Senate Bill 1, which is Jerry Brown and the democrats' $52.4 billion bill in taxes to "fix" roads, is going to cost Californians much more than we think.
Titled the "Road Repair and Accountability Act," SB1 is tied to inflation and it's a forever tax. That means you're always going to be paying more for gas, and our roads are still going to be horrible because lawmakers will use the money to fund their stupid pet projects.
The San Diego Union Tribune broke down the tax. When they combined all of the taxes and fees together in California, they determined we'll have to pay this:
- 47.3 cents in primary and secondary excise taxes
- 2 cents on the underground storage tank fee
- 9 cents on the sales tax (as per the Tax Foundation estimate)
California has a second excise tax. That's nuts!
But then you still have to factor in the federal tax, which is 18.4 cents a gallon. That means we'll have to pay 76.7 cents per gallon in state and federal taxes every time we go to the pump.
Diesel drivers will get shafted even more. The diesel excise tax will increase 20 cents a gallon, and the diesel sales tax will go up 5.75%.
And there's even more! Starting in January there will be an annual vehicle licensing fee, ranging from $25 for cars worth less than $5,000 to $175 on cars priced $60,000 or more.
People who think they're saving the planet will also get hit. Starting in 2020, owners of zero-emission cars will pay $100 every year. It will only apply to the sale of new zero-emission cars, but still. This tax sucks.
Sacramento lives in a fairy tale world, they don't understand what it's like for everyday Californians who depend on driving to survive.
Click here to read more about what's really in the gas tax at the San Diego Union Tribune.
You should also click here to read Jon Coupal's latest column "Hidden costs of gas-tax legislation."