Gas tax, bad roads | Letters to the editor, Oct. 30, 2018

Repeal gas tax, drive bad roads

There is a considerable amount of confusion and misinformation regarding gas taxes. In California we pay around 77 cents per gallon in taxes on gasoline.

Federal taxes are 18.4 cents per gallon. Voting for the proposition to “repeal the gas tax” will have no effect on that.

State taxes are 9 cents per gallon sales tax, an underground storage tax of 2 cents per gallon and then “excise taxes” of 58.5 cents per gallon, including the 12 cents dedicated by SB1 to repair of our roads and bridges.

If you total all the taxes it comes to 77 cents, and if you drive an average of 12,000 miles per year in a car that averages 25 mpg, you will pay $282 per year in taxes.

If the vote repeals the 12 cents per gallon tax dedicated to fixing and improving our roads and bridges, your savings for the year will be about $70, not anywhere near what some proponents are claiming you will save. You will still be paying 65 cents in taxes per gallon for gas.

And if the proposition passes and the 12 cents per gallon goes away there will still be unsafe and deteriorating roads and bridges. Those voting to repeal the 12 cents per gallon should not complain about those conditions.

Think again about socialism

It’s always fascinating to hear the horror show the right likes to portray as socialism. They always use Cuba or Venezuela as examples. These are poor and poorly governed countries. We never hear about the successful socialist/capitalist countries like Canada. Sweden? Norway? Ireland? These countries take care of their people. Their people don’t worry about being bankrupted when they become ill or injured. Their people don’t worry about a lifetime of debt for seeking a higher education that doesn’t pay off.

If you call 911 and are not required to provide your credit card number, you have committed socialism. When you drive down a road without paying a toll, it’s socialism. Paying for the common good via taxes. The real discussion is priorities. Do we want a healthy and educated population? Do we want modern and well-maintained infrastructure?? Do we want our seniors to live out their lives comfortably and be able to leave their home to their children instead of to liens for unpaid healthcare bills? Sure, taxes will be higher, but nowhere near a devastating medical or tuition bill. Healthy, educated citizens might even be less suspicious and jealous of each other. We may even unite as one nation.

Time for competent leadership

The real ID is supposed to identify people who are not a threat to the United States. But if you have your mail delivered to a P.O. Box, that is the address that is put on your driver’s license with no exceptions. The problem is that the DOJ, the State Dept., TSA and probably other federal agencies will not accept it has valid ID. We have an incompetent state government lead by an incompetent governor. This state needs change of leadership that is run by the all people of the state and not by the elite. I hope I am not the only one that wants change.

High-speed rail was a GOP idea

Correct me if I’m wrong. I just saw a Devin Nunes’ commercial blaming Jerry Brown for the bullet train.

Now if I remember correctly it was Arnold Schwarzenegger who asked the citizens of California if they wanted a bullet train And didn’t the majority of the citizens vote yes .

So the bullet trainwas a Republican idea first. The Democrats just thought it was a good idea too.

I mean, that’s how I remember it.