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* Politifact…
[Illinois Comptroller Susana Mendoza] said [on a podcast] Indiana has a higher gas tax than Illinois does, even after a recent hike.
By every government measure we checked, and by acknowledgement from Mendoza’s office itself, the claim is wrong.
Illinois residents pay 8 cents more in state excise taxes for each gallon of gasoline than residents of Indiana, according to revenue officials in both states. We rate Mendoza’s claim False.
* She owned it and said she wouldn’t do it again…
I take pride in getting it right. This time I got it wrong. I trusted faulty info. Next time I won't just double check - I'll triple quadruple check. Sorry for the confusion. Good fact check.
— Susana A. Mendoza (@susanamendoza10) July 22, 2019
Even so, if you’re driving any significant length of time to save 8 cents a gallon, you’re doing it wrong.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Jul 22, 19 @ 2:20 pm
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Getting it wrong, being called on it, checking it out and then owning it: That’s ultimately getting it right, and it doesn’t happen often enough in politics and government today.
Bravo to the Comptroller for this good example.
Comment by Linus Monday, Jul 22, 19 @ 2:26 pm
It was nice of her to retract. But, it’s not going to matter one bit. The numbers are the numbers. If those near the Indiana border find it cost effective to gas up in Indiana , they will.
Comment by Steve Monday, Jul 22, 19 @ 2:27 pm
The google could have helped her - no excuse for this.
Comment by Donnie Elgin Monday, Jul 22, 19 @ 2:29 pm
=If those near the Indiana border find it cost effective to gas up in Indiana , they will.=
So what.
Roads don’t pay for themselves. Maybe the dead beat class thinks they do, but they don’t.
Comment by JS Mill Monday, Jul 22, 19 @ 2:30 pm
BGA interns working hard for their junior Andy Shaw merit badges this summer.
Comment by Sonny Monday, Jul 22, 19 @ 2:31 pm
If you eat it, you own it, that’s how you stick around when the hard fight needs to be fought, and ideology not right or wrong is the fulcrum.
This is how you want folks to go about their business. Good on the Comptroller.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, Jul 22, 19 @ 2:32 pm
Good for her. Admit the mistake and move on. Maybe didn’t need to say she trusted faulty info, but if it helps her sleep at night to get that off her chest, fine.
Comment by OutOfState Monday, Jul 22, 19 @ 2:38 pm
That “significant length of time” is a small number.
Assuming a 20 gallon gas tank (my car has a 16 gallon tank) saving $0.08 per gallon saves $1.60 per tank of gasoline.
At $3.20 per gallon, and with a 30 mpg car, as soon as you drive more than 15 miles out of your way (round trip) you are losing money.
If that Indiana gas station is 7.5 miles off your route you break even. Barely.
A 40 gallon tank and 15 mpg gives the same result.
But I suppose the emotional satisfaction of “sticking it to the government” has some intangible value.
Comment by Hamlet's Ghost Monday, Jul 22, 19 @ 2:38 pm
Although, if you’re going for cigarettes and fireworks anyway might as well fill ‘er up and save a couple of dollars.
Comment by Hamlet's Ghost Monday, Jul 22, 19 @ 2:42 pm
So she double-checked and still got it wrong? Can’t wait to see that CAFR.
==If that Indiana gas station is 7.5 miles off your route you break even==
You can’t put a value on spite.
Comment by City Zen Monday, Jul 22, 19 @ 2:55 pm
isn’t it the worst when your intern feeds you a statistic that they got from a meme on twitter. ugh, I hate it when that happens.
Comment by Iggy Monday, Jul 22, 19 @ 2:56 pm
Poor Abdon. That kind of work might’ve cut it at the Sun Times but there is a higher standard when it comes to Illinois government. /snark.
Comment by Hugo Igoe Monday, Jul 22, 19 @ 2:59 pm
“You can’t put a value on spite.”
Paying more for gas to own the libs.
Comment by late to the party Monday, Jul 22, 19 @ 3:21 pm
So prior to the gas tax increase, were Indiana border residents hightailing it to Illinois to buy gas? Were there stories about that happening? Can’t they do the math?
Comment by Original Rambler Monday, Jul 22, 19 @ 3:44 pm
I would expect the IDOR to issue a detailed report on tax collections for July as soon as they are available. Probably a state wide report augmented by a border county breakdown.
Comment by Blue Dog Dem Monday, Jul 22, 19 @ 3:49 pm
Did she ever own up to deceiving voters last fall about wanting to be Comptroller when she really wanted to be mayor of Chicago?
Comment by Birds on the bat Monday, Jul 22, 19 @ 4:07 pm
== You can’t put a value on spite. ==
environment > spite
I just did.
Comment by I Miss Bentohs Monday, Jul 22, 19 @ 4:19 pm
Gas a block from me was $2.79 today. Last week $2.87, several weeks ago $2.65. For good roads, $.08 just disappears.
Comment by zatoichi Monday, Jul 22, 19 @ 4:21 pm
==Did she ever own up to deceiving voters last fall about wanting to be Comptroller when she really wanted to be mayor of Chicago?==
I guess she could want to be both.
Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Monday, Jul 22, 19 @ 7:16 pm
Good on her to correct. At least she didn’t compare Missouri.
Comment by Cadillac Monday, Jul 22, 19 @ 9:10 pm
I drove to Kentucky over the past weekend. Between Bloomington and Champaign the gas seemed to be in the 2.78 range. In Indiana, the price was in the 2.76 range, although I did see a couple at 2.66.
Comment by G'Kar Tuesday, Jul 23, 19 @ 12:21 am
Gas prices tend to balance out regionally over time. Case in point, I normally fill up at Sams or Costco. I went to Wisconsin over the weekend and the prices were within two cents of what I just paid.
Comment by Pundent Tuesday, Jul 23, 19 @ 6:24 am
There is always going to be some IL residents that will be able to take advantage of their geographic location and skip out on a buck per fill up, some of which will be offset by travelers through the state The Copmtroller corrected herself which is good and responsible of her but the Gov and ILGA own the MFT increase (needed IMO) and other tax increase. Comps office is better off for being able to keep up with the states bills now. Which is overall going to better for the bottom line.
Comment by NorthsideNoMore Tuesday, Jul 23, 19 @ 12:26 pm