Consumer coalition supports gas tax delay

The Fed Up at the Pump coalition has announced its support for the introduction of AB 69 by Assembly Member Henry Perea. This legislation would delay a state regulator planned 16 – 76 cents/gal. tax on gasoline and diesel.

Starting 1 January 2015, Californians will pay an increased price/gal. of gas as a result of a cap and trade regulation known as ‘Fuels Under the Cap’, created by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the Brown Administration without public knowledge or legislative approval.

The goal of the Fed Up at the Pump campaign is to educate consumers about the January gas hike and encourage them to send a letter to Governor Brown demanding a delay to the implementation.

Campaign spokesman Matt Notley commented: “We want to thank Assembly Member Perea and his co-authors for listening to us, and to the families and business in their districts, these past weeks as we have shared our concerns about how this is unfair and hidden gas tax will harm many Californians who are struggling to get by”.

“Californians overwhelmingly support AB 32 and the promise of a cleaner, greener California. But we are also saying ‘Enough’s enough!’ We just passed Prop 30 to raise taxes for teachers and education. We are tapped out and believe that it’s time to discuss a better, less regressive way to implement this landmark law without raiding the wallets of poor and middle class Californians”.

Chaplain Loron Hodge, executive director of the Hope Center, a non-profit organisation assisting low income families in Kern County, said: “The poor and low income people we help are barely able to purchase food and clothing, let alone pay for more gas. We’ve already seen problems with people who don’t have enough money to buy the gas they need to drive here to pick up food and clothing we are giving away for free. An increase in gas prices causes the most problems for people who have no money to begin with”.

Adapted from a press release by Emma McAleavey.

Read the article online at: https://www.hydrocarbonengineering.com/gas-processing/04072014/consumer_coalition_supports_delay_to_tax_on_gas_856/