Memorial Day weekend is typically the beginning of the summer driving season and family vacations, but many drivers may rethink those plans as California has the highest gas prices in the nation.
One media outlet has reported that a Bay Area gas station is charging nearly $8 a gallon for supreme, while the average price is more than $6 for unleaded gas in California.
Pouring salt into the wound, the governor released the May Revise, and his updated budget proposal spends a whopping $97.5 billion budget surplus without providing any much-needed immediate relief at the pump for families.
A little perspective: California’s surplus is larger than the annual budgets of 13 states combined. By definition, a surplus means the public has been taxed more than needed. The surplus must be used responsibly, by putting the dollars toward infrastructure projects, paying down debt, stashing away savings and, most importantly, providing tax relief to Californians suffering from this state’s skyrocketing cost of living.
Families are feeling high prices at the pump more than ever. In January 2021, regular gas averaged $3.10 a gallon. Now gas is topping $6 — the highest in the nation — putting inflationary pressure across the economy. Filling up the family car to drive to work or drop off the kids at school has become something many have to balance against rent, food and medicine. Even driving my own Ford Edge, I’ve seen an increase — most recently paying $90 just to fill up.
Californians need relief now, and relief from high gas prices would especially help low-income families who feel the pain of rapidly escalating prices the most. The state can’t just mandate price cuts, but it could lower prices by suspending or eliminating its excise tax of 51.1 cents imposed on every gallon of gas. Then, it could use some of that massive budget surplus to backfill the reduced revenue and keep transportation projects on track. Win-win.
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