Gov. Brown Bellies ‘Up To The Bar’ With Taxes, Forgets What Was Ordered

Eric Scheiner | May 3, 2018
DONATE
Font Size

Last year Gov. Jerry Brown (D) argued California needed a 12 cent increase in the gas tax and higher vehicle registration fees. It was all part of a plan to raise $52 billion over a decade to repair roads and bridges.

Brown said road repair was an important issue and it was time “to belly up to the bar and start spending money.”

Of course, when you belly up to the bar with a fat wad of taxpayer funds in your pocket - you may just forget what you ordered.

California officials announced last week that $2.4 billion from increases in the gas tax and vehicle fees will be spent on dozens of transit projects – just not projects dealing with road repair.

Millions upon millions of dollars are set to be spent on purchasing some zero emission buses, over $80 million alone on one particular effort to increase rail ridership in the northern part of the state.

So instead, what gets driven into the Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters office? Petitions with nearly a million voter signatures, asking to put a repeal of the gas tax and the increase in vehicle fees onto the November ballot.

Gov. Brown has promised to fight the repeal effort.

Because once government bellies up to the bar and makes a tall order of taxpayer dollars, it’s hard to shut off their tab.

donate