Dennis Thomas: Trick or tax? Around Halloween we’ll start paying more for gas

Hey California, are you ready for your Halloween trick or treat come November 1? Starting 11/1 you will get to pay an additional 12 cents per gallon for gas. Can you imagine how happy our state politicos will be?

We already pay the highest gas tax in the nation. We only have about 34 million cars, trucks, RVs and motorcycles. Do the math – we are talking a lot of money. But we need the money for our transportation needs.

Do we really need it? That’s questionable. Thirty years ago all our gas taxes went into our Transportation Fund. We had the best highway system in the country. So what happen? Well, the politicians diverted the gas tax money into the general fund. Our roads have gone down hill since then. Do you see where I’m going? There’s an old equation that goes like this: A pile of money plus politicos equals bad news.

So, what do you think will happen this time? I have a bad feeling already. Can we stop this now? I don’t know, but we need to apply pressure to these politicos before Nov. 1.

Editor’s note: According to the Tax Foundation, California’s state gas taxes and fees (38.1 cents per gallon) rank No. 7 in the nation trailing Pennsylvania (58.2 cents), Washington, Hawaii, New York, Michigan and Connecticut.

This story was originally published September 7, 2017 at 11:08 AM with the headline "Dennis Thomas: Trick or tax? Around Halloween we’ll start paying more for gas."