uhh, we've gone up a bit more since earlier this year, with more increases to follow shortly.What would be a better/more palatable alternative to collect than tacking on another nickel and a half, or having a gas tax at all? I mean in reality-land where the voters said this money is getting raised, not in the anarcho-capitalist utopia of Galt's Gulch aka Somalia. GWS is right that the gas tax (like any consumption tax including the FAIR tax; prebate in all holes) is regressive and it seems like a less 'elective' thing to levy a tax on vs taxing tobacco or alcohol.
Gas taxes by state, but it's from February:
How much gas tax adds to cost of filling up your car in every state
The government levies an 18.4 cent tax on every gallon of gasoline. On top of that, each state imposes its own tax, which if often even higher.www.usatoday.com
Says Pennsylvania is #1 overall ($0.587) on $2.48, California #2 ($0.555) on $3.29
These taxes also don't take into account California unique boutique blends of gasoline very few other states require. Driving the spikes we see every 6 months we change out back and forth. Artificial shortages are created and market driven prices go off the charts those 1-2 months of conversion every year. We pay over $4.00 a gallon, while most of the rest of the country pays $2.00-$2.50, all because of our self-imposed limitations and NO changes in actual oil prices.
But oh yeah, we're "saving the planet" from ourselves with our "sunshine tax".