As gas prices continue climbing to record highs with no end in sight, I and the Assembly Republican Conference want to relieve some of the pain at the pump by instituting a “summer holiday” from state gas taxes. Motorists and small businesses are certainly feeling the pinch.
Our summer gas tax holiday would, on average, provide a nearly .30-cent savings per gallon of gasoline and a .35-cent savings per gallon of diesel fuel.
Record high gas prices are putting a serious strain on motorists’ wallets, family budgets and small business bottom lines. High gas prices are a big part of the painful ‘middle class squeeze’ New Yorkers are enduring. New York’s overtaxed, overburdened, overregulated motorists deserve a holiday from high gas taxes, especially during the summertime months when more families traditionally take to the roadways.
High gas prices have a negative multiplier effect, driving up the cost of everyday goods as small businesses bear the price of higher fuel costs and ultimately pass it onto consumers. The fastest way to put the brakes on rising fuel, food and other commodity costs is by instituting a much-needed holiday from state fuel taxes for motorists and small businesses.
I and the Assembly Republican Conference also support the proposal recently put forth by Republican Presidential nominee Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) that would institute a summertime fuel tax holiday by suspending federal gas taxes. McCain’s “Gas Tax Holiday” amendment would temporarily shelve the 18.4-cent per gallon Federal gas tax between Memorial Day and Labor Day 2008.
It is simple economics: when people have to spend more on basic necessities like fuel and food, they have less to spend elsewhere, causing a further drag on an economy already mired in recession. By removing federal and state taxes on a gallon of gas, we can provide some measure of short-term relief that motorists and small businesses have been calling for. My Republican colleagues and I applaud Senator McCain for being the presidential candidate who was first in addressing this pressing issue.
5 comments:
I disagree with the proposal to reduce gas taxes. Because of the dangers of global warming, we should be looking for ways to cut gas (and other carbon) usage, not increase it.
A better way to ease the middle class squeeze, and at the same time move toward a more sustainable energy policy would be to increase gas (and other carbon) taxes -- while at the same time offsetting the increased gas tax burden with a decrease in income and/or sales taxes.
I do not believe this will work. Gas companies will simply raise their prices and see it as an oppurtunity to make even more money. I do not believe that a country as powerful as this and with so many resources should be paying these ridiculous prices. Pretty soon low income Americans will not be able to afford to get to work/school. I have no faith left in this govt whatsoever.
Global warming is a natural change in the Earths climate. If you look at an accurate climate time line in comparison of an accurate CO2 level time line, you will see that temperature influences CO2 levels. CO2 response will have a 100 year lag.
The temporary "Gas Tax Holiday" will be a welcome relief to all of us that drive. New Yorks tax of $0.32, in conjunction with the feds $0.18 tax, will be a nice $0.50 decrease in the price of gas. For those of us that have to drive longer distances to fulfill our necessary tasks, both personal and business reasons, we will be able to see the difference.
And if the subject of money comes up, I would encourage the members of the Senate and Assembly to give up their member items. Give up their "Fair Share" so the rest of us can have relief.
It has been shown, via other states as examples, that the oil companies will not and have not raised the price of fuel, in a specific state, to replace the relief of a gas tax.
This is a dumb move that will perpetuate the problem of increased gas usage and the oil company profiteers will just use the opportunity to increase their prices.
Wake up America and get off this oil addiction.
Jim, I love your style but the Gas Tax Holiday is just window dressing. We have national and state gas taxes to fund repair and construction of highway systems. The politicians on both the state and federal level have taken these funds, money that built the interstate highway system, and squandered them in the general fund. The state tax that you are advocating suspending for the summer will need to be replaced by taxing us somewhere else - unless the assembly minority is going on record stating that NYS doesn't need the money and the state just levies taxes for the heck of it. And I voted for you every time you ran!
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