Gregoire: I don't support GOP gas tax rollback proposal

Strong, loud applause from us on the Governor's response to the Republicans' PR stunt today:

OLYMPIA – Sept. 7, 2005 - Gov. Gregoire today responded to the Washington state House Republican proposal to suspend the state gasoline tax for three months.

“This proposal has not been thought through. It would strap our ability to cover basic needs in education, health care and other vital services to people in Washington state.

“On Tuesday, Congressman Tom Delay, R-Texas said there was no support for rolling back the federal gas tax to offset higher prices. ‘Absolutely not,’ he said, after meeting with the president. He pointed out there are a lot of things that could increase supply, which would drive prices down.

“Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska commented that an $80 billion dollar increase in oil company profits since 2002 represents over $200 million dollars a day from Americans at the pumps.

“The oil companies should be a primary target in looking for a solution to the high price of gas, not the citizens. Why should people in Washington state suffer fewer services so oil barons can continue to amass huge profits. Why aren’t the oil companies, which are expected to make more than $100 billion in profits this year, contributing some of those billions to alleviate the economic hardships on the American people in the wake of a national disaster.

“I do not support the proposal. Others in the legislature who understand transportation and funding of state services are in agreement.”

Today, Speaker of the House Frank Chopp, D-Seattle expressed his disapproval of this proposal and his concern for the impact on state services.

House Majority Leader, Lynn Kessler D-Hoquiam said "Our gas prices are at record levels, not because of the state tax, but because of profiteering by oil companies in a time of war and national disaster. What the legislature needs to do is ask Congress to put an end to this unprecedented profiteering. If we have learned anything from the tragedy in Louisiana it is that now is not the time to neglect our infrastructure."

Senate Transportation Committee Chair Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, said “We’ll look at doing anything to help provide relief to the Gulf Coast victims of Hurricane Katrina – and to the indirect victims in our own state. But we must be responsible in doing so. At this point, we don’t know if the plan put forward is even legally feasible. And we won’t jeopardize other state responsibilities, such as education.”

This statement strongly reflects the concerns we voiced in an earlier post:

It is NOT time to financially bleed the state of Washington of desperately needed revenues that should be used to improve our transportation infrastructure.

Kudos to the Governor's office and to Democratic legislative leaders for this response.