Eric Eisenhammer
Californians have long paid among the country’s highest gas taxes and yet political leaders’ utter failure to competently maintain our roads begs the question – where do our tax dollars actually go?
Recent passage of the largest budget in state history and billions in wasteful spending illustrates politicians’ game of neglecting priorities people actually care about as a pretext to raise taxes while at the same time handing out money freely to their friends and political allies.
Of $36 billion in increased spending over the last 5 years exactly $0 has gone to infrastructure.
An examination of Sacramento’s recent spending priorities puts the lie to their claim that they need more money for roads. Here are several relevant examples:
- $4.3 billion in proposed new spending including over $1 billion for healthcare for illegal immigrants.
- $419 million for new California Air Resources Board headquarters. This is the agency that collects the hidden gas tax imposed as part of our state’s cap and trade program.
- CalTrans on a hiring spree despite the State Auditor stating the agency is already overstaffed by 3500 positions
- UC Berkeley ex-chancellor to get paid $434,000 to pursue his personal enrichment.
- California governor and Legislature now nation’s highest paid.
- University of California exposed for hidden $175 million slush fund.
- $15 million to help illegal immigrants fight deportation.
- Free electric cars for the poor.
Furthermore, while insisting higher gas taxes are vital to fund roads, Governor Jerry Brown and CARB Chair Mary Nichols are simultaneously considering an outright ban on gas-powered cars.
It is also worth noting that Sacramento uses gas tax money for “transportation,” which is different than roads and highways. They just want us to think it’s all going to roads and highways because the vast majority of us drive to work as compared to the 5% who take transit or 1% who ride a bicycle.
How do they get away with this? Do they think we’re stupid?
In short, yes. They’ll lecture us that it’s all very complicated and we’re not smart enough to understand it. But that’s not true. It’s time to expose the game they’re playing and roll back the gas tax.
A proposed Constitutional Amendment currently in circulation would rescind the gas tax and keep it from coming back by requiring any future proposed gas tax be put to a vote of the people
You can download a copy of this form for yourself at http://noonthegastax.com. Simply click the button on the top of the page.
