July 6, 2021 - Last Thursday, the State of California once again raised the gas tax, a burdensome annual occurrence that has been plaguing Californians for the last few years.

Democrats say that this tax is necessary to pay for California’s roads and bridges, but progress isn’t coming fast enough, with even the notoriously liberal LA Times stating that the State’s “promised repairs are lagging.” Despite being unable to deliver a positive track record, State officials continue to argue that the tax isn’t enough to sustain transportation needs.

The notion that Californians need to be taxed even more in order to offset the costs of transportation and infrastructure repairs is offensive to the nearly 27 million registered California drivers who will now have to pay an increased state gas tax of 51.5 cents per the gallon, a 21 cent increase since 2017. 

And to make matters worse, California:

• Is nationally ranked as the state with the second worst traffic;
• Already has the highest state gas tax and gas prices in the country; and
• Spends nearly $420,000 per mile to build or maintain roads, 2.5 times the national average of about $161,000.

In the meantime, Governor Newsom collected $26 billion in federal aid from Speaker Pelosi’s Blue State Bailout, all while bragging about California’s $75.7 billion surplus.

Why is it then, that Californians continue to get crushed at the pump with an increased state gas tax? 

Our state is now just recovering from the worst pandemic in modern history that was not only emotionally draining, but economically debilitating. The marker of a good leader is one who can identify and adjust to current challenges. Sacramento should look towards streamlining state permitting requirements and reducing administrative costs, rather than forcing California’s motorists and truck drivers to pay higher taxes.
Source: Congressman Kevin McCarthy