THE CENTER SQUARE and MUST READ ALASKA
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has declared a state of emergency and has suspended the state’s excise tax on motor and locomotive fuel for the next month.
The executive order, which the governor says is necessary because of high inflation, takes effect at 12 a.m. on Wednesday. It remains in effect until 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 12.
“From runaway federal spending to policies that hamstring domestic energy production, all Bidenomics has done is take more money out of the pockets of the middle class,” Kemp said Tuesday.
“While high prices continue to hit family budgets, hardworking Georgians deserve real relief and that’s why I signed an executive order today to deliver it directly to them at the pump,” the governor said. “Working with partners in the General Assembly, we’ll continue to help Georgians weather the economic headwinds caused by this president, his administration, and their allies in Congress.”
Georgia collects more than 31 cents per gallon for gasoline and 35 cents per gallon for diesel fuel.
On Monday, AAA said Georgia’s gas prices have steadily declined for the past two weeks. As of Tuesday, Peach State motorists are paying an average price of $3.57 per gallon for regular unleaded gasoline, up from $3.242 a year ago and below the national average of $3.836.
That’s less than in California, which also has a high tax on gas. Drivers in California are paying an average of $5.439 per gallon — 51 cents of that is tax. Washingtonians are paying $5 per gallon, including a tax of more than 49 cents per gallon. Alaskans pay more than $465 typically, much higher in rural areas. Alaska has a gas tax of just under 9 cents.
Oil prices are generally higher than the nation has seen since November, with West Texas Intermediate, the U.S. benchmark, staying above $85 per barrel, the Houston Chronicle reported Monday. “A strong U.S. jobs report last week stirred rumors of possible action at the Federal Reserve, but it was Saudi Arabia’s decision to extend production cuts through the end of the year that crowded out most of the economic indicators last week.”
Alaska North Slope crude is over $93 per barrel.
“Despite the uptick in crude oil prices, Georgians are feeling some relief at the pump,” Montrae Waiters, AAA-The Auto Club Group spokeswoman, said in a Monday statement. “Gas prices may ebb and flow until we get beyond hurricane season and its threats to Gulf Coast oil and gas production and refining.”
Total U.S. crude inventories, including what is left in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, fell below 800 million barrels this week, a level not seen since 1985. The country has just 46 days worth of supply in total reserves, an all-time low. During the Trump Administration, the U.S. had a record 92 days of reserve inventory, double what it has today.
Last week, President Joe Biden canceled all of Alaska’s pending oil and gas leases on the North Slope. Since he campaigned for president, he has pledged to end oil and gas leases on all federal land.
The lier should not be traveling by fossil fuels. He should be walking or riding a bike. Why does he get a free ride from the taxpayers who are taxed on top of the fuel price. He probably has not paid for gas in a long time. Let’s make gas 10 dollars a gallon and shut down the economy.
Someone find where Dunleavy is hiding and show him this.
Dunleavy won’t do anything, since it requires action, but he needs to see what happens when people lead, instead of follow.
It’s not that bad down here. A stunt.
Sadly like it or not I am afraid prices at the pump need to go to the 6-8 dollar a gallon price range to put enough of a squeeze on the lower income families and especially the rural areas which puts their price at the pump over 10 bucks with shipping and storage.
Soon the airlines trucking and transportation industry will start charging an additional fuel surcharge to all transactions. Thats what people need to see on their invoices and receipts to realize what the bottom line of Bidenomics really means to the less fortunate (unless you are homeless in Los Anchorage)
Maybe then the less fortunate who are not lined up to catch the big cash giveaways to all the village corporations in exchange for their oil and subsurface mineral rights will start to see through all the smokey mirrors and realize what the Democrats are setting them up for.
I have talked to people who are in charge of the money flow going to the villages and it is not being distributed evenly.
There are people earnng six figure local government incomes getting complete home remodels with new energy efficient heating systems while the unemployed are trying to figure out how to keep fuel and oil in their tanks and food on the table without paying MARK Begich ten dollars for a can of soup at his store. The division between the haves and the have nots is getting much wider because the ones in charge of the cash flow are taking the lions share.
Please document your claims friend. I lived 33 years in the Bush and never saw inequitable distribution. Fuel prices in many villages are already well over $10/gallon. Gotta call BS on your hyperbole – zero local governments in the Bush are paying six figure salaries to anyone. Many local governments rely on volunteer help because they don’t have enough budget to pay employees. My data comes from the Municipal League and from my years as Mayor of Bettles. Please don’t play the whining class-warfare schtick – it just sounds like whining.
I can tell you what Andy said has merit. I to worked in the bush. The only ones with good income seam to be government employees. There is lots of people well below the poverty level and being mayor doesn’t make you special. You got a good salary and most of Bettles people did not.
I spent 27 years living and working in all the villages in the North Slope borough. You can say what ever turns your crank but I know for a fact what has happened since the revenue started flowing into all the villages immediately after oil started flowing. I witnessed the states largest corruption scandal in state history.
I know the perpetrators as well as the victims of the corruption.
My daughter has worked in all the local governments as well as the village and regional corporations and keeps me informed of everything that is going on.
All borough department directors deputy directors village council members borough assembly members regional corporation board of directors ALL make well into the six figure salaries. Upper level begional corporation officers salaries are 7 figures.
Bethel is a long way from the northern region and obviously you havent a clue of what the real picture is up north.
Do some research before you call bulls**t because I spent way too many years building the infrastructure that delivers clean potable water to homes as well as handling the sewage in treatment plants instead of settling ponds as well as all new schools and healthcare facilities.
This didnt happen overnight my friend.
Everyone in upper level borough government department directors and deputy directors even as far back in 1980 were making well over 100K salaries.
By the time you added the benefit package it was closer to 150k/yr
I would say they are all closer to 200k with benefits in todays economy.
Both of my daughters are fresh out of college with only a couple years under their belt and they are both making well over 100k/yr and there are hundreds above them making much more than they do.
I dont need to waste my time educating anyone as I have much more important work to do that is much more rewarding and enjoyable.
$0.31 per gallon…let’s say you really drive A LOT and burn 1,000 gallons per month. You’re going to save a whole $310 bucks! Wow! If Kemp actually wanted to help the average (working and productive) state resident he’d talk the legislature into doing something about the overbearing income and other tax load state government has burdened the citizens with: “If you make $70,000 a year living in Georgia you will be taxed $11,601. Your average tax rate is 11.67% and your marginal tax rate is 22%.” Suspending a gas tax for a month is a gimmick. Real change comes when the income tax gets slashed or property taxes get cut or sales taxes go down. Maybe pay for the cuts by getting rid of state funded welfare schemes? Medicaid (welfare healthcare) and other state funded healthcare is costing GA an estimated 22% of their total state budget for 2022. That’s just the state portion, the federal taxpayer is footing a much higher amount. Add in all the other welfare schemes and you’re talking real money…hahaha. But I guess we owe it to all the people who aren’t working, right?, because they deserve the same lifestyle the rest of us have to work for. Thankfully the government is there to take from us to give to them. Kemp is just engaging in political theater.
Well said I second what you’re saying.
I can’t fault this move, narrowly considered, but one must admit that it is just an act of political grandstanding.
And let’s not forget that this was the same Georgia governor who did EVERYTHING possible to hinder the investigation into the rampant voting fraud in his state in the 2020 presidential (s)election. In other words, JAR (Just Another RINO).
Incorrect.
He had zero power to affect the outcome of the Georgia election. State constitution bars him from being involved.
More, Kemp has taken considerable heat from the left (see Stacy Abrams) regarding his efforts to clean up the Georgia voting rolls. Far more than our useless governor has done.
Georgia is a swing state, and Biden’s people outworked Trump.
All that said, I agree it’s a bit of political grandstanding. But it’s some type of action. Which is more than most have taken (again looking directly at Dunleavy).
Well said.
A follow up will show that this will have no lasting effect on the price of gas in that state. Anymore than it did here, years ago. Maybe if they didn’t spend so much taxpayer money on political lawsuits they could give a real tax break.
We’re out of gas in Quinhagak. Hardly a boat running to hunt moose. When the barge gets here, the price of fuel is reportedly going from the current $7.69 a gallon to somewhere close to $9 a gallon.
I’d like to take this opportunity to flip the middle bird finger too the Senate Finance Committee that take great pride in lying to all Alaskans that they have a financial plan and most certainly don’t need a spending cap, as long as we allow them to avoid taxing themselves and funding the budget off the backs and bank accounts of the lower and middle income Alaskans by taking 3/4 of the PFD this year.
I’d like to further take this opportunity to send a double bird to Senate District S representatives, Lyman Hoffman, Bryce Edgeman and CJ McCormick for never standing up and asking for a official Regulatory Investigation into ” Price Fixing and Price Gouging”, both State and Federal crimes, on the prices of fuel in Western Alaska.
I’m telling you… it doesn’t cost upwards of $4 a gallon to bring fuel from Nikiski to Western Alaska.
Governor Dunleavy are you listening??
The biggest roadblock to actually cutting and/or controlling State spending is Senate Finance Chair Bert Stedman, IMO.
Who is paying for the barge of fuel? The state or the village because there is not enough money in a village to buy a barge full of fuel.
The sooner we become energy independent, the better
Oh “Frank”….
We were until Biden.
Agree totally. Vote Trump 2024!
(Last time we were energy independent.)
And please tell us your plan. Solar, wind, or pedal generators.
Franks hot air will power a paper bag.
Next time a sitting President calls up Kemp and says “look into these weird things that happened on and after election day.” maybe he should listen. But, he was too busy being a uniparty shill and cowtowing to his globalist friends.
Things are about to get much worse in the nation thanks to Biden’s incompetence and corruption. The world is rapidly fleeing the American dollar and embracing BRICS. The world’s major oil producers are aligning against us. We wil soon be looking back at $5 gasoline as the good old days! Biden needs to go now! Impeach the lying bastard.
Now that this administration has depleted the oil reserves, what tool is available to lower gas prices for the election? More sweet deals to the countries that took part in 9-11? Lots of ring kissing predicted. Oh, the humility of it all. How about just a few trillion of fresh greenbacks. Jack it up now, then drop prices for the election.
What does that mean. Is it State of Georgia has more dependents dependent upon government paying for recipients energy rebates, so the government is overwhelmed and can’t pay its own tax on top of paying for the fuel. I think and guess if a state had more residents who paid their own bills the government would care-less about tax-payers paying excessive high taxes since it’s the citizen paying for it.
Villages order the amount they want and whichever barge company you buy from delivers your fuel order.
The company that the village contracted didn’t bring enough to fill the order this spring, now we’re out and waiting for delivery, whenever that might be.
Comments are closed.