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* Looks like the governor got lucky with his timing. The Motor Fuel Tax will increase by 19 cents a gallon on Monday…
Lower gas prices are contributing to record travel. With today’s national average of $2.61, gas prices are 23 cents lower than last summer. AAA does not expect the increased gas tax in Illinois, set to take effect on July 1, to have an impact on holiday travel volumes.
“Gas prices are, on average, 20 cents cheaper than Memorial Day weekend,” said Nick Jarmusz with AAA. “More so, summer gas prices are poised to continue dropping even lower in the coming weeks.”
* But, as is usual with these things, person in the street interviews abound right now on TV stations everywhere. WSIL…
Lucy Rushing manages the 4-Way Quik Shop in DeSoto.
She said this tax increase is going to make it hard to keep their gas prices competitive.
“I have people who will literally stand up here (the counter) and count pennies to pay for gas, so it’s going got impact everybody,” Rushing said.
Pritzker expects this increase to generate around $1.2 billion in revenue, but Rushing is worried about her bottom line.
“People who get gas are more likely to come into the store and buy other things,” Rushing said. […]
Rushing said tobacco is one of their best sellers.
Loss of tobacco sales is probably not a great argument, but I get where she’s coming from.
* WEHT…
Some people who say they are furious that lawmakers are once again imposing more taxes that they say they just can’t afford.
“They are just taxing the people of Illinois to death,” says Illinois resident Sandra Higgins. […]
“I don’t like it, I don’t like any of the tax increases that our state is doing, ” says Kate Ackerman. […]
“The gas tax sounds like a money making business but I don’t think it will help the families in Illinois. They’re already taxed to the max,” says Amanda McCoy.
* ABC 7…
Residents said they will have to change their daily routine just to stay ahead, especially rideshare drivers that have to fill up daily for their jobs.
“It’s going to hurt, you’re looking at an extra 100 dollars a month basically if you round it out,” said rideshare driver Mahalia Evans.
“My profits are going to end up slashed, so, the way I’m gonna combat it is just like I said, head out to Indiana where it’s a lot more reasonable and more workable. I’m just going to do that,” said rideshare driver Patrick Vital.
* Back to WSIL TV…
A group created on Facebook plans to boycott the tax.
Members of the Facebook group are planning to travel into Missouri, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky or Wisconsin to fill up their tanks.
The leader of the boycott said she and other drivers are putting their foot down on the gas tax.
Lori Fuller is one of two sisters from the Metro East who started the Facebook page.
“You know, you can’t pour gas into the harbor, so we decided a boycott would be in order,” Fuller said.
The group only has about 1400 members.
* Slowik…
Illinois residents routinely cross borders for cheaper gas and cigarettes already, [Bill Fleischli, executive vice president of the Illinois Petroleum Marketers Association] said. In May, the Illinois Department of Transportation closed the Bayview Bridge over the Mississippi River near Quincy due to flooding.
“Sales volumes on the Illinois side went up 100% while the bridge was closed, then went back down when the bridge reopened,” he said. “There is evidence all over the state” of consumers near the border seeking better deals in neighboring states, Fleischli said.
* But it’s not all negativity. Pantagraph editorial…
How often do we as a group of citizens complain about nothing being accomplished at upper governmental levels? Here, finally, is an example of a problem being identified and a solution presented.
We can’t spend our time yelling “do something about these issues” and then when a solution is found, yell “wait, not that.” Likewise, we can’t avoid doing something because of previous discretions from previous promises.
* Ray LaHood…
One, raising the gas tax 19 cents a gallon will provide the needed money to fix our infrastructure, including roads and bridges. Without these resources we would not have the needed money.
Two, the bill also provides millions of dollars to fix our deteriorating facilities around Central Illinois and the State of Illinois. This will include facilities at Illinois Central College, Bradley University, some Peoria Public Schools facilities to name a few.
Third, the incredible number of jobs for engineers, architects, building contractors, road contractors and building trades workers will be substantial for many, many years.
Fourth, the economic development opportunities for our communities all across Illinois through the rehabilitation of roads, bridges and facilities will increase economic development and growth, new businesses and new jobs.
* Peoria Journal Star…
The gas tax increase and $45 billion infrastructure plan drew bipartisan support in both houses, including from Republican state Rep. Margo McDermed of Mokena.
“The capital plan does contain additional sources of revenue, but it is necessary long-term sustainable funding that will help us avoid the peaks and valleys of intermittent funding, which leads to starts and stops on projects our communities are counting on,” McDermed said in a news release. “Further, people who drive on our roads every day are paying for it, they just don’t realize it.”
* Related…
* Pritzker signs capital, gaming bills, touts capital plan benefits during stop in metro-east
* Moran: After Springfield gives a green light, Lake County looking at local gas tax for transportation improvements
posted by Rich Miller
Friday, Jun 28, 19 @ 2:08 pm
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Previous Post: Pritzker signs Rebuild Illinois into law
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Road improvements don’t come for free. Gas prices used to be way higher than the amounts with the new tax. The people who leave Illinois to buy gas, will they also have some integrity and avoid the repaired roads and bridges for which they didn’t pay?
Hardcore anti-tax people gonna always anti-tax.
Comment by Grandson of Man Friday, Jun 28, 19 @ 2:24 pm
Heaven forbid any of these “journalists” should ask their interviewees “well, how then should we pay for fixing our roads, bridges and public facilities - or should we not fix them?” Please stop catering to dumb.
Comment by Moe Berg Friday, Jun 28, 19 @ 2:25 pm
Moe, please don’t be silly. You simply withdraw money from the Fraud, Waste, and Abuse bank.
Comment by Independent Friday, Jun 28, 19 @ 2:55 pm
“They are just taxing the people of Illinois to death,” Remember when gas was $4.19/gal?
Comment by Skeptic Friday, Jun 28, 19 @ 3:00 pm
That boycott is ridiculous. Do they honestly believe that the state will reverse course on this increase just because some people are crossing the border to fill up? This is already happening anyways and people should make their own cost benefit analyses about whether it is worth their precious time to do this on a regular basis.
Comment by Former State Worker Friday, Jun 28, 19 @ 3:02 pm
You’ve got to genuinely feel sympathy for poor people who are going to have to pay this onerous tax. However the people that complain the loudest are usually making an upper middle class income and driving a gas guzzler.
Comment by Collinsville Kevin Friday, Jun 28, 19 @ 3:04 pm
The County Board Chairman in Madison County is organizing a protest at a gas station in Collinsville next week.
Comment by EA/WR Friday, Jun 28, 19 @ 3:09 pm
===“It’s going to hurt, you’re looking at an extra 100 dollars a month basically if you round it out,” said rideshare driver Mahalia Evans.===
Lets see… 100 dollars, divided by 19 cents a gallon = more than 500 gallons of gas. So she is driving 12k-15k miles a month? Sounds a bit excessive.
If she said $100 per year, then she would have been accurate.
Comment by Anti-Immoderate Friday, Jun 28, 19 @ 3:23 pm
Didn’t Indiana raise their gas tax last year? Everybody’s doing it.
Comment by horizontal man Friday, Jun 28, 19 @ 3:26 pm
So, some Metro Easters will drive in stop and go traffic to pay something like 10 cents less per gallon. They’ll waste gas, time, and money just to save paying the new gas tax? Sounds like a zero sum game, so why not just pay the tax and help rebuild your own roads and bridges?
Comment by Steve Rogers Friday, Jun 28, 19 @ 3:33 pm
Well if everyone else is doing it, we better do it too.
Sound logic.
Comment by SSL Friday, Jun 28, 19 @ 3:40 pm
===Well if everyone else is doing it, we better do it too.===
The reason “everybody is doing it” is because “everybody” is facing the same issues IL is with trying to stay ahead of infrastructure. Not always the case in IL, where we often are different in a bad way. IN did it, IA did it, MO rejected it but are thinking about it again.
Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Friday, Jun 28, 19 @ 3:51 pm
Somehow I don’t think complaining higher gas taxes will reduce tobacco sales and fuel (carbon) purchases will generate a lot of sympathy in many D districts.
Also @ Independent –
Waste Fraud and Abuse is so 20th century.
the correct expression is Pensions!
Comment by Ebenezer Friday, Jun 28, 19 @ 3:58 pm
When did the PJS start caring about, let alone covering, Mokena and its local lawmakers?
Comment by Michelle Flaherty Friday, Jun 28, 19 @ 4:22 pm
===The County Board Chairman in Madison County is organizing a protest at a gas station in Collinsville next week. ===
Maybe in a boot-legging run from Chickasaw County to Hazzard County (barring any arrests from Sheriff Coaltrain), filling up out-of-state would make sense. / Snark
‘What’ the County Chairman is advocating simply draws ire to those hundreds of miles away from Collinsville and shows little support for gas stations (or gas station owners) back home, locally. Misplayed, it would seem.
Comment by Union4thePeople! Friday, Jun 28, 19 @ 4:29 pm