Gas Tax Repeal

While Reform California’s Gas Tax Repeal Initiative was placed on the ballot in the November 2018 election as Proposition 6, state politicians intentionally changed the Title on Prop 6 to intentionally deceive voters – removing the words “Gas Tax Repeal” and replacing them with “Eliminates Road Repairs.” This was false and unfair – and Reform California will not give up this fight!

An Unfair and Costly Gas Tax Hike That Hurts Working Families

There are two simple reasons why we should repeal the gas and car tax hikes: it costs you a lot more than you think – the tax hike will cost the typical family of four $779.28 more per year in taxes and 2) it won’t fix our roads – this is a blank check tax hike that has already been diverted away from road repairs.

Where does the money go? Pensions and salaries for government bureaucrats, acquiring park land, recruiting lifeguards, climate change initiatives, transit, High Speed Rail, bike lanes, and “road diets” where they actually remove lanes for cars. In fact, the gas tax legislation expressly prohibits adding any regular lanes on highways and freeways for cars!

There’s a Better Way – the Road Repair Accountability Initiative

Californians are right to demand that our roads be repaired and expanded. That’s why our coalition has proposed the Road Repair Accountability Initiative. This measure is written not by the politicians, but taxpayer watchdogs and infrastructure experts. It imposes three strict and real requirements:

• 100% Lock Box on Existing Gas Tax: the measure would dedicate 100% of the existing gas tax (i.e. the rate we paid before this latest hike) to road maintenance and improvement contracts (no staffing costs, it has to be actual concrete and asphalt!) Roads must be the only use for gas tax funds.
• Car Sales Tax: the measure would dedicate 100% of the existing sales tax on the purchase of cars to regional infrastructure maintenance and expansion.
• Efficiency Reforms: the measure would enact competitive bidding and other efficiency reforms to ensure that infrastructure funds are properly spent.

This alternative solution generates MORE funds for road repairs and road expansion than the gas and car tax hikes – and proves we can rebuild our state without tax increases. Proving they aren’t really interested in fixing roads, the Sacramento politicians are opposed to this measure.

Next Steps in Our Campaign

Reform California and Carl DeMaio are currently pursuing a three-track strategy to repeal the gas and car tax hikes:

• Legal Challenges: Reform California is pursuing a legal challenge to the false and misleading titles being placed on citizens ballot measures.
• Refile the Initiative: Reform California is working on new citizens initiative for the upcoming election known as the “Gas Tax Repeal and Replace” initiative.
• Punish Sacramento Politicians: Reform California will make the gas and car tax hikes – as well as the intentionally deceptive ballot titles on Citizen Initiatives – an issue in defeating several Sacramento politicians in the upcoming election.