With top-grade gasoline prices generally close to $3 a gallon and vacation time coming, when gasoline use greatly increases, it is not surprising that some United States senators who reportedly are pushing for a federal gasoline tax increase are not eager to have their names attached to the higher-tax idea.
The federal tax on gasoline now is 18.4 cents a gallon. Added to the federal tax are state taxes, which in most cases are higher.
For example, Tennessee’s state gasoline tax is 20 cents per gallon, plus a special tax of 1 cent and 0.4 of a cent for environmental considerations. That’s added to the U.S. tax of 18.4 cents per gallon.
Alabama’s state gasoline tax is 18 cents a gallon.
Georgia’s state gasoline tax at last report is the lowest in the country, at just 7.5 cents per gallon.
The state tax rates vary widely throughout the country, with New York having the highest state gasoline tax, at 31.9 cents per gallon.
From time to time, there are spikes in gasoline prices when some foreign oil producers try to jack up their prices, and when wars or threats of wars create anxiety.
But there seems to be no good reason for gasoline prices in America to go up this summer — except for just a desire by some to raise more tax money for the federal government.
We don’t know of any current candidate for public office who is basing his campaign on a proposal to raise gasoline prices. But watch out: It is reported that some in Congress are considering a higher gas tax, claiming they are doing so for “climate control.”