Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
June 18, 2015
- Gov. Jerry Brown calls for new roadway financing
- Californians already pay very high gas taxes
- Would be it more gas tax or another levy?
There was a time when California was teaching the world how to build first-class highway systems.
Our highway engineers were loaned to other nations eager to emulate California’s network of highways and freeways.
Today, California’s state highways and local streets and roads are – or should be – a civic embarrassment, ranking at or near the bottom in state-to-state quality comparisons.
Although California motorists pay the second highest fuel taxes in the nation, we sit near the bottom in maintenance spending per mile of roadway and, therefore, at or near the bottom in congestion and pavement conditions.
As anyone who drives on California’s streets, roads and highways could attest, they are in lousy condition – in some cases literally disintegrating under the pounding of 330 billion vehicle-miles of travel each year.
The California Transportation Commission, in its most recent “statewide transportation system needs assessment,” says California should spend $538.1 billion on state and local transportation improvements and maintenance in the ensuing decade, but can count on having less than half that amount.
To read entire story, click here.
We cant afford to maintain the roads because we have to give all the tax money to illegal aliens, welfare parasites and poor people. We are a magnet for parasites. No more money for the middle class that pays all the taxes. This is the hell that democrats have brought to CA.
We could always give the illegal aliens money only if they repair the roads.
“Whichever path is followed, the Legislature should begin by explaining, or demanding others to explain, why our fuel taxes are so high now but our spending on vital maintenance is so low.
Without some reasonable explanation, and guarantees that new roadway money won’t be squandered, drivers will be rightfully reluctant to pay more, no matter how it would be imposed.”
What say U Dr. SanBAG??… “Squandering taxpayer money, what squandering of taxpayer money? Instead of putting MEASURE I STATE GAS TAX money into PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT MAINTENANCE techniques for the last 20 years, our vision is to INVEST in the FREEWAY ENTERPRISE ( JPA soon to be a COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS paid for by HERO). That’s why we need TOLL LANES on the I-10 & I-15 Freeways, we like to refer to them as EXPRE$$ LANES… it’s all about the money!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=18X_zUO-Kio
I’ve mentioned why the taxes are high. But probably not very well.
The petrol producers MUST sell at a maximum cash flow rather than a maximum profit margin. They start production 6 months ahead of when it is finely delivered and it MUST be sold- at any cost.
It seems Californian’s are cool with 4 bucks a gallon.
The reality.
If a gallon of gas was sold without any taxes; it would cost the consumer 4 bucks a gallon and be priced by the producer at 4 bucks a gallon.
If a gallon of gas was sold with a dollar a gallon tax; it would cost the consumer 4 bucks a gallon and be priced by the producer at 3 bucks a gallon.
2 dollar tax would sell at 2 dollar wholesale. etc.
Yes, there will be a cut off but it seems production is costing less than 2 dollars right now.
SO, the correct thing to do is raise the taxes on gasoline ALOT and the manufacturer will lower the price they charge in order to get the gas that in 6 months old out of the way because there is a TON of raw materials arriving daily that can not be stopped.
California has (very quietly) toyed with this, by raising and lowering the taxes of the last few years and the formula turns out to be true.
The oil companies will adjust their price to make sure gas is sold at 4 dollars a gallon, regardless the price.
Personally, I would rather 1 or 2 dollars out of the sale of a gallon of gas go to our state rather than to the oil companies.
For proof, look at the Red States that “eliminated” gas tax to “help working families” by the politicians that were put their by the oil companies.
By “eliminating” the taxes, the oil companies could raise the prices (and they did) to create more profit.
If California raised the taxes on gas, the oil companies would lower their prices to match and total 4 dollars a gallon.
Count on it.
Either way, it seems we will pay four dollars a gallon. It’s up to use to put a dollar in California’s bank account or put that same dollar in the oil companies bank account.
Four dollars either way.
Dan Walters should have and probably does know this. Shame in him.