Mailbag: Governor’s proposal adds unreasonable burden to existing gas and vehicle taxes

Spring is here, time to clean, enjoy the sunshine and give more of your money to Sacramento. Gov. Jerry Brown and his Democratic colleagues in the Legislature recently began pushing for a massive tax increase with Senate Bill 1.

The tax highlights from SB 1 include a gasoline excise tax increase of 19.5 cents per gallon, or $4.6 billion annually; vehicle license fee increases based on vehicle value of $1.6 billion annually; diesel excise tax increases of 20 cents per gallon, or $730 million annually; diesel sales tax increases of 4%, or $350 million annually; a zero emission vehicle fee of $100, or $20 million annually; and a $706 million, one-time loan repayment from the General Fund.

These new taxes represent a massive wealth transfer from the pockets of hardworking Californians to the troughs of bureaucrats in Sacramento, averaging $5.2 billion annually over the next 10 years. Currently, Californians already pay 18 cents per gallon in state tax alone, some of the highest taxes in the nation. Couple this 18-cent tax with hidden cap-and-trade fees, and the new taxes in SB1, and by 2031, Californians may be paying over $1 per gallon in state taxes.

As if these new gasoline taxes were not bad enough, SB1 assesses an additional fee based on a car’s market value. So, in addition to the annual registration you’re already paying, if your car is worth between $5,000 and $24,999, you will pay an additional $50 for the privilege of owning a car you already purchased and already paid sales tax on. If your car is valued between $25,000 and $34,999, you’ll pay an extra $100. And if you have a really nice car valued at over $60,000, you pay an extra $175 for your good fortune.

It’s a well-known fact that our infrastructure statewide is crumbling, traffic congestion is terrible and getting worse and the costs to fix the problem is increasing by the day. However, the burden to fix this problem should not rest solely on the taxpayer; it should rest on our elected leaders.

Enough is enough. Join me in saying no to this latest Democratic tax grab. Talk to your friends, family, and neighbors and ask them to call or write their legislator in opposition to SB 1.

Erik Weigand

Newport Beach

The writer is a city planning commissioner and treasurer of the Republican Party of Orange County.

Councilman continues with poor proposals

Councilman Scott Peotter is proposing several items that would have long-term financial consequences to our city. For example, selling the old City Hall property would eliminate a long-term Tidelands revenue source that would fund public improvements for generations, much like the longtime lease for the Balboa Bay Resort.

Peotter wants to cut our libraries, fire stations and community centers. This will cause these projects to cost much more in the future. Two more budget cycles and two more rounds of commissioner appointments are too much for me.

What really put me over the top, however, was how Peotter reacted to the Museum House project. Not only did he vote for this project twice, but he conspired to place in the petition more than 3,700 unnecessary pages to try to frustrate the people’s right to petition the government.

Even after 14,000 signatures were submitted, he refused to rescind the project and engaged in a round of insults and name-calling against the citizens leading this effort. We should demand more from our council members. Recalling Peotter now will help.

Georgia Foell

Newport Beach