Under a bill expected to be unveiled when the legislature returns in March, Delaware would increase its 23 cent gas tax–unchanged since the mid 1990s–by 10 cents. The hike would expire after a year, requiring lawmakers to review things like oil prices and the effectiveness of the increase. State Rep. Sean Matthews (D-Brandywine Hundred), one of the chief sponsors on the bill, said Delaware should try to build revenue off a mild hike to the gas tax while oil prices and the overall cost of filling up at the pump remain low.

So, how does a dummy respond?

Rep. Mike Ramone (R-Middle Run Valley) argued cheap gas prices help the state generate more money, because motorists are buying millions of more gallons of fuel than previous years.

“We generated $3 million to $4 million just by not raising it last year,” he said.

In a time when one can pay up to 35 cents a difference in gas prices depending upon where he stops, it is silly to think that 10 cents a gallon difference will make people stop driving.

And had the other tax been in effect that extra $4 million ( at 23 cents tax per gallon) would have given us $5.7 million…Republicans against the gas tax and Valerie Longhurst, just cost the state $1.7 million dollars we otherwise could have easily had…

We all know the lower usage figures were generated when gas was $3.60 a gallon, and the higher volume figures came up was when it was $1.99 a gallon.  Only an idiot would think our citizens drove hundreds of thousands of extra miles, because we didn’t put 10 cents on each gallon.

Simply dumb.  Wish there was an intelligence test legislators had to pass before putting up their filing fees…… We would all benefit.

 

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