By BARBARA SIMPSON
There was a time when the idea of living in California was compared to being in “God’s Country.” If you lived on the East Coast, that was the idea you had of the West Coast and in a way they were right. Actually, California is a completely beautiful state — it has gorgeous natural beauty, an easy climate, and everything from mountains, to desert, to ocean beaches.
Unfortunately, now it also has politicians who have a knack of spoiling things for everyone, regardless of political party. I won’t go into all the areas they influence, but I will focus on the issue of gasoline prices and the mischief that is being done to them and drivers.
Right now, prices at the pump are skyrocketing. It doesn’t help to hear national newscasts report that pump prices are dropping. That doesn’t help Californians who face increases every day. We are told that AAA reports that a gallon of unleaded, regular gasoline is $3.30. They tend not to report that the same gasoline in the San Francisco metropolitan area was $6.51. Just a week prior, it was $5.83 a gallon. Surveys of prices all around the Bay Area show that the average is well over $6.00 and increasing steadily.
The California Energy Commission wrote to executives of Chevron, Marathon Petroleum, PBF Energy, Phillips 66, and Valero, asking why prices are increasing. The response was that there had been a refinery outage in September and an “uptick in planned maintenance” this month.
The politicians didn’t buy that reasoning and it lit a fire under Gov. Gavin Newsom. First, he urged the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to immediately start distributing winter-blend gasoline which would drop the price of gas at the pump. It had been done before in 2012, and the pump price dropped 47 cents a gallon in three weeks. The idea is that it would happen again, but state Republicans want more. They are asking for the state gas tax to be suspended. It was increased to .54 cents a gallon in July.
While it is too late this term for the governor to institute a new law re gas prices, Newsom continues his call for a windfall tax on oil companies. He claims the companies are overcharging consumers and reaping higher than acceptable profits. He wants oil company profits to be taxed with that money to go back to taxpayers.
In a video he posted on social media, Gov. Newsom said, not mincing words, “Their record profits are coming at your expense. That’s why, today, I’m calling for a windfall tax to ensure these profits go directly back to help millions of Californians who are paying for this oil company extortion.”
“Oil companies are ripping you off. Their record profits are coming at your expense at the pump. I’m calling for a new windfall tax exclusively on oil companies. If they won’t lower their prices, we will do it for them. The money will go directly back to you.”
Call me cynical, but I’ll believe it, when I see it.
He can’t do anything substantial on this until the next legislative session. It’s reported Newsom must first win re-election in the November 8 election — it would be his second term. He recently beat a recall attempt.
In the meantime, California drivers are at the mercy of the pump prices. It hits individuals who pay for their own fuel, but also hits them twice. Companies that use cars or trucks to move merchandise are also paying higher prices and those expenses are then built-in to the wholesale and then into the retail prices that everyone pays.
It means residents wind up being hit every which way and at this point, there isn’t anything we can do about it. Yes, I realize people are saying: “Get an electric car.” But has anyone looked at the prices consumers are being charged for those vehicles and for the power to run them? They have increased along with the increase in gasoline prices. Bottom line, electricity is not cheap. Nothing is and I don’t know what the solution to all this might be.
Given the attitude of lawmakers and business, perhaps the real answer is move out. In fact, there is an ongoing movement of Californians out of the state and one of the places they are going is Texas — along with Arizona, Washington, and Florida and other states with low, and often no, taxes and a friendly environment for newcomers.
God’s country, indeed.
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