SACRAMENTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Fed Up at the Pump coalition spokesperson Matt Notley issued the following statement in response to the California Business Alliance for a Green Economy’s (CBAGE) July 7 news release.
“The California Business Alliance for a Green Economy says it is alarmed by a proposal to delay a hidden gas tax known as the Fuels Under the Cap regulation. This shouldn’t surprise anyone - the money generated by this portion of AB 32’s cap-and-trade system will be lining the pockets of CBAGE’s members. Most receive government funding and/or regulatory support, and the billions that consumers will be paying in taxes will most certainly make its way to them through green-initiative, government-funded programs. It is disingenuous for CBAGE to say its members are an accurate representation of California’s business community as they make up such a small segment of our state’s economy,” Notley said.
“California’s true business community, in a June 28 letter, declared its support of the bipartisan efforts by California lawmakers to delay the implementation of CARB’s January gas tax which would result in a $0.16 to $0.76 increase in the price of a gallon of gas and diesel for consumers. These businesses represent the majority of California’s vital business sector and drive our state’s economy. They include members of the California Chamber of Commerce, California Grocers Association, Los Angeles County Business Federation, the California Small Business Alliance and the California Manufacturers and Technology Association to name a few.
“A delay would provide the time necessary for a dialogue on the ways in which fuels are brought under the cap and trade system, and provide an opportunity to examine in open air the impacts to state consumers and motorists. It is the bungling of CARB that is causing this request for delay, not companies who don’t want to comply. The resulting fuel assessment will disproportionately impact low-income residents and harm an economy still struggling to recover from a recession.”
About Fed Up at the Pump
Fed Up at the Pump is a grassroots coalition of businesses, consumers and advocates who are concerned about the negative impacts that a hidden, unfair gas tax will have on California.
The coalition’s goal is to halt a state-mandated gas tax – created by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) “Fuels Under the Cap” regulations – before it goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2015. This gas tax will disproportionately affect lower-income Californians and there is no guarantee money generated will go to programs that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The coalition is spearheaded by members of the California Independent Oil Marketers Association (CIOMA), a group of independent fuel conveyers in California. CIOMA members provide a strong backbone to the state’s economy but are often blamed for oil industry gas price hikes. The coalition aims to educate consumers about the source of the gas price increase they will experience in January, 2015, a campaign CIOMA believes that CARB should be conducting so Californians can plan for the upcoming gas tax, especially low income workers in the Central Valley.
More information can be found at www.fedupatthepump.org.
