N.C.'s Gas Prices Among Nation's Highest

BlueRidgeRunner

BlueRidgeRunner

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 21, 2005
Location
Roxboro, NC
http://abclocal.go.com/wtvd/story?section=central&id=3496801


(10/03/05 -- RALEIGH) - The average price of gas in North Carolina is the highest of any state in the contiguous 48 states, and some say Governor Easley can help reduce pain at the pump.
A gallon of gas costs an average $3.07 in North Carolina, according to AAA. California, which usually has the nation's most expensive gas, has an average price is $2.98, and New York's average now sits at $2.96. Only Hawaii and Washington, D.C., have higher gas prices, at $3.24 and $3.14 respectively.

Gas prices around the Southeast are among the highest in the country because the pipeline supplying almost all of our fuel is still recovering from hurricanes Katrina and Rita, said Bill Weatherspoon, executive director of the N.C. Petroleum Council. The Gulf's oil infrastructure has yet to return to full capacity.

"We currently have a dozen refineries that are offline," Weatherspoon said.

He says North Carolina's sky-high gas prices also reflect our gas tax rate, which is one of the highest in the region. We pay 27 cents per gallon in state taxes. That is several cents more than in neighboring states.

Some are calling on Governor Easley to suspend the gas tax temporarily. Easley says he will not suspend the tax, saying it would cost the state nearly $120 million a month.

Drivers say the would love some kind of help.

"It used to cost 40 bucks to fill up, and now it's 69," said driver John Brown. "It would be nice to have some relief from the government."

________________________________________________________________________________________________


So here is what I did. I E-MAILED THE GOVERNOR asking him to suspend the 27.1 cent per gallon gas tax. PLease do the same and pass the link on to your friends. Its time the people have their say in NC!
 
price

If the problem with the pipe line is causing our high cost, why is New York fuel cheaper than ours, they suck from the same line we do. The reason is the amount of NC tax imposed on it citizens.
 
I emailed him with my suggestion of changing the "education lottery" to the "transportation lottery". Then the gas tax could be reduced significantly. Who knows, maybe he'll bite.
 
2offroad said:
I don't think 27 cent tax is why our gas is so high, I think greed is the reason.
Click to expand...

Greed is also a problem. Breaking up the API Cartel could solve that. The API has a strangle hold on the USA right now. Politicians can also stop that If they are brave enough to stand up to BIG OIL! I am for free enterprise BUT when all of the oil companies gang up against us and work together we need to look into what they are doing behind closed doors. We can take care of the politicians taxing us though. As for the lottery. I could care less about it. Who will be able to afford it with fuel prices the way they are right now. :mad:
 
Some are calling on "Governor Sleazely" to suspend the gas tax temporarily.

There I fixed it. :D

If we made the $$$ that Sleazely makes and got the bribes and kick backs he gets we wouldn't give a rats ass about the common working man or the price of gas either.

<><Fish
 
Here is the history on motor fuel taxes:


Motor Fuels Tax Rates
June 15, 2005
Date


Tax Rate
07/01/05 - 12/31/05 ....................................................................... 27.1
01/01/05 - 06/30/05 ....................................................................... 26.6
07/01/04 - 12/31/04 ........................................................................ 24.6
01/01/04 - 06/30/04 ........................................................................ 24.3
07/01/03 - 12/31/03 ........................................................................ 24.2
01/01/03 - 06/30/03 ........................................................................ 23.4
07/01/02 - 12/31/02 ........................................................................ 22.1
01/01/02 - 06/30/02 ........................................................................ 24.2
07/01/01 - 12/31/01 ........................................................................ 24.1
01/01/01 - 06/30/01 ........................................................................ 24.3
07/01/00 - 12/31/00 ........................................................................ 23.1
01/01/00 - 06/30/00 ........................................................................ 22.0
07/01/99 - 12/31/99 ........................................................................ 21.0
01/01/99 - 06/30/99 ........................................................................ 21.2
07/01/98 - 12/31/98 ........................................................................ 21.6
01/01/98 - 06/30/98 ........................................................................ 22.3
07/01/97 - 12/31/97 ........................................................................ 22.6
01/01/97 - 06/30/97 ........................................................................ 22.6
07/01/96 - 12/31/96 ........................................................................ 21.7
01/01/96 - 06/30/96 ........................................................................ 22.0
07/01/95 - 12/31/95 ........................................................................ 21.6
01/01/95 - 06/30/95 ........................................................................ 21.7
07/01/94 - 12/31/94 ........................................................................ 21.3
07/01/93 - 06/30/94 ........................................................................ 22.0
01/01/93 - 06/30/93 ........................................................................ 22.3
07/01/92 - 12/31/92 ........................................................................ 21.9
01/01/92 - 06/30/92 ........................................................................ 22.3*
07/01/91 - 12/31/91 ........................................................................ 22.6
01/01/91 - 06/30/91 ........................................................................ 22.3
07/01/90 - 12/31/90 ........................................................................ 21.5
01/01/90 - 06/30/90 ........................................................................ 21.7
08/01/89 - 12/31/89 ........................................................................ 20.9**
07/01/88 - 07/31/89 ........................................................................ 15.7
01/01/88 - 06/30/88 ........................................................................ 15.8
07/15/86 - 12/31/87 ........................................................................ 15.5***
07/01/81 - 07/14/86 ........................................................................ 12.0
07/01/69 - 06/30/81 ........................................................................ 9.0
01/01/50 - 06/30/69 ........................................................................ 7.0
04/01/31 - 12/31/49 ........................................................................ 6.0
04/01/29 - 03/31/31 ........................................................................ 5.0
03/04/25 - 03/31/29 ........................................................................ 4.0
03/01/23 - 03/03/25 ........................................................................ 3.0
03/01/21 - 02/28/23 ........................................................................ 1.0



* Effective January 1, 1992 the tax rate was changed to 17.5 cents per gallon plus 7% of the average wholesale price which was then converted to the nearest 1/10 of a cent. The tax rate was subject to change in January and July of each year.

** Effective August 1, 1989 the tax rate was changed to 17 cents per gallon plus 7% of the average wholesale price which was then converted to the nearest 1/10 of a cent. The tax rate was subject to change in January and July of each year.

*** Effective July 15, 1986 the tax rate was changed to 14 cents per gallon plus 3% of the average wholesale price which was then converted to the nearest 1/10 of a cent. The tax rate was subject to change in January and July of each year.

In addition to the road tax, every gallon of motor fuel includes a .25 cents per gallon inspection tax.


We will be in for another increase in January.
 
Let's make gasoline a utility, and mandate maximum price increases, that must be approved before implemented... :D

I for one do NOT want the tax to be suspended. A: we're already fighting for every cent in the Triangle to get roadwork started/completed. Taxing away a big chunk of budget is NOT gonna be good for that. B: NC's budget is bad enough, let's not reduce the amount of money they have to work with.

The problem is with the suppliers. Let's not take the typical Liberal approach and address the symptom, without addressing the REAL cause.

If we're so tight on refining capacity, why did we just sell a whole lot of oil to Chile? Oh, they were probably willing to pay more...
 
My wife is a teacher.
If the state budget gets any worse, she would have to pay THEM so she can work.
Just Say NO to repealing taxes.
Meanwhile, buy stock in Exxon and BP. Then you can use the inevitable profits to pay for the rising cost of your gas.
That's what we call putting sircular logic to good use!
 
Getting rid of the tax is probably the dumbest move we could make.....We would be letting the oil companies win if we did that....what i dont understand is is that a year ago we were paying around $2 a gallon and the price per barrel of oil was $66, today the price per barrel is $66 and we are paying $3.09 a gallon....does this make sense to anyone??
 
BS, we need a cut in taxes, as well as a cut in spending. There would be more then enough money to do the roads, pay teachers, etc, if our elected officials would just cut the pork spending, $200,000 on a tea pot museum is just one example of our tax dollars at work. There was $18 million in special interest spending in this years budget. And don't get me started on the More at 4 programs and Smart start.
 
i agree with you on that part, but the suspending of the gas tax in no way will ever fix all the pork barrel spending our politicians do, all it will do is put our already horrible budget-crisis in even worse shape...
 
Boarded said:
i agree with you on that part, but the suspending of the gas tax in no way will ever fix all the pork barrel spending our politicians do, all it will do is put our already horrible budget-crisis in even worse shape...
Click to expand...
Agreed, but we're the ones paying for our elected officials spending spree. It has to stop somewhere. I've always said that they need to quit deducting our income taxes from our paychecks, and make everyone write a check to pay their taxex. Then the apathy would stop, and people would get a clue.
 
I think everyone will agree with you when we say taxes are too high and our money is spent the wrong way....
the only thing im trying to get across is that the blame is to be put on the oil companies and their record profits theyve made the past 2 years rather than the gas tax which has only increased 7 cents in the past 10 years.....Like i said earlier we were paying $2.20 a gallon 2 years ago when a barrel of oil was $66, and today a barrel of oil is $66 and we are paying $3.19 a gallon....
 
Me? I'm sick and tired of people crying and bitching about the price of gas. Adjusted for inflation, it's still cheaper at $3/gal than it was in the early 80s. In fact, we haven't even come close to the all-time highs that were set in 1980.

More importantly, fuel costs make up a decreasing percentage of the average American's monthly expenditures, since we make more money (inflation adjusted) than we ever have before.

And the price of crude per barrel last year? $30-40. Not the $66 that Boarded keeps claiming.
 
Depending on your source, it's somewhere between $3.70-4.00 per gallon US average retail, with crude in the $80-90/barrel range.

US average retail last week was $2.93.
 
Rob said:
BS, we need a cut in taxes, as well as a cut in spending. There would be more then enough money to do the roads, pay teachers, etc, if our elected officials would just cut the pork spending, $200,000 on a tea pot museum is just one example of our tax dollars at work. There was $18 million in special interest spending in this years budget. And don't get me started on the More at 4 programs and Smart start.
Click to expand...


BRAVO!! My thoughts also! I WANT A TAX CUT somewhere. I probably pay over 50% of my earnings in taxes right now. We had this road problem before the fuel prices went thru the roof. Teachers pay will be saved by the almighty lottery. CUT THE DAMN PORK! :mad:

As for investing in Exxon/Mobil......... Over my cold, dead, body. I don't partisipate in criminal acts of ripping off the American people. :mad:
 
Speaking of pork.... NC state income tax revenue surged something like 27% in the 3rd quarter... it was about 7th in the nation in percentage increase.

How do you think the politicos are going to spend the $$$?

I vote for a monorail. Ogdenville got one, and by gum, it put them on the map!
 
Don't even get me STARTED on that fawking POS train abortion they're still pushing for. Gee, the project is headed by a REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER... hmmmm...

No one rides the damn TTA buses, they could have used Ford vans for all the ridership they have... And now they want a train.. Well great idea, except it doesn't pass near where the residential areas are, so no one will ride it to and from work, which is what makes trains so successful in the northeast.

Nextel picked the Triangle when they were beta testing and lauching the wireless broadband for a number of reasons, a BIG one of which was the spread-out population, who demand connectivity..

The $1 Billion this will surely cost by the time it's running would certainly go a LONG way towards...oh, wait.. relieving congestion by opening more of I-540! (The same crap-ass excuse they are using for the train.)

Ya think they would have learned from the failure of the TTA
 
Here was the Governor's response:


Your email to the Governor's website has been referred to the North
Carolina Department of Revenue for response. Governor Easley remains
concerned about the rising cost of automotive fuel. However, cutting the
tax on gasoline is not an appropriate way to address the problem.

First, unlike other states that tax gasoline at the pump, North
Carolina's has a wholesale gasoline tax. There is no guarantee that the tax
savings will be passed onto consumers. Second, a gas tax suspension of
one month would throw the state's budget out of balance by $120
million. Even if the North Carolina Constitution permitted an unbalanced
budget, which it does not, this lost revenue would have to be met by severe
cuts that maintain and build roads and bridges.

The Governor understands and shares the frustration that many North
Carolinians feel as gas prices remain at historically high prices.
Governor Easley has joined several other governors to ask the federal
government for relief. We ask that you also contact your federally elected
representatives with your concerns on the price of fuel at www.house.gov
and www.senate.gov.

Thank you.

Ann Tilley
Administrative Assistant
Office of the Secretary
NC Department of Revenue
Click to expand...

The "blame it on the feds" routine. :mad: I find it hard to believe that the Governor shares my frustration. :mad: Notice that they offer no solution or ideas. :mad:


Looks like our regional rail is a 46 million waste of money. I read an article that states the FED is probably not going to spend the money on the regional rail project in the RDU area. The 46 million is for the land and planning already purchased.
 
no crap. I just got that same lousy response.

Your email to the Governor's website has been referred to the North Carolina Department of Revenue for response. Governor Easley remains concerned about the rising cost of automotive fuel. However, cutting the tax on gasoline is not an appropriate way to address the problem.

First, unlike other states that tax gasoline at the pump, North Carolina's has a wholesale gasoline tax. There is no guarantee that the tax savings will be passed onto consumers. Second, a gas tax suspension of one month would throw the state's budget out of balance by $120 million. Even if the North Carolina Constitution permitted an unbalanced budget, which it does not, this lost revenue would have to be met by severe cuts that maintain and build roads and bridges.

The Governor understands and shares the frustration that many North Carolinians feel as gas prices remain at historically high prices. Governor Easley has joined several other governors to ask the federal government for relief. We ask that you also contact your federally elected representatives with your concerns on the price of fuel at www.house.gov and www.senate.gov.

Thank you.

Ann Tilley
Administrative Assistant
Office of the Secretary
NC Department of Revenue
 
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