Additional Three Dollar Gas Tax To Take Effect Jan 1st 2015 Email gas-pumpAn environmental bill long championed by the Obama administration and environmental groups was quietly signed into law this week. The bill, initially expected to fail, was bolstered by last-minute support from a group of moderate Republicans seeking reelection in predominantly Democratic leaning states. The bill strengthens environmental pollution penalties, emission standards and creates a surprising new three dollar a gallon tax increase on gasoline. Many House members who voted for the bill say they are shocked by the significant tax increase on gasoline included in it, and claim that they were unaware of its inclusion. At over one thousand pages long many of the subsections of the bill likely remained unread by congressional appointees or their aides. The tax authorization was buried in a supplemental section dealing with otherwise minor changes to infrastructure standards. The three dollar tax appears to be earmarked to a newly created environmental fund that will be used to modernize transportation infrastructure, making it more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. A provision in the bill allows for redistribution of the funds for other green projects, with approval of the house environmental committee, following the completion of the modernization overhaul mandated by the new law. Environmental advocates claim that the increase, which would bring the national average cost of gas to six dollars and eighty cents per gallon, will bring U.S. prices more in line with the global norm of between six and eight dollars per gallon. They also contend that the tax will encourage automakers to develop next generation fuel-efficient cars for the American market. One major initiative the tax will fund, replacing America’s outdated streetlights with modern LED technology, will reduce the total energy expenditure of America by roughly seven percent. Critics of the tax claim that it is excessive and was passed in an underhanded manner. The Average yearly cost to fuel a vehicle that gets thirty mpg will increase to thirty-four hundred dollars up from nineteen hundred dollars once this tax takes effect in 2015. Many families, critics charge, will be unable to absorb this increased cost and as a result will see their standard of living decrease. Trey Gowdy, congressman from South Carolina, called the passage of the bill a miscarriage of American justice. “Here we have a President who hurts the country he should be helping”, said Gowdy. “Instead of helping our citizens live better, and save money by approving the keystone pipeline so there is more fuel, this President wants to take the bread from people’s mouths. He wants them to pay more and suffer more and live with less” Gowdy went on to decry the Republicans who voted with the Democrats and enabled the passage of the bill, calling them Republicans in name only. Gowdy also called for a complete repeal of the new gasoline tax.
Posted on: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 02:00:37 +0000