate to announce his entry into the race to replace the Senator in the 29th Senate District.

There is some further encouragement to be had from this lamentable situation, in that the heroic group Reform California is already on the move against this new bill. They have proposed an amendment for consideration on next November’s ballot which would not only repeal this ridiculous new gas tax, but would require a public vote before any future increases to gas taxes could go through. Their amendment also places restrictions on how money so raised can be spent.

Reform California is currently gathering signatures to indicate support for their proposed amendment, and they will need to reach a certain level in order to get on the ballot with it. They are to be applauded for their work, and everyone who cares about stopping the out of control taxation that rules in this state should consider signing.

Unsurprisingly, our Governor with no future, Jerry Brown, was all aboard with this tax hike. He will be leaving office soon, but he still had time in April of this year to approach the Senate Appropriations Committee when the bill was being considered, and argue for its passage. Lawmakers should make haste in getting this legislation through, he said, because after he has gone, California’s next Governor would surely be hesitant to sign any tax increase into law.

From your lips to God’s ears, Governor. From your lips to God’s ears.

Katherine Daigle


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