More proof the politicians are GOUGING us at the gas pump

 

The American Petroleum Institute has prepared an eye-opening briefing on the total tax burden — by state — drivers are dealing with at the gas pumps.  According to API, North Carolina is ONE of SEVENTEEN U.S. states with a combined local, state, and federal gas tax burden HIGHER than the national average.

API reports that, as of January 2012, the national average of the combined total local, state, and federal gas tax burden was 48.8 cents per gallon.   At that time, North Carolina’s total gas tax burden per gallon of gas was 57.6 cents per gallon.  South Carolina was at 35.2 cents per gallon.  Virginia was at 38.2 cents per gallon.  Tennessee was at 39.8 cents per gallon.  We are paying SO much more gas tax than any of our neighbors, yet we are told — by the powers in Raleigh — that we don’t have enough money to fix our roads! What are they doing with the money?  How come our neighbors can get along with a much lower gas tax burden?

North Carolina’s total gas tax burden per gallon is higher than that of Texas and Pennsylvania.  Our tax burden is also higher than Florida, Illinois and Michigan.

Our state’s economy is in the toilet.  A gas tax cut would be a great source of relief for beleaguered North Carolinians.  But our fearless GOP majority in the General Assembly couldn’t find time to get it done.

In fact, the Einsteins in Raleigh are trying to slap toll booths onto I-95 to make it EVEN MORE expensive to operate a vehicle in this state.