Everything old is new again
Friday, Apr 8, 2022 - Posted by Rich Miller
* WMBD…
An amendment filed this week would require gas retailers to post a 4×8 inch sign on pumps, sharing that the tax increase is suspended. Non-compliance would be a petty offense and result in a $500 dollar fine each day.
“You can’t force businesses or any person to utter speech that they disagree with, or they don’t want to say,” Sharp said.
Sharp called the measure political.
“I think the reasoning behind it is so that the General Assembly can attempt to leave Springfield and say that they did something about high gas prices, when in fact they really didn’t,” Sharp said.
* As I told subscribers earlier this week, the same thing was done in June of 2000…
SB 1310 provides that a sign shall be placed on each pump by the motor fuel retailer that states; “As of July 1, 2000, the State of Illinois has eliminated the State’s share of sales tax on motor fuel and gasohol through December 31,2000. The price on this pump should reflect the elimination of the tax.” This sign shall be at least 4 inches by 8 inches and any retailer failing to display this sign shall by guilty of a petty offense and be fined $500 for each retail premises violating the sign requirements.
That statute is still on the books.
- Retired SEIU - Friday, Apr 8, 22 @ 2:29 pm:
These signs can be placed over all the “Biden-I Did That” signs that are on many gas pumps.
- Kippax Blue - Friday, Apr 8, 22 @ 2:36 pm:
Yet they had no problem plastering the Sangamon County Sheriff’s picture on each gas pump for a political purpose.
- Give Me A Break - Friday, Apr 8, 22 @ 2:38 pm:
Would Mr Sharp prefer one that said, “Illinois drivers want Cadillac roads but want to pay for a Yugo”?
- Donnie Elgin - Friday, Apr 8, 22 @ 2:52 pm:
Were signs required when the Dem’s increased
the gas tax?
- Medvale School for the Gifted - Friday, Apr 8, 22 @ 2:54 pm:
Josh should know better than to poke the eye of the legislature and governor. The truth is that gas stations will not reduce their prices. And everyone knows it, including him.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Apr 8, 22 @ 2:56 pm:
“Wait. What? How can we own the libs with our non-legal stickers on the gas pumps if they get to put statute required stickers on there too?”
- Your In-Law Uncle
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Apr 8, 22 @ 2:59 pm:
NASCAR will have fewer stickers on things than Illinois gas pumps…
- Rich Miller - Friday, Apr 8, 22 @ 2:59 pm:
=== when the Dem’s increased the gas tax? ===
You mean that 2019 bipartisan bill strongly supported by the Republican leaders?
- JS Mill - Friday, Apr 8, 22 @ 3:04 pm:
=You mean that 2019 bipartisan bill strongly supported by the Republican leaders?=
Hold my beer…no, he means the fantasy world where only democrats raise taxes and the gop ALWAYS lowers them but government and life is better when we don’t have the money to pay for things.
The memory of a gnat.
- DuPage - Friday, Apr 8, 22 @ 3:24 pm:
Gas goes up by dollars, they reduce the tax by a few pennies. Accomplishes little or nothing except put a hole in the road funds.
- NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham - Friday, Apr 8, 22 @ 3:34 pm:
==the same thing was done in June of 2000…==
That gas tax suspension as well as Illinois First hangover (followed by the 2001 recession and then 9/11’s economic effects) helped the state budget go down the crapper ever since that summer, and stay that way for over 20 years.
- Sheriff Sticker - Friday, Apr 8, 22 @ 3:43 pm:
Lots of old Sangamon County Sheriff Neil Williamson stickers still on pumps statewide too!
- ANNON'IN - Friday, Apr 8, 22 @ 3:45 pm:
Last time they did put up stickers…or lower prices.
- NonAFSCMEStateEmployeeFromChatham - Friday, Apr 8, 22 @ 3:51 pm:
==Lots of old Sangamon County Sheriff Neil Williamson stickers still on pumps statewide too!==
Those look like they also dated from around 2000 too, he’s wearing his sherriff uniform and his hair is much darker than in his later terms.
- Jane - Friday, Apr 8, 22 @ 3:52 pm:
Yeah . . . the last time they did that, those stickers stayed there forever because of the nuisance involved in removing them. I suspect that however much legislators wanted that sticker there so voters would credit them, in the end that reminder afterwards that the break was temporary destroyed whatever voter goodwill they may have temporarily earned.
- TheInvisibleMan - Friday, Apr 8, 22 @ 4:02 pm:
from the story;
“the price change won’t be that much where it would be noticeable”
I just can not get enough of the lopsided reaction when taxes move in either direction.
.39 cent decrease in the gas tax? No big deal.
.08 cent increase in the gas tax? This is tyranny and I’m going to drive across the state line and get gas instead to save money, because in these hard times every penny matters.
Same thing happened with the arguments for progressive tax.
We heard reducing income taxes for most people by .2% is no big deal. Nobody will even notice that.
Increasing them by the same amount? I’m going to move my entire family out of the state.
- Franklin - Friday, Apr 8, 22 @ 4:05 pm:
Nothing stopping the retailer from adding a second sticker reminding people at the pump that this is an election gimmick that expires shortly after votes are cast.
- JW - Friday, Apr 8, 22 @ 4:07 pm:
Cmon. Josh Sharp is a good person & truthful lobbyist. Seriously, IL has a pretty high MFT tax & to mandate that he congratulate the folks who have bumped that tax about a two cent reduction. I mean even the folks who frequently opine here can’t be that obtuse. Pass the bill & move on but don’t try to use the very industry many want to eliminate for political gamesmanship.
- Oswego Willy - Friday, Apr 8, 22 @ 4:10 pm:
=== Nothing stopping the retailer from…===
Maybe making their business value signaling with gas isn’t all that great of a thing if the business itself decides to wade into all this.
If you talk to one who runs or owns a gas station, the last thing they wanna do is get into a price discussion, let alone place a sticker on themselves to exacerbate it.
But, “free country and all”
- Joe Schmoe - Friday, Apr 8, 22 @ 4:10 pm:
Maybe the gas dealers ought to have stickers made for when the tax break is eliminated as a post-election gift. Also, who’s going to enforce the “sticker act” imposition?
- JW - Friday, Apr 8, 22 @ 4:13 pm:
Maybe they should put stickers on the pump listing ALL of the taxes on said product.
- JW - Friday, Apr 8, 22 @ 4:14 pm:
The State of IL makes more from a gallon of gas than any retailer