WA state now has highest gas and diesel prices

[mspart]

More than CA, more than NC.   Highest in the nation.   I lived in HI and it is more expensive in WA than there.   

There just isn't enough money yet they are getting more money with $8 billion in new taxes this year alone.   We just don't have the money to maintain roads and bridges and stuff unless we get even more.   WE have a $0.50/gal carbon tax on gas and diesel that does not go to roads and bridges, it goes anywhere else.   We have $0.59/gal gas tax and $0.58/gal diesel tax and the state cries foul.  

At diesel prices at $5.29/gal where I live, that is a 20% "profit" margin for the state and they don't do anything.   The state claims poverty due to their pushing EV sales and very fuel efficient cars that most of us around here drive which drives down the revenue.   But they are making plenty.   The CO2 tax is for gas, diesel, Nat Gas, propane and the rest.   That raises the cost of shipping and transporting of food, and appliances, and everything in between.   

And yet they have no funds to fix roads and bridges.  

mspart

[red viking]

I'm in Spokane right now, for business. I just happened to notice that. Impressive!!

Edited 11 hours ago by red viking

[ionel]

Art's new car?  

[JimmySpeaks]

The life of living in a blue state.  Taxed to the limit 

[nick]

I can't speak on WA, but in Indiana our gas tax is at 54.5 cents per gallon. We have a base tax of 34 cents and then a monthly adjusted tax that is based on the average price of fuel. That puts us at roughly 5th highest in the US for tax.

With that, our transportation department (and state) will be facing a shortfall... Last time I checked, it's something like a 2.5 billion shortfall next year as a state and two years ago INDOT was projecting a billion shortfall over 10 years.

As part of our state leadership tax plan that was passed this year, the state cut taxes, but all it really did was shift the burden from the state level to the county level. So while property taxes were cut, the max county income tax rate was increased and cities/towns can now have an income tax rate. To participate in state grant programs, counties now have to add additional taxes (ex, a wheel tax has to be implemented if you want to be able to receive road/bridge grants from the state).

The state government in Indiana loves to brag about low taxes and push everything down to the local level so they don't get blamed for it.

For local governments in Indiana

Quote

 

In an August report, Purdue University’s Local Technical Assistance Program estimated an annual funding gap of nearly $500 million per year in construction costs just to keep road conditions as-is. The gap grew to $1.2 billion annually to improve conditions, and to $1.9 billion to eliminate “poor” roads.

Indiana’s single dedicated bridge-funding mechanism further left counties facing a gap of about $500 million annually, according to the report, although some likely used road funding to plug holes. Even if eligible municipalities and counties maxed out local tools like the wheel tax and excise surtax, there’s still an annual $650 million deficit simply to maintain current road and bridge conditions.

 

 

Edited 8 hours ago by nick