How do you spell R-E-L-I-E-F from gas tax?

On Tuesday, May 20th, House Republican Leader Tom Cross and the House Republican Caucus will call for an immediate vote on House Bill 6318, legislation that would suspend the state portion of state  sales tax on gasoline, effective immediately.

According to an analysis of the legislation, it could have the immediate impact of reducing the cost of gas by as much as 17 cents per gallon.

A similar measure was enacted in 2000 by the General Assembly and produced results for Illinois consumers by immediately reducing the cost of gas, according to the AAA.

House Republican Leader Tom Cross has said the Republicans will move to call the sales tax suspension initiative on Tuesday.  On April 9th, House Republicans attempted to call the initiative for a vote, but Democrats used a parliamentary procedure to block the vote. Since April 9th, the cost of gas in Illinois has risen on average by 50 cents.

If you agree with the House Republicans that action needs to be taken to reduce the cost of gasoline, here's how you can help

1. Sign our petition to support the House Republican effort to provide gas relief.

2. Forward this email to five friends and urge them to sign the petition.

3. Send a contribution to the House Republican Organization to support Republican candidates that will fight for working families!

Comments

[Pete Speer]

I have to respectfully disagree.

Removing the tax will increase consumption without affecting supply. Prices will not drop the full amount. Extra profits will be made by the oil companies, the distributors and the gas stations.

Further, it will temporarily postpone the demand for what must be the development of alternative energy sources. Yes, I know that it will take some time before these become available, but the sooner we start to fund these the sooner we will get them.

Finally, It will not be accompanied by a reduction in State spending. Just create a larger deficit. This unilateral act will not help reform Illinois politics

Here is what Sheila Weinburg at the Institute for Truth in Accounting has to say:

"For example in my home state of Illinois, in July 2005 the legislature passed and the governor signed a “balanced” budget for Fiscal Year (FY) 2006. Two years later, the FY 2006 audited CAFR reported that Illinois’ primary government functions ran a deficit of more than $800 million. Illinois CAFRs for the prior four fiscal years (FY2002-FY2005) also showed annual deficits of $4.2 billion, $4.1 billion, $2.5 billion and $2.1 billion respectively. For more than twenty years Illinois’ budgets have been “balanced,” yet according to the Illinois CAFR, the state government is in a financial hole of more than $44.5 billion.

"This is not unique to the state of Illinois. Most states are required to “balance” their budgets, but run “structural” deficits. How can states run “balanced” budgets, but run “structural” deficits at the same time? Well, it all depends on how you count. The budgets are calculated using a very complicated and intricate method, I call “political math.” These rules are defined by elected officials, who calculate budgets essentially on a cash basis, which allows liabilities and the real condition of states’ finances to be hidden. On the other hand, the audited financial reports are calculated according to generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). GAAP is established by the independent GASB, which has no political stake in the outcome of the financial reports. GASB dictates that the states’ government-wide financial statements be calculated on the accrual basis. Accrual accounting provides a more comprehensive indication of the total financial activity of government and the long-term effects of current policy. Accrual accounting records revenues when earned and records liabilities when expenses are incurred, regardless of the timing of related cash flow. Accrual accounting helps governments meet two important objectives of financial reporting: determining whether current-year citizens paid for the services they received in the current year, or if the costs of services were shifted to future-year citizens; and calculating whether a government’s financial position has improved or deteriorated as a result of the year’s operations."

[Michelle]

Removing any tax is always good -- especially when the funds being collected are being used to buy up support for the governor rather than being used to fix or build roads.

Alleviating taxes has nothing to do with consumption. We need to invest in energy alternatives and to get away from oil dependency.

[Easy]

I think, whenever we can, we should work to reduce taxes. Less money from the gas tax flowing into the state's General Revenue Fund may force lawmakers to cutback on frivolous spending.

To your point above, Democrats have money to pay the medicaid backlog, they just choose not to. It's not a question about resources, it is a question of priorities.

Personally, I'd like to see a duplicative tax removed.

[TheReallyRightGuy]

I must question why this topic belongs in a conservative blog. It assumes government is the solver of problems, grantor of bounties, and subsidizer of irresponsibility.
The proper conservative position is individual responsibility. People should be responsible for their decisions to drive inefficient vehicles, ignore commuting distance when selecting a home, and maximize optional driving.

[Fran]

Really Right, you're really wrong on that. Competitiveness and responsibility -- two basic conservative principles -- are skewed when the state has taxed the product. Removing the tax is correcting that problem, something only the legislature can do.
In addition, we can do all the things you suggest to make free market competition work as it should. But the taxes are a serious problem that complicates this issue. There needs to be less taxes -- that issue always should should be on a conservative blog.

[DuPage14th]

Let's call a spade a spade. This is nothing more than a political stunt. If they really believed in it, they would push to eliminate the tax entirely. This was anything but a principled vote. Stop pretending it was.

Folks, this is why Republicans in Illinois are becoming more inconsequential by the day.